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Salafist danger spawns pan-Shiite solidarity

Rising incitement against Shiites by Salafist forces has prompted solidarity among the various sects of Shiite Islam.
Shi'ite volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against militants of the Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), carry a picture of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf, August 16, 2014. School is out, but northern Baghdad's classrooms are packed - not with students, but with people who have travelled further than most to escape the Sunni militant onslaught splitting Iraq. REUTERS/Alaa Al

Shiite Muslims are spread around the world, from the Indian subcontinent to the Arabian Peninsula and the Mediterranean region. They belong to various nationalities, have diverse cultures and sometimes even have different religious doctrines. Historically, they have never been under a single government nor have they enjoyed a single cohesive identity.

But the recent upsurge of anti-Shiite Salafist currents has made Shiites put their differences aside and align along one axis against a common threat.

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