Beset with increasing protests against them, governments in many parts of the Middle East are struggling to stay afloat. The law and order situation in Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen has deteriorated rapidly.

Much of the problem can be attributed to rivalry between Sunnis and Shiites, two sects of Islam.

It all started over the matter of succession, after Prophet Muhammad passed away, almost 14 centuries ago. Since neither Prophet Muhammad, nor the Holy Quran addressed this matter, it has caused a lot of bloodshed through the history of Islam.

The point of contention after Prophet Muhammadâ€™s death in 632 CE was, whether succession should be based on the candidateâ€™s family relationship with the Prophet, or on the candidateâ€™s capability.

One group of the Prophetâ€™s companions wanted Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophetâ€™s younger cousin and son-in-law, to succeed him; the other group supported succession by Abu Bakr, the Prophetâ€™s friend and collaborator.

The disagreement led to Battle of Karbala, on October 10, 680. Aliâ€™s son, infant grandson, and all their supporters were killed in the battle. This created a permanent rift between the two groups.

The battle is mournfully commemorated annually by the supporters of Ali, known as Shiites. Supporters of Abu Bakr are called Sunnis.

Over the centuries, differences between the two groups have become magnified. Besides their faith in the Quran, and their respect for Ali, Shiites and Sunnis disagree on almost everything else, including interpretations of the scriptures.

Currently, 90 percent of Muslims are Sunnis. Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are Sunni-majority countries.

Shiites constitute about 10 percent of all Muslims. Iran, Iraq and Bahrain are Shiite-majority nations. Also Kuwait, Yemen, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have sizable Shiite communities.

Since the very beginning, many Sunni rulers have regarded the Shiite as a threat to their political and religious authority. They have continued to marginalize the Shiites in a variety of ways, including their imprisonment, persecution and killing, and sacking of their holy sites.

Until 2003, Shiite people were heavily persecuted in Iraq. As recently as 2011, the Malaysian government banned the Shiite as a â€œdeviantâ€ sect, and prohibited them from promoting their faith, although they could practice it by themselves. Also along with other religious minorities, the Shiite continue to be targeted by Sunni terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida, Taliban, ISIS and their affiliates.

Most of the conflicts in the Middle East can be attributed to the tussle for political dominance between Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran.

To pursue its agenda, Saudi Arabia has supported Sunni insurgents against the Shiite-led governments in Iraq and Syria. Also it helped put down the pro-democracy movement in Baharain, and the Houthi attempts to establish a Shiite regime in Yemen. Of course, the Shiites forces, aided by Iran, have attempted to resist the Sunnis everywhere they can.

In spite of their invocation of divine will and their attempts to establish their version of heaven on earth, both parties end up creating a hell.

Fortunately, most Muslims of either sect are peaceful people. Many of the international conflicts will be easier to resolve if and when their silent majority decide to speak up.

Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D., of Keizer is a retired neuropsychologist. He is the executive director of Oregonians for Peace and Association for Communal Harmony in Asia.

Shia-sunny divide and the Middle East turmoil