Carol:
Although I may seem like a very smart, wise, and intelligent man who holds the key to everything.. ... I'm really no scholar on the different sects of Islam.
I only know a rough and rudimentary explaination of all religions and how they operate but the religions of the world have twisted and turned and varied so much in the world from their doctrines and original holy scripture that it's almost impossible to give an accurate description of what Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Hasidic Jews, Tamils, or Hanif Muslims believe.
I don't wanna get started to telling false tales because like most religious people "I" may have one understanding of what a movement is about but the people who are ACTUALLY OF THAT MOVEMENT give say, "No no you're wrong you've misunderstood us...THIS is what we really believe".
You are keenly correct that a lot of this is "national\tribal" and passed down from one generation to the next so EVEN THE PEOPLE PRACTICING THE RELIGON have no idea of what they really believe.
But yes Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain, and Yemen are mostly Shiite nations.
Iraq and Iran used to be a part of Persia and they were Persians and Asshurian\Chaldeans before the Arabs came introducing Islam.
After Islam came to them, they incorporated a lot of it with their own Zoroaster and Catholic religions which put them into bitter conflict with the rest of the Muslim world so numerous conflicts evolved to them developing their on sect.
Then you had groups of Muslims who were stauch tribalists and believe Islam could only be ruled by people of Muhammad's family and they worshiped on of the Prophet's chief companions called "Ali"
These were Shiites of Yemen and Arabia (southern Iraq).
And these divisions and differences came to a head when Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad was killed in a political dispute.
They developed an entire differnt more strictly organized sect called Shia Islam but different Shia sects believe in different things.
The reason Shites seem to be more active and fundemantalist that other groups comes NOT from Islam but out of national pride.
The Iranians call themselves "Aryan nobles" and believe they have too much history and pride to succomb to the West...so they're more resistant to imperialism.
Where as the Arab Shiites of southern Iraq are more peaceful and docile.
The Sunnis are more of the main-stream type of Muslims in which different groups break away from and comeback to...like the Catholic church in a way.
The Sunnis believe in the "Sunnah" or traditions and actions of the Prophet and believe that all Muslims must strive their best to be like HIM by imitating him.
They have a collection of books called Hadith with are basically narrations and stories of what the Prophet supposidely did and forbid and they try to follow it.
Sufi Islam is basically Islam mixed with traditional religion based on whereever it's practiced. They also believe in using herbs and even alcohol to get high and see visions or reach different planes.
People in places like Somalia, Egypt, Morocco and other parts either are Sufis or Sunnis.
Now, unlike the Sunnis or Shiites, most Sufi communities HAVE NO leaders or to answer to an most of their holy men live lives of poverty and wonder around in groups.
The Ahmadiyya Movement was an Indian movement against British Imperialism that started in the 19th Centrury and they basically held that England and the West were anti-Christs and that the Mahdi was on Earth getting ready to annihalate them.
The Nation of Islam is another racist offshoot of Islam that mixes "end-time" teachings with mysticism and politics but unlike all the others...they don't believe in spirits or life after death.
The weird thing is that ALL these different groups and sects believe in ONE Koran and know it's the infallable word of God yet most don't think it's enough to suffice them and tag on OTHER rituals, traditions, and commentaries. The bad part is like so many Eastern religions...people are born and die in these religions from generation to generation not being exposed to anything different so they never have a chance to expand.
Whereas the divisions of Christianity is cause mostly by doctrine; the divisions in Islam is caused by doctrine, as well as traditionalism and racism.
That's why people in the West seem to make the BEST Muslims because when we discover Islam...we go straight to the source God gave us which is Koran and we don't get caught up in all these traditions.
We were NEVER supposed to make Islam a tradition but to more so use it as a GUIDE to keep us in check in reaching higher heights.
The West seems to have done this with Christianity...but are now abandoning it because of the falsehood in it's doctrine and scripture.