SunniSunni Shi’a

• 85-90% of all muslims• Orthodox or

traditionalist branch of Islam

• Follow all prophets of Qu’ran but espeically Muhammad. All other Muslim leaders are of less importance

• Emphasize a codified system of Islamic Law

• Leader of Islam does not have to be a descendent of Muhammad

• Distinct messianic element to the faith

• Hierarchy of clerics who practice independent interpretations of Islamic texts

• 10% of Islam• Tend to make up the

poorest sections of society• Tend to swear allegiance

to caliph of the day• Leader of Islam (caliph)

must be a descendent of Muhammad

• Islam• Muhammad

was last and most important prophet

• Come from similar countries

What Religion does

this man belong too?

Sihk!!!

Sihkism

Emerged in the mid 1500’s in the Punjab of Northwest India.

Influences from Hinduism and Islam

Sikh traditions teach that Nanak encountered God directly and was commissioned by Him to be His Servant

Sihkism

80% of the world’s 20 million sihks live in the Punjab, but the religion has spread throughout the world.

Sacred Text – The Adi Granth

Sacred Symbol – Khanda

Sacred Site- The Golden Temple (Harimandir Sahib)

Leadership- Led by Gurus

Gurus? Ring a bell?

IslamOutcome: Islam

Today

Islam in the world today…

Islam Today

1.  A Statistical Looka. Today there are over 1.2 Billion Muslims in the

worldb. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the worldc. Experts predict that it will be the largest religion in the

world someday

d. Most populous Muslim countries include: Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.

e. Indonesia alone has over 175 Muslims which exceeds combined total of Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq, the traditional heartlands of Islam

f. Populations are rising in Europe and North America

Peaceful Islam vs. Radical Islam

Islam Today

2. Peaceful Islam vs. Radical Fundamental Islama. Islam, at heart, is a peaceful religionb. Most Muslim’s faith is stronger than the

average Christianc. Beginning in the 1970s and 1980s Islam remerged as

a potent political force, associated with both reform and revolution

d. Radical Islamic Fundamentalists are opposed to Western civilization’s way of life and imperialistic pursuits

Islam Today

e. These fundamentalists represent a small percentage of the population of Islam, so we must be careful not to label or assume

f. Jihad: a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty; a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline

g. No where in the Qu’ran does it say you will go to paradise if you martyr yourself with a suicide bomb

h. Important: The majority of Muslims do not live this way

9-11

Islam Today

3. What does Islam Mean for the West?a. Terrorism is a real battle we will continue to

faceb. 9-11 was not the first attack against the US and

experts say it will not be the last

1993 World Trade Center Bombing

Islam Today

c. Can we win the war on terror?i. Invisible enemies

ii. To win we need to raise the standard of living in areas of squalor and educate so as to avoid political brainwashing

d. “Start seeing Muslims” and avoid racial profiling