Ninety-seven percent of the population of Iraq is Muslim, two-thirds of them Shiite, and one-third Sunni.  Christians constitute 3% of the population, a substantial number of whom are false-hearted Roman Catholics, see  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholicism_in_Iraq. Anyone who won’t go along with the perverted Muslim religion is in jeopardy of being killed in Iraq (because they are a particularly violent, brutish people), see, e.g., http://www.christiansofiraq.com/.  Remember, Iraq is the site of numerous pagan religions in the past, often spoken of in the Old Testament.  It is no surprise that the pervert Mohammed was able to start yet another false religious system in this part of the world.

Iraq has a constitution today that ostensibly allows religious freedom.  So does doomed america.  :) Aside from the nation being famous for killing people who won’t comply with the views of those in power, the government of Iraq maintains religious endowments, makes national holidays out of Muslim “holy days,” embraces the Islamic law that makes conversion from Islam to another religion a capital offense, has a citizenship law that specifically precludes local Jews from regaining citizenship in the event it is ever withdrawn, requires religious groups to register with the government if they have 500 adherents, and requires females in school to cover their heads with the Muslim headscarf, called an hijab (meaning “modest dress for women” which would be great but for their systemic perversion and works-righteousness). 

This false religious system called Islam, practiced by people called Muslims, founded in the 7th century, claims the Muslims will be united as “umma,” the nation of Islam; this is a false doctrine comparable to “God Loves Everyone” at its very core, maliciously corrupting and twisting God’s plain words of scriptures, wherein God had already promised to call out a people for his name, collectively known as the Elect or the Bride of Christ, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation (Rev 5:9). They practice their idolatry under five “pillars,” including shahadah (affirming there is no god but god and Muhammad is his messenger); salah (five daily ritual prayers; bead-counting in Arabic if you will); zakat (giving of alms, also known as a religious tax); Sawm (dawn-to-sunset fast during lunar month of Ramadan); and hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).  They claim a number of “extra-Biblical” prophets, including Hud, Salih, Shuayb, and others.  They reinstituted some dietary codes in spite of Acts 10, including a prohibition of alcohol (ignoring 1 Timothy 5:23) and pork.  In this false religion, religious and social membership are inseparable, and the ruler of the community called the caliph has both a religious and a political status.  Through the use of orders with the force of government, called Sufi, they spread this violent false religious system throughout Africa, the Middle East and Asia.  They have a variety of holy holidays related to various acts by the pedophile, including journeys he took and his alleged ascension to heaven.  Can you sing, “Stirring and stirring and stirring my brew – ooh – ooh --- ooh --- ooh?”  What a bunch of superstitious nonsense!

Sunnies are Muslims who strictly follow the sunna (practices) of Mohammed and preserve the unity and integrity of the community.  Anyone who practices mainstream Islam traditions and acts in accordance with the generally accepted practices of the community is a Sunni.  They see these sunna as complimentary to the book of fairy tales called the Qur’an, because they give details necessary for the practice of Islamic law.  That’s a fancy way for saying Mohammed and his successors made this stuff up as they went along.  The Sunnis claim leadership of this religion is in the hands of the Muslim community at large.  Through consensus four legal schools of Muslim theory developed, and Muslims are permitted to change which one they will follow at will.  With time, and after the first four caliphs, the religious and political authorities in Islam were never united under one authority again. 

By contrast, the Shiites believe that the only authorized rulers of the Muslims are the descendents of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (his son-in-law) and his descendents.  They claim Mohammed appointed him as successor in an event at Ghadir Khum.  The Sunnis acknowledge this event, but say it was just an acknowledgement of Ali as a meritorious preacher, not a political appointment.  Eventually the Medinan elders picked Abu Bakr, Mohammed’s father-in-law, and they’ve been fighting since that time.  These family quarrels can really turn into a mess.  :)  Since Mohammed died, rival dynasties have claimed caliphate or leadership of the Muslims, and civil warn has occurred under such names as the First Fitna and Second Fitna.  Whole empires, such as the Ummayyads, Abbasids, Mughals, Seljuk Turk, Safavid Persia and Ottomans, have arisen claiming to be the leaders of the Muslims, with various and sundry colorful tales of battles, and contention over where the capital of the caliphate would be (at times including such places as Baghdad and Damascus).  Sometimes the Muslims would mix it up with the Catholics, such as when Spain fought the Muslims for control of the Moors in the 8th century. 

In spite of all these fancy-sounding words, and the fact that bloody battles have been fought over whether Muslim would be the official religion of this or that nation or region, or over which brand of poison to swallow (Sunni or Shiite), in truth this is just one of many false religious systems to spring up under the reign of His Majesty the Devil.  The Muslims have nothing new under the sun; goofy names; goofy practices; goofy idols; lots of blarney and tradition; and ultimately a blatant worship of the creature over the Creator.  Like all false religious systems, it is unscriptural, extra-Bible, and laden with filth and idolatry.