World Net Daily ... Ever since the death of the Prophet Muhammad 1,400 years ago, Islam has been a religion both united and divided.

 It is a religion divided because agreement could not be reached immediately after Muhammad's death how his successor would be selected, giving rise to a sectarian division. 

Ever since then, this division has pitted the vast majority (90%) of Muslims – the Sunnis – and the minority Shiites against each other. The intensity of this disagreement in modern times is evident; since 1948 more Muslims have died at the hands of fellow Muslims than non-Muslims.

 

Ironically, it is also a religion united as both sects have shared a common goal – one impacting upon the world community today – only disagreeing on which sect's leader rules as "caliph." A series of caliphs would come and go following Muhammad's death, each leading the known Muslim world of their time. 

But the ultimate goal of Islam – that all non-believers submit to it – is one handed down from one Muslim generation to the next for 14 centuries.

 

We see this goal underscored by the "Conditions of Omar," memorialized after Muhammad's death by the second caliph, Omar bin al-Khattab, who ruled during the seventh century. His conditions contained three options for non-Muslims: 1) convert to Islam voluntarily; 2) practice their religion but pay a tax to Muslims for allowing them to do so; or 3) death.

 

Further underscoring Islam's goal was the perception taught Muslims that the entire world was divided into two parts: "Dar al-Islam," the peaceful world already subject to Islamic law, and "Dar al-Harb," a world in a state of war yet to be subjected to Islamic law.

 

The 21st century world, however, has brought with it a rude awakening for Islam's followers. The stark reality is that non-believers occupying Dar al-Harb simply will not submit to Islam. And, as Islam confronts this reality today, it has led to another division, within the Sunni camp. These two opposing schools of thought, ideologically divided by this reality, are drawing their respective lines in the sand, leaving Muslim believers to sort out which to follow.

 

This Sunni division is formed by "traditionalists" and "reformers." The traditionalists want no part of Islam co-existing equally with other world religions. Modernity and national borders be damned, they abide by an archaic interpretation of Shariah law. Reformers, however, recognize the need for religious co-existence.

 

While it has gained little attention in the West, the past few months saw steps taken by both schools of Sunni thought to defend their positions in Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi initially came to power by toppling a democratically elected Sunni traditionalist in 2013. As the former head of Egypt's military, Sisi witnessed destructive traditionalist values at work both domestically and internationally. He therefore became a driving force in reforming Islam in the face of 21st century demands.

 

One can imagine, having removed a traditionalist president from office, Sisi has little support among that group. Nonetheless, his push for discussion on the subject of reformation led to a Jan. 27-28 conference. Held in Cairo, it was attended by representatives of 46 Muslim countries.

 

The traditionalists were led by Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, grand imam of Cairo's Al Azhar University – considered the highest authority of Sunni Islamic learning. He was joined by leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, the world's largest Islamic terrorist organization, heavily supported by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – a devout traditionalist.

 

Voices for the reformist movement included Sisi and Cairo University's president, Mohamed al-Khosht. The strong traditionalist mindset of those attending was apparent as Tayyeb's call to stay the course was well received, and Khosht's call for reform was not. The former position was unsurprising since Al Azhar University embraced the Conditions of Omar in the 1990s. The conference ended with no action to curtail traditionalists' support for intolerance and violence toward non-believers.

 

In May 2019, a similar conference held by the Muslim World League (MWL) in Saudi Arabia was attended by 1,200 Muslim clerical leaders and scholars representing 139 countries. Much more eventful, it ended up with the signing of the Charter of Makkah by all attendees. It is the first document created by an international body of Muslims that recognized all religions as equal. It was exactly what Dar al-Harb occupants needed to hear to know the Conditions of Omar were being rejected.

 

While getting all Sunnis to accept the Charter will be challenging, it at least provides Muslims with a starting point. Thus, Muslim leaders who signed the Charter must also demonstrate by their actions their belief in a more tolerant Islam.

Recognizing this, the chief of the MWL, Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, led 62 Muslims as part of an interfaith delegation to Auschwitz in January, four days prior to the 75th anniversary of the camp's liberation.

 

Al-Issa's sobering comments at the Auschwitz memorial were a tribute to its victims and a call for 21st century tolerance. "To be here," he said, "among the children of Holocaust survivors and members of the Jewish and Islamic communities, is both a sacred duty and a profound honor. 

The unconscionable crimes to which we bear witness today are truly crimes against humanity. That is to say, a violation of us all, an affront to all of God's children."

 

In another groundbreaking move, the heads of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations recently visited Saudi Arabia in "a big step forward" in that nation's warming ties with Israel. Very open discussions were held with the MWL concerning terrorism and how to bring stability to the region. 

It was the first visit to Saudi Arabia by an American Jewish group for over a quarter of a century.

 

Islam's 21st century sectarian fight will see reformists confronting traditionalists to establish the religion's core values. By promoting the Charter of Makkah, the Saudis are playing a key role in putting Islam on a reformist compass bearing for others to follow.