Setting the world of Islam alight

The wider consequences of the Iraq conflict are unfolding, but not in the way that the US and its allies had expected. While stability, security and consolidated democracy continue to elude the Iraqis, an alarming outcome looming on the horizon is the sharpening of the historical division between the two main sects of Islam in the region: Sunni and Shiite. The traditional power equation in the Gulf is rapidly shifting in favour of Shiite Islam, which has a majority of followers in only three Middle Eastern countries - Iraq, Bahrain and Iran - and whose leadership is claimed by Iran. This has deeply concerned the regional Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia, which champions the cause of Sunni Islam that is dominant in most Muslim countries. If the present trend continues, the Iraq conflict now carries the risk of causing wider sectarian hostilities in the Muslim world, with a devastating impact on the region and beyond.