Israel-Iran War and Indian Muslims: Will It Unite or Divide Sunni And Shias?
By Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam
8 March 2026
Note: This article is primarily based on the key takeaways from a recent podcast with the author held at JIST, an independent digital news platform based in Noida, specializing in video-centric, explanatory journalism, ground reports, and vox pops.
Main Points
· The Israel–Iran conflict is primarily geopolitical, but it inevitably affects perceptions and relations between Sunni and Shia Muslims across the Muslim world.
· Historical memories—especially the tragedy of the Battle of Karbala involving Imam Husayn (AS)—continue to shape Muslim political consciousness, influencing how communities interpret modern conflicts.
· In many regions, the Palestinian issue is creating temporary Sunni–Shia solidarity, as both communities often view the confrontation with Israel through the broader lens of justice and resistance rather than sectarian identity.
· Despite this unity, sectarian narratives can easily resurface, especially when political actors, regional rivalries, or media framing portray geopolitical struggles as Sunni–Shia conflicts.
· In India, shared minority identity and the long tradition of moderate and Sufi-Mystical Islam make Sunni–Shia unity more likely, offering a model of coexistence rooted in pluralism and spiritual values.
“Every day is Ashura, and every land is Karbala.”
This saying associated with Husayn ibn Ali captures the enduring moral symbolism of the Battle of Karbala. It suggests that the struggle between justice and oppression is not confined to a single moment in history. For many Muslims, the memory of Karbala continues to shape how contemporary conflicts and political struggles are understood.
The escalating confrontation between Israel and Iran has become one of the most significant geopolitical crises of our time. While the conflict is primarily strategic and political, it inevitably raises questions about its impact on the wider Muslim world. One of the most important of these concerns the relationship between Sunnis and Shias. Will the conflict deepen the historic divide between the two sects, or could it create a sense of shared political solidarity? The answer is complex and varies across regions and societies.
Historical Roots of the Sunni–Shia Divide
The Sunni–Shia divide has existed for centuries, originating in the political dispute over leadership after the death of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in 632 CE. Over time, this disagreement gradually developed into distinct theological and legal traditions.
The book After the Prophet offers a vivid narrative of the early historical events that shaped this divide. It focuses on the intense political debate over who should lead the Muslim community after the Prophet’s passing.
One of the earliest moments of tension occurred at the meeting in Saqifah, where many companions supported Abu Bakr as the first caliph, emphasizing unity and political stability. Others believed leadership should remain within the Prophet’s family, particularly with Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law. This disagreement laid the foundation for what would eventually evolve into the Sunni–Shia divide.
Hazleton also describes the emotional tensions involving Fatimah and Ali after these events. For those who believed Ali had the strongest claim to leadership, the decision was deeply painful. As Hazleton writes:
“To those who believed in Ali, the decision felt like a betrayal of the Prophet’s own family.”
The Tragedy of Karbala
One of the most defining episodes in the development of Shia identity was the Battle of Karbala. The Prophet’s grandson Husayn ibn Ali refused to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad ruler Yazid I. Husayn and a small group of followers were eventually surrounded and killed in Karbala.
Hazleton vividly portrays Husayn’s decision to stand for moral principle despite overwhelming odds: “Husayn knew he would die, yet he chose dignity over submission.”
For Shia Muslims, Karbala became the ultimate symbol of sacrifice, justice and resistance against tyranny. As Hazleton writes: “Karbala was not simply a battle lost. It was a moral victory that transformed defeat into a powerful narrative of resistance.”
The memory of Karbala has therefore never remained confined to history. Across centuries it has served as a moral language through which many Muslims interpret struggles against injustice. This symbolic power helps explain why contemporary conflicts are sometimes framed through the lens of Karbala — a smaller force resisting a more powerful adversary in the name of justice.
The Israel–Iran Confrontation
The current confrontation between Israel and Iran illustrates precisely this dynamic. Iran, a Shia-majority state, positions itself as a central opponent of Israel and a supporter of resistance movements in the region. Yet the conflict cannot simply be understood as a Shia struggle against Israel. Many Sunni communities view the conflict primarily through the lens of the Palestinian issue rather than sectarian identity.
In several parts of the Muslim world, the conflict has even produced a degree of unity between Sunnis and Shias. Sympathy for the Palestinians has overshadowed sectarian disagreements. As a result, many Sunnis who might disagree with Iran’s religious ideology still express support for its confrontation with Israel.
This phenomenon demonstrates that political causes can sometimes transcend sectarian boundaries. When Muslims perceive a conflict as a broader struggle for justice or resistance, older sectarian divisions become less prominent.
The Israel–Iran conflict thus illustrates how modern geopolitical struggles intersect with deeply rooted historical memories. While such conflicts carry the risk of reviving sectarian narratives, they can also create unexpected moments of solidarity among Sunnis and Shias who interpret events through the broader lens of justice and resistance.
The Persistent Risk of Sectarian Narratives
Despite this temporary unity, the risk of sectarian polarization remains. Regional rivalries—particularly between Iran and Saudi Arabia—have historically used sectarian rhetoric to frame geopolitical competition.
If the conflict escalates further, political actors may once again emphasize the Sunni–Shia divide to mobilize their supporters. Social media and partisan media outlets can amplify such narratives, sometimes presenting complex geopolitical struggles as simplistic sectarian confrontations.
The Indian Context
India offers an interesting contrast. Indian Muslims include both Sunnis and Shias, yet their relations are often shaped more by shared cultural traditions than by sectarian rivalry. Centuries of interaction within a pluralistic society have produced a social environment where sectarian differences rarely dominate political life.
In this context, the Israel–Iran conflict is more likely to generate discussion about global politics and the Palestinian issue rather than sectarian identity. The shared minority experience of Indian Muslims also encourages solidarity rather than division. This sentiment has gained particularly strong traction in Jammu and Kashmir.
Beyond Sectarian Lines
Although the majority of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir belong to the Sunni sect, the grief following the killing of Ali Khamenei was not confined to Shia communities alone. One of the earliest voices condemning the assassination came from Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief cleric and head of the influential religious body Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema. He called for a complete strike in solidarity with Iran and denounced what he described as continued aggression in the region.
The reaction demonstrated how Khamenei’s influence had transcended sectarian divisions. While he served as the supreme religious authority for millions of Shias, many Sunnis across South Asia viewed him as a symbol of resistance to Western dominance and a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause.
Mourning Across India
The protests were not limited to Kashmir. Across India—including cities such as Lucknow, Mumbai, and Bengaluru—demonstrations erupted after the news of his killing. In Lucknow, long considered the cultural heartland of India’s Shia community, religious leaders announced several days of mourning. These reactions reflected how Khamenei’s influence extended far beyond Iran’s borders. To many Muslims he represented a rare combination of religious authority and political resistance.
In that sense, the enduring memory of Karbala continues to offer a powerful reminder: that the struggle for justice, dignity and moral courage transcends sectarian boundaries.
Ultimately, the future of Sunni–Shia relations will depend less on theology than on political narratives. If political leaders, scholars and media institutions frame the conflict as a geopolitical struggle rather than a sectarian battle, it may even strengthen a sense of shared purpose across the Muslim world.
The Way Forward: Indian Islam Rooted in Moderate Values and Mystical Ethos
In this complex global environment, the experience of Indian Muslims offers an important lesson for the wider Muslim world. Islam in the Indian subcontinent has historically evolved within a pluralistic society, shaped by centuries of interaction among diverse religious and cultural communities. As a result, it developed a tradition that emphasizes coexistence, moderation and spiritual depth.
Much of this ethos is rooted in the influence of the great Sufi mystics who played a central role in spreading Islam across the region. Figures such as Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, and Khwaja Banda Nawaz Gesu Daraz emphasized compassion, humility and service to humanity. Their teachings stressed that the essence of religion lies not in sectarian rivalry but in love, justice and spiritual refinement.
This Sufi heritage has historically helped soften sectarian boundaries within Indian Islam. Both Sunnis and Shias have participated in shared devotional practices, visited common shrines, and engaged in cultural traditions that transcend doctrinal differences. Such practices nurtured a religious culture where ethical values and spiritual experience often mattered more than rigid sectarian identities.
The intellectual tradition of Imam Abu Hanifa, followed by a majority of Indian Muslims, also contributed to this atmosphere of moderation. The Hanafi emphasis on reasoned interpretation, flexibility in legal thought, and restraint in judging the faith of others created a framework that encouraged coexistence in a diverse society.
In a time when geopolitical conflicts risk inflaming sectarian tensions across the Muslim world, this legacy of Indian Islam offers a constructive path forward. By drawing upon its Sufi spirituality, its Hanafi intellectual heritage, and its long history of plural coexistence, Indian Islam can continue to serve as a model of moderation and moral balance.
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Contributing author at New Age Islam, Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is writer and scholar of Indian Sufism, interfaith ethics, and the spiritual history of Islam in South Asia. His latest book is "Ishq Sufiyana: Untold Stories of Divine Love".
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