http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005 by the authors Mon, 6 Sep 2004 05:02:06 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/14/115948.php#comment-83679 First of all, the Shi'a and Sunni are not running through the streets killing each other, especially in Baghdad, but in other cities throughout Iraq as well. There is no hard and fast rule to distinguish the two sects. IN fact, it makes it harder in some ways to find insurgents, though the ones with the long scraggly beards are usually Wahabi Sunni or hard line Shia. MOst Iraqi men do not grow beards until they are in their late 50's or so. Mostly, they now who is who by extended family lines, villages, and neighborhoods. Many Iraqis were restricted in their travels under the old regime, and so a stranger is easy to pick out to other locals. 83679@blogcritics.org Mon, 6 Sep 2004 05:02:06 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/14/115948.php#comment-83662 I have read a lot about the historical sources of the rift between Sunnis and Shi'ahs. But is there a manner of dress or other visual method of distinguishing the two? With both sects living side by side in countries such as Iraq, how do the members of each sect tell who they should hate? 83662@blogcritics.org Sun, 5 Sep 2004 23:23:48 EDT