The term “Sunni-Shiite split,” in international politics, does not refer to the historical theological debate among Muslims. It refers to the different, and sometimes even opposite, political positions assumed by states like Turkey, Iran, Syria and Lebanon.
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Interestingly, Muslim states dominated by Sunni elites (or governments) have perceptions of global politics that are different from those of Muslim states dominated by Shiite elites. For instance, Turkey (Sunni) differs from Iran (Shiite) on Syria. The Sunni-Shiite split becomes very critical -- as it does in Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain and Syria -- when the sectarian demographic balance is sensitive and different sectarian groups compete for power...
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http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-267950-is-the-sunni-shiite-split-a-myth.html