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Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia, where the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the Caliph Abu Bakr and the Caliph Omar are buried, is one of the holiest sites in Sunni Islam.

Anti-Sunnism is hatred of, prejudice against, discrimination against, persecution of and violence against Sunni Muslims.^[1]

Alternatively it has also been described as "Sunniphobia" which is the "Fear or hatred of Sunnism and Sunnites"^[2]

The term "Wahhabi" has frequently been used to demonize Orthodox lay Sunni Muslims.^[3]

Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab was a Sunni Muslim reformer of 18th century Arabia.^[4] The Medeival Sufi religious establishment of the Ottoman Empire considered him and his supporters to be heretics and apostates.^[5] They were labelled by the term "Wahhabi". The British Empire also used to randomly persecute anti-colonial Sunni scholars in The Great Wahhabi Trials citing an imaginary "Wahhabi conspiracy" ^[6]^[7]

To be a Wahhabi is officially a crime in Russia.^[8]^[9] In Russian aligned Central Asian dictatorships, the term "Wahhabi" is used to refer to any unsanctioned religious activity. As a result any Sunni Muslim, whether modernist, Conservative, political or apolitical is a potential target.^[10]

In response to 9/11 World Trade Centre Bombings, United States and its allies launched a controversial policy of an unprecedented counter-terrorism effort on an international scale dubbed as the War on Terror.^[11] It was characterised by the infamous words "You are either with us or against us".^[12] This black and white binary mentality led to a flood of Sunniphobia on an international scale, reviving the Old Civilisational fault-lines^[13] to the point that certain prominent Western media outlets called for nuclear strikes on Mecca, the holiest site of Muslims.^[14]

Both this approach, as well as the purpose of a War on Terror has been questioned.^[15]^[16]It has also been accused of inciting various forms of Islamophobia on a global scale.^[17]^[18]

The "War on Terror" rhetoric has been adopted by other authoritarian regimes.^[19] Israel, Russia, China, etc has frequently invoked the "Wahhabi" label to target Sunni Muslims.^[20]^[21]^[22] China has employed this rhetoric in the Uyghur genocide.^[23]Russia has employed its own "War on Terror" in Second Chechen War , insurgency in North Caucasus and currently in the Russian war in Syria.^[24]

In a sectarian twist, War on Terror rhetoric has also been weaponised by Islamic Republic of Iran which follows the Khomeinist interpretation of radical Islamism, even closely cooperating with USA frequently .^[25] Even prior to the War on Terror, Iranian leaders like Ayatollah Khomeini and Rafsanjani had invoked the Wahhabi label describing Sunnis as "heretics" to stir up Sunniphobia and Iran's policy of exporting its Islamic Revolution.^[26]^[27] After the War on Terror, its perceived that an imagined Wahhabi conspiracy replaced America as Iran's Great Satan .^[28] This was further revealed by the statements of Qassem Soleimani , the former chief of IRGC who labelled "Wahhabism" with Jewish roots.^[29]^[30] In an even more sectarian and semi-genocidal tone, Javad Zarif , the Iranian FM, called to "rid the world of Wahhabism".^[31]^[32]

Historic Persecution

Safavid period

In response to the growth of the Sunni Islam, The Safavid dynasty killed many Sunnis, attempted to convert them to Shi'ism, Many of the burials of the Sunni saints were burned by the Safavid Shahs, The Sunni states were also occupied.^[33]^[34] They also curses the first three caliphs of Sunni Muslims.^[35]^[36]

Imposing Shiism as the state and mandatory religion for the whole nation and much forcible conversion of Iranian Sufi Sunnis to Shiism.^[37]^[38]^[39]
He reintroduced the Sadr (Arabic, leader) – an office that was responsible for supervising religious institutions and endowments. With a view to transforming Iran into a Shiite state, the Sadr was also assigned the task of disseminating Twelver doctrine.^[40]
He destroyed Sunni mosques. This was even noted by Tomé Pires, the Portuguese ambassador to China who visited Iran in 1511–12, who when referring to Ismail noted: "He (i.e. Ismail) reforms our churches, destroys the houses of all Moors who follow (the Sunnah of) Muhammad…"^[41]
He enforced the ritual and compulsory cursing of the first three Sunni Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman) as usurpers, from all mosques, disbanded Sunni Tariqahs and seized their assets, used state patronage to develop Shia shrines, institutions and religious art and imported Shia scholars to replace Sunni scholars.^[42]^[43]^[44]
He killed Sunnis and destroyed and desecrated their graves and mosques. This caused the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II (who initially congratulated Ismail on his victories) to advise and ask the young monarch (in a "fatherly" manner) to stop the anti-Sunni actions. However, Ismail was strongly anti-Sunni, ignored the Sultan's warning, and continued to spread the Shia faith by the sword.^[45]^[46]
He persecuted, imprisoned, exiled, and executed stubbornly resistant Sunnis.^[47]^[48]
With the establishment of Safavid rule, there was a very raucous and colourful, almost carnival-like holiday on 26 Dhu al-Hijjah (or alternatively, 9 Rabi' al-awwal) celebrating the assassination of Caliph Omer. The highlight of the day was making an effigy of Umar to be cursed, insulted, and finally burned. However, as relations between Iran and Sunni countries improved, the holiday was no longer observed (at least officially).^[49]
In 1501, Ismail invited all the Shia living outside Iran to come to Iran and be assured of protection from the Sunni majority.^[50]

Modern persecution

Iraq

Iraqi government installed after the 2003 Iraq War is allegedly responsible for systematic discrimination of Sunni Muslims in bureaucracy, politics, military, police, etc as well as massacring Sunni Muslim prisoners in a sectarian manner.^[51]

Barwana massacre

The massacre was allegedly committed by Shia militants, as a revenge for ISIS atrocities, in the Sunni village of Barwana, allegedly killing 70 boys and men.^[52]

Hay al Jihad massacre

On July 9, 2006, in the Hay al Jihad area of Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. An estimated 40 Sunni civilians were killed in revenge attacks allegedly carried out by Shia militias from the Mahdi Army.^[53]

Musab bin Umair mosque massacre

On 22 August 2014, Shia militants allegedly killed at least 73 people in an attack on the Sunni Mus`ab ibn `Umair mosque in the Imam Wais village of Iraq, the attack occurred during the Friday prayers, where many of the Sunnis were attending their prayers.^[54] and at the time of the attack, there were about 150 worshippers at the mosque. The militants were later found to be not guilty.

United States

1973 Hanafi Muslim massacre

The Hanafi Muslim massacre of 1973 took place on the afternoon of January 18, 1973, when two adults and a child were shot dead. Four other children between the ages of nine and ten drowned. Two others were seriously injured. The murders took place at a home whose street address was 7700 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C., which a group of Hanafi Muslims bought and named the "Hanafi American Muslim Rifle and Pistol Club."^[55]^[56]^[57]

References

^ John Richard Thackrah (5 September 2013). Dictionary of Terrorism (2, revised ed.). Routledge. p. 252. ISBN 978-1-135-16595-6.
^ "Meaning of Sunniphobia". Words Look.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "The Wahhabi Myth: Debunking the Bogeyman". Muslim Matters. April 1, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, Muhammad (d. 1791)". Oxford Islamic Studies online.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ SAUDI ARABIA WAHHÂBÎSM & THE SALAFÎ SECT: UNDERSTANDING THE GREAT CONSPIRACY. Johannesburg, South Africa: Dar al Ahnaf. p. 81. "Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Sulaymân al-Madanî ash-Shâfi'î, as quoted in the book 'Ashadd ul-Jihâd', declared his belief a heresy and formally excommunicated him by issuing a fatwâ, the text of which said: " This man is leading the ignoramuses of the present age to a heretical path. He is attempting to extinguish Allah's light, but Allah will not permit His light to be extinguished."
^ Stephens, Julia (January 5, 2009). "The "Great Wahabi Trial": The Legal Construction and Deconstruction of the Muslim Jihadi in British India, 1869–71". American Historical Association.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Stephens, Julia (January 2013). "The Phantom Wahhabi: Liberalism and the Muslim fanatic in mid-Victorian India". Modern Asian Studies. 47 (1): 22–52 – via JSTOR. ABSTRACT In the late 1860s and early 1870s the British colonial government in India suppressed an imagined Wahhabi conspiracy, which it portrayed as a profound threat to imperial security.
^ "Совет муфтиев России выступил против запрета ваххабизма". 2 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "Attack on Wahhabi Islam divides Russian Muslims: COUNCIL OF MUFTIS OF RUSSIA SPEAKS OUT AGAINST BAN OF WAHHABISM - "While deeply aware of the vital importance of combating the ideology of intolerance and devoting great efforts in this direction, we nevertheless consider that the introduction of the principle of prosecution of believers for their convictions and not for specific illegal actions will have a most harmful effect both on the Muslim community of Russia and inter-ethnic harmony and on the legal culture of the Russia state," the statement of the Council of Muftis says, which was posted on Monday on its website". stetson.edu.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Commins, David (2006). The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia. London, New York: I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd. p. 192. In Russia and Central Asia, public figures and the media see Wahhabism as the inspiration for religious revival and Islamic political movements. During the Soviet era, official apprehensions emerged about an 'Islamic threat' posed by Sufi orders as nests of secret conspiracies against the communist system. In the post-Soviet era, Sufism has assumed a positive connotation as a moderate form of Islam opposed to Wahhabism, which has become a sort of bogeyman in public discourse. Pejorative use of the term cropped up in the late Soviet era, when members of the official religious establishment castigated proponents of expunging ritual of non-scriptural elements for 'importing' Wahhabism, thus implying that it is alien to the region's heritage. Many Russians believe that after the Afghan war, Wahhabis infiltrated Central Asia to spread their version of Islam. Thus, in 1998, political leaders of Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan declared their readiness to confront 'a threat of aggressive fundamentalism, aggressive extremism and above all Wahhabism. This is what we have currently in Afghanistan and in troubled Tajikistan.' The government of Uzbekistan tags unsanctioned religious activity with the Wahhabi label. The problem with this outlook is that it conflates differences among a variety of Muslim religious movements, which include militant and reformist political tendencies alongside utterly apolitical ones. Thus, a leading Tajik modernist who favours a blend of democracy and Islam has been branded a Wahhabi even though he has ties to Sufi circles
^ H. Daddler , M Lindsay, Ivo , James (Dec 1, 2001). "Nasty, Brutish and Long: America's War on Terrorism". BROOKINGS.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "'You are either with us or against us'". CNN. November 6, 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Huntington, Samuel P. "The Clash of Civilizations?". Foreign Affairs. 72: 29 – via JSTOR. THE FAULT LINES between civilizations are replacing the political and ideological boundaries of the Cold War as the flash points for crisis and bloodshed.
^ "National Review Editor Suggests "Nuking Mecca"". Counter Punch. March 13, 2002.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Odom, William (27 February 2014). "American Hegemony: How to Use It, How to Lose It" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ K Albright, Madeleine (June 2, 2009). "Obama's Muslim Speech "According to Muslim speakers at such events, one fact stands out: When the cold war ended, America needed an enemy to replace Communism and chose Islam...Mr. Obama's dilemma is that no speech, however eloquent, can disentangle U.S.-Muslim relations from the treacherous terrain of current events in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and the Middle East...Muslims desire respect and respect demands frankness. We cannot pretend that American soldiers and aircraft are not attacking Muslims."". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2016.
^ A. Beydoun, Khalid (2020). "Exporting Islamophobia in the Global "War On Terror"" (PDF). NEW YORK UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW ONLINE.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Carrington, Ball, O'Brien, Tall, Kerry, Matthew, Erin, Juan (2013). Crime, Justice and Social Democracy: International Perspectives. UK: PALGRAVE MACMILLAN. pp. pp 133-144 Islamophobia, Human Rights and the ‘War on Terror’ ABSTRACT: "When, in September 2001, the right-wing Republican president of the US proclaimed the ‘war on terrorism’, which he also dubbed a ‘crusade’, George W. Bush was soon joined in such battle by his staunch British ally Tony Blair, a Labour prime minister. A populist prime minister of the conservative coalition in Australia, John Howard faithfully entered the fray on behalf of this nation, which likewise imagines itself to have a special relationship with the USA. All these allies participated in the unlawful invasion of Afghanistan the following month, in the name of this war on terrorism, and of Iraq eighteen months later. The forces of all three countries are still in Afghanistan, with very little difference to this fact having been made by the now Democratic presidency in the US, the now Tory-led coalition in the UK, or the now Labor government in Australia. Really, existing labour parties - when in government, that is - have taken a very similar stance in relation to securing militarily the US-led global empire to that of their conservative opponents. All have participated similarly in state crime in the ‘war on terror’, indeed all have been comparably complicit in what I call ‘empire crime’.". ISBN 978-1-137-00868-8. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ A Beydoun, Khaled (2020). "EXPORTING ISLAMOPHOBIA IN THE GLOBAL "WAR ON TERROR"". NEW YORK UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW ONLINE. 95:81: pp 84 "Beyond genuine national security threats, countries across the world capitalized on the conflation of Islam with terrorism to serve discrete national interests. This American War on Terror furnished nations with license, and more importantly, a policing template and language to profile and persecute their Muslim minority populations. American Islamophobia, buoyed by swift state action including the War in Afghanistan and the USA PATRIOT Act, manifested in a surge of vigilante violence against Muslims and “Muslim-looking” groups and had global impact". {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
^ J. Delong Bas, Natana (2004). Wahhabi Islam:From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS. pp. pp 123-124 "Many of the regimes and movements labeled as Wahhabi in the contemporary era do not necessarily share the same theological and legal orientations. The reality is that Wahhabism has become such a blanket term for any Islamic movement that has an apparent tendency toward misogyny, militantism, extremism, or strict and literal interpretation of the Quran and hadith that the designation of a regime or movement as Wahhabi or Wahhabi-like tells us little about its actual nature. Furthermore, these contemporary interpretations of Wahhabism do not nec- essarily reflect the writings or teachings of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab". {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); line feed character in |pages= at position 330 (help)CS1 maint: location (link)
^ Atkin, Muriel. "THE RHETORIC OF ISLAMOPHOBIA "In political, as well as religious matters, any Muslim who challenges the status quo is at risk of being labeled a Wahhabi. This is how the KGB and its post-Soviet successors have used the term. In fact, the KGB may have played a large role in promoting its use"". CA&C Press AB. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 29 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Commins, David (2006). The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia. 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010: I.B TAURIS. pp. 192 "Pejorative use of the term cropped up in the late Soviet era, when members of the official religious establishment castigated proponents of expunging ritual of non-scriptural elements for ‘importing’ Wahhabism, thus implying that it is alien to the region’s heritage.Many Russians believe that after the Afghan war, Wahhabis infiltrated Central Asia to spread their version of Islam. Thus, in 1998, political leaders of Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan declared their readiness to confront ‘a threat of aggressive fundamentalism, aggressive extremism and above all Wahhabism. This is what we have currently in Afghanistan and in troubled Tajikistan.’The government of Uzbekistan tags unsanctioned religious activity with the Wahhabi label. The problem with this outlook is that it conflates differences among a variety of Muslim religious movements, which include militant and reformist political tendencies alongside utterly apolitical ones. Thus, a leading Tajik modernist who favours a blend of democracy and Islam has been branded a Wahhabi even though he has ties to Sufi circles". {{cite book}}: line feed character in |location= at position 28 (help); line feed character in |pages= at position 51 (help)CS1 maint: location (link)
^ "China cuts Uighur births with IUDs, abortion, sterilization". Associated Press. June 29, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Shuster, Simon (September 19, 2011). "How the War on Terrorism Did Russia a Favor". TIME.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ N. Katz, Mark. "Iran and the "War on Terror"". Middle East Policy Council.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Kramer, Martin. "Khomeini's Messengers in Mecca "Khomeini declared that the Saudi rulers, "these vile and ungodly Wahhabis, are like daggers which have always pierced the heart of the Muslims from the back," and announced that Mecca was in the hands of "a band of heretics."32 Once more, the Saudis were transformed into what the speaker of the parliament, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, called "Wahhabi hooligans." Rafsanjani recalled the nineteenth-century Wahhabi massacres (of Shi'ites) in Najaf and Karbala, the Wahhabi destruction of Islamic monuments in Medina (venerated by Shi'ites), and the Wahhabi burning of libraries (containing Shi'ite works). The Wahhabis "will commit any kind of crime. I ask you to pay more attention to the history of that evil clique so that you can see what kind of creatures they have been in the course of their history."33 This represented a deliberate attempt to fuel a present crisis with the memory of past sectarian hatreds."". MartinKramer.org.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Rabinovich, Shaked, Itamar, Haim (1989). Middle East Contemporary Survey, Volume XI 1987. Boulder, San Francisco, London: Westview Press. pp. 174 "Iranian statements pandered to the belief still held by Shi‘ites that the fanatic Saudis were driven by their own misguided beliefs to kill innocent Shi‘ite pilgrims. Khomeini declared that the Saudi rulers, “these vile and ungodly Wahhabis, are like daggers which have always pierced the heart of the Muslims from the back, ” and announced that Mecca was in the hands of “a band of heretics.”Once more, the Saudis were transformed into what the speaker of the parliament, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, called “Wahhabi hooligans.” Rafsanjani recalled the nineteenth-century Wahhabi massacres (of Shi‘ites) in Najaf and Karbala, the Wahhabi destruction of Islamic monuments in Medina (venerated by Shi‘ites), and the Wahhabi burning of libraries (containing Shi‘ite works). The Wahhabis “will commit any kind of crime. I ask you to pay more attention to the history of that evil clique so that you can see what kind of creatures they have been in the course of their history.”This represented a deliberate attempt to fuel a present crisis with the memory of past sectarian hatreds.". ISBN 0-8133-0925-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Anas, Omair (September 17, 2016). "Iran's new Great Satan: Saudi Arabia and its Wahhabi ideology". FirstPost.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "Soleimani: Wahhabism Has Jewish Roots". Iran International. 23 February, 2019. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ J. Frantzman, Seth (February 22, 2019). "IRGC General Soleimani says roots of Wahhabism are Jewish, linked to ISIS". The Jerusalem Post.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Javad Zarif, Mohammad (September 13, 2016). "Mohammad Javad Zarif: Let Us Rid the World of Wahhabism". New York Times.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ El-Bar, Karim (October 5, 2016). "Analysts slam Iran's Zarif for blasting Wahhabism but ignoring own record". Middle East Eye.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Conceptualizing/re-conceptualizing Africa: the construction of African ..., By Maghan Keita, pg.90
^ Iran: a short history : from Islamization to the present, By Monika Gronke, pg.90
^ Encyclopaedic Historiography of the Muslim World. NK Singh, A Samiuddin, p. 90.
^ The Cambridge illustrated history of the Islamic world. Francis Robinson, p. 72.
^ Modern Iran: roots and results of revolution]. Nikki R Keddie, Yann Richard, pp. 13, 20
^ The Encyclopedia of world history: ancient, medieval, and modern. Peter N. Stearns, William Leonard Langer, p. 360.
^ Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces. Steven R Ward, pg.43
^ Iran: a short history: from Islamization to the present. Monika Gronke, p. 91.
^ The Judeo-Persian poet ‘Emrānī and his "Book of treasure": ‘Emrānī's Ganǰ… 'Emrānī, David Yeroushalmi, p. 20.
^ A new introduction to Islam. Daniel W Brown, p. 191.
^ Encyclopaedic Historiography of the Muslim World. NK Singh, A Samiuddin, p. 90.
^ The Cambridge illustrated history of the Islamic world. Francis Robinson, p. 72.
^ Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces. Steven R. Ward, p. 44.
^ Iran and America: re-kindling a love lost]. Badi Badiozamani, pp. 174–5.
^ The Cambridge illustrated history of the Islamic world. Francis Robinson, p. 72.
^ Iraq: Old Land, New Nation in Conflict. William Spencer, p. 51.
^ Culture and customs of Iran. Elton L Daniel, 'Alī Akbar Mahdī, p. 185.
^ Iraq: Old Land, New Nation in Conflict. William Spencer, p. 51.
^ "Human Rights Watch says Iraq forces killed 250 Sunni prisoners". Hindustan Times. July 13, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ Jane Arraf (29 Jan 2015). "Iraq PM orders urgent probe into military 'massacre'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
^ Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq , St. Martin's Griffin, 2012 ISBN 1250006961 ISBN 978-1250006967, p.163-164.
^ Iraq conflict: Diyala Sunni mosque attack kills dozens, bbc.com.
^ Kiernan, Laura (October 19, 1977). "Amina Khaalis Relives Horror of Slayings, Court Is Told". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
^ Griffin, S.P. (11 April 2006). "4". Philadelphia's Black Mafia: A Social and Political History. Kluwer Academic Publishers. pp. 35–37. ISBN 0-306-48132-4.
^ Meyer, Eugene; Edwards, Paul (March 10, 1977). "Barry 'A Very Lucky Man". Washington Post. Retrieved March 10, 2017.

Template:Anti-cultural sentiment

[1] John Richard Thackrah (5 September 2013). Dictionary of Terrorism (2, revised ed.). Routledge. p. 252. ISBN 978-1-135-16595-6.

[2] "Meaning of Sunniphobia". Words Look.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[3] "The Wahhabi Myth: Debunking the Bogeyman". Muslim Matters. April 1, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[4] "Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, Muhammad (d. 1791)". Oxford Islamic Studies online.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[5] SAUDI ARABIA WAHHÂBÎSM & THE SALAFÎ SECT: UNDERSTANDING THE GREAT CONSPIRACY. Johannesburg, South Africa: Dar al Ahnaf. p. 81. "Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Sulaymân al-Madanî ash-Shâfi'î, as quoted in the book 'Ashadd ul-Jihâd', declared his belief a heresy and formally excommunicated him by issuing a fatwâ, the text of which said: " This man is leading the ignoramuses of the present age to a heretical path. He is attempting to extinguish Allah's light, but Allah will not permit His light to be extinguished."

[6] Stephens, Julia (January 5, 2009). "The "Great Wahabi Trial": The Legal Construction and Deconstruction of the Muslim Jihadi in British India, 1869–71". American Historical Association.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[7] Stephens, Julia (January 2013). "The Phantom Wahhabi: Liberalism and the Muslim fanatic in mid-Victorian India". Modern Asian Studies. 47 (1): 22–52 – via JSTOR. ABSTRACT In the late 1860s and early 1870s the British colonial government in India suppressed an imagined Wahhabi conspiracy, which it portrayed as a profound threat to imperial security.

[8] "Совет муфтиев России выступил против запрета ваххабизма". 2 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[9] "Attack on Wahhabi Islam divides Russian Muslims: COUNCIL OF MUFTIS OF RUSSIA SPEAKS OUT AGAINST BAN OF WAHHABISM - "While deeply aware of the vital importance of combating the ideology of intolerance and devoting great efforts in this direction, we nevertheless consider that the introduction of the principle of prosecution of believers for their convictions and not for specific illegal actions will have a most harmful effect both on the Muslim community of Russia and inter-ethnic harmony and on the legal culture of the Russia state," the statement of the Council of Muftis says, which was posted on Monday on its website". stetson.edu.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[10] Commins, David (2006). The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia. London, New York: I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd. p. 192. In Russia and Central Asia, public figures and the media see Wahhabism as the inspiration for religious revival and Islamic political movements. During the Soviet era, official apprehensions emerged about an 'Islamic threat' posed by Sufi orders as nests of secret conspiracies against the communist system. In the post-Soviet era, Sufism has assumed a positive connotation as a moderate form of Islam opposed to Wahhabism, which has become a sort of bogeyman in public discourse. Pejorative use of the term cropped up in the late Soviet era, when members of the official religious establishment castigated proponents of expunging ritual of non-scriptural elements for 'importing' Wahhabism, thus implying that it is alien to the region's heritage. Many Russians believe that after the Afghan war, Wahhabis infiltrated Central Asia to spread their version of Islam. Thus, in 1998, political leaders of Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan declared their readiness to confront 'a threat of aggressive fundamentalism, aggressive extremism and above all Wahhabism. This is what we have currently in Afghanistan and in troubled Tajikistan.' The government of Uzbekistan tags unsanctioned religious activity with the Wahhabi label. The problem with this outlook is that it conflates differences among a variety of Muslim religious movements, which include militant and reformist political tendencies alongside utterly apolitical ones. Thus, a leading Tajik modernist who favours a blend of democracy and Islam has been branded a Wahhabi even though he has ties to Sufi circles

[11] H. Daddler , M Lindsay, Ivo , James (Dec 1, 2001). "Nasty, Brutish and Long: America's War on Terrorism". BROOKINGS.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[12] "'You are either with us or against us'". CNN. November 6, 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[13] Huntington, Samuel P. "The Clash of Civilizations?". Foreign Affairs. 72: 29 – via JSTOR. THE FAULT LINES between civilizations are replacing the political and ideological boundaries of the Cold War as the flash points for crisis and bloodshed.

[14] "National Review Editor Suggests "Nuking Mecca"". Counter Punch. March 13, 2002.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[15] Odom, William (27 February 2014). "American Hegemony: How to Use It, How to Lose It" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[16] K Albright, Madeleine (June 2, 2009). "Obama's Muslim Speech "According to Muslim speakers at such events, one fact stands out: When the cold war ended, America needed an enemy to replace Communism and chose Islam...Mr. Obama's dilemma is that no speech, however eloquent, can disentangle U.S.-Muslim relations from the treacherous terrain of current events in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and the Middle East...Muslims desire respect and respect demands frankness. We cannot pretend that American soldiers and aircraft are not attacking Muslims."". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2016.

[17] A. Beydoun, Khalid (2020). "Exporting Islamophobia in the Global "War On Terror"" (PDF). NEW YORK UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW ONLINE.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[18] Carrington, Ball, O'Brien, Tall, Kerry, Matthew, Erin, Juan (2013). Crime, Justice and Social Democracy: International Perspectives. UK: PALGRAVE MACMILLAN. pp. pp 133-144 Islamophobia, Human Rights and the ‘War on Terror’ ABSTRACT: "When, in September 2001, the right-wing Republican president of the US proclaimed the ‘war on terrorism’, which he also dubbed a ‘crusade’, George W. Bush was soon joined in such battle by his staunch British ally Tony Blair, a Labour prime minister. A populist prime minister of the conservative coalition in Australia, John Howard faithfully entered the fray on behalf of this nation, which likewise imagines itself to have a special relationship with the USA. All these allies participated in the unlawful invasion of Afghanistan the following month, in the name of this war on terrorism, and of Iraq eighteen months later. The forces of all three countries are still in Afghanistan, with very little difference to this fact having been made by the now Democratic presidency in the US, the now Tory-led coalition in the UK, or the now Labor government in Australia. Really, existing labour parties - when in government, that is - have taken a very similar stance in relation to securing militarily the US-led global empire to that of their conservative opponents. All have participated similarly in state crime in the ‘war on terror’, indeed all have been comparably complicit in what I call ‘empire crime’.". ISBN 978-1-137-00868-8. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[19] A Beydoun, Khaled (2020). "EXPORTING ISLAMOPHOBIA IN THE GLOBAL "WAR ON TERROR"". NEW YORK UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW ONLINE. 95:81: pp 84 "Beyond genuine national security threats, countries across the world capitalized on the conflation of Islam with terrorism to serve discrete national interests. This American War on Terror furnished nations with license, and more importantly, a policing template and language to profile and persecute their Muslim minority populations. American Islamophobia, buoyed by swift state action including the War in Afghanistan and the USA PATRIOT Act, manifested in a surge of vigilante violence against Muslims and “Muslim-looking” groups and had global impact". {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)

[20] J. Delong Bas, Natana (2004). Wahhabi Islam:From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS. pp. pp 123-124 "Many of the regimes and movements labeled as Wahhabi in the contemporary era do not necessarily share the same theological and legal orientations. The reality is that Wahhabism has become such a blanket term for any Islamic movement that has an apparent tendency toward misogyny, militantism, extremism, or strict and literal interpretation of the Quran and hadith that the designation of a regime or movement as Wahhabi or Wahhabi-like tells us little about its actual nature. Furthermore, these contemporary interpretations of Wahhabism do not nec- essarily reflect the writings or teachings of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab". {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); line feed character in |pages= at position 330 (help)CS1 maint: location (link)

[21] Atkin, Muriel. "THE RHETORIC OF ISLAMOPHOBIA "In political, as well as religious matters, any Muslim who challenges the status quo is at risk of being labeled a Wahhabi. This is how the KGB and its post-Soviet successors have used the term. In fact, the KGB may have played a large role in promoting its use"". CA&C Press AB. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 29 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[22] Commins, David (2006). The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia. 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010: I.B TAURIS. pp. 192 "Pejorative use of the term cropped up in the late Soviet era, when members of the official religious establishment castigated proponents of expunging ritual of non-scriptural elements for ‘importing’ Wahhabism, thus implying that it is alien to the region’s heritage.Many Russians believe that after the Afghan war, Wahhabis infiltrated Central Asia to spread their version of Islam. Thus, in 1998, political leaders of Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan declared their readiness to confront ‘a threat of aggressive fundamentalism, aggressive extremism and above all Wahhabism. This is what we have currently in Afghanistan and in troubled Tajikistan.’The government of Uzbekistan tags unsanctioned religious activity with the Wahhabi label. The problem with this outlook is that it conflates differences among a variety of Muslim religious movements, which include militant and reformist political tendencies alongside utterly apolitical ones. Thus, a leading Tajik modernist who favours a blend of democracy and Islam has been branded a Wahhabi even though he has ties to Sufi circles". {{cite book}}: line feed character in |location= at position 28 (help); line feed character in |pages= at position 51 (help)CS1 maint: location (link)

[23] "China cuts Uighur births with IUDs, abortion, sterilization". Associated Press. June 29, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[24] Shuster, Simon (September 19, 2011). "How the War on Terrorism Did Russia a Favor". TIME.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[25] N. Katz, Mark. "Iran and the "War on Terror"". Middle East Policy Council.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[26] Kramer, Martin. "Khomeini's Messengers in Mecca "Khomeini declared that the Saudi rulers, "these vile and ungodly Wahhabis, are like daggers which have always pierced the heart of the Muslims from the back," and announced that Mecca was in the hands of "a band of heretics."32 Once more, the Saudis were transformed into what the speaker of the parliament, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, called "Wahhabi hooligans." Rafsanjani recalled the nineteenth-century Wahhabi massacres (of Shi'ites) in Najaf and Karbala, the Wahhabi destruction of Islamic monuments in Medina (venerated by Shi'ites), and the Wahhabi burning of libraries (containing Shi'ite works). The Wahhabis "will commit any kind of crime. I ask you to pay more attention to the history of that evil clique so that you can see what kind of creatures they have been in the course of their history."33 This represented a deliberate attempt to fuel a present crisis with the memory of past sectarian hatreds."". MartinKramer.org.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[27] Rabinovich, Shaked, Itamar, Haim (1989). Middle East Contemporary Survey, Volume XI 1987. Boulder, San Francisco, London: Westview Press. pp. 174 "Iranian statements pandered to the belief still held by Shi‘ites that the fanatic Saudis were driven by their own misguided beliefs to kill innocent Shi‘ite pilgrims. Khomeini declared that the Saudi rulers, “these vile and ungodly Wahhabis, are like daggers which have always pierced the heart of the Muslims from the back, ” and announced that Mecca was in the hands of “a band of heretics.”Once more, the Saudis were transformed into what the speaker of the parliament, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, called “Wahhabi hooligans.” Rafsanjani recalled the nineteenth-century Wahhabi massacres (of Shi‘ites) in Najaf and Karbala, the Wahhabi destruction of Islamic monuments in Medina (venerated by Shi‘ites), and the Wahhabi burning of libraries (containing Shi‘ite works). The Wahhabis “will commit any kind of crime. I ask you to pay more attention to the history of that evil clique so that you can see what kind of creatures they have been in the course of their history.”This represented a deliberate attempt to fuel a present crisis with the memory of past sectarian hatreds.". ISBN 0-8133-0925-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[28] Anas, Omair (September 17, 2016). "Iran's new Great Satan: Saudi Arabia and its Wahhabi ideology". FirstPost.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[29] "Soleimani: Wahhabism Has Jewish Roots". Iran International. 23 February, 2019. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[30] J. Frantzman, Seth (February 22, 2019). "IRGC General Soleimani says roots of Wahhabism are Jewish, linked to ISIS". The Jerusalem Post.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[31] Javad Zarif, Mohammad (September 13, 2016). "Mohammad Javad Zarif: Let Us Rid the World of Wahhabism". New York Times.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[32] El-Bar, Karim (October 5, 2016). "Analysts slam Iran's Zarif for blasting Wahhabism but ignoring own record". Middle East Eye.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[33] Conceptualizing/re-conceptualizing Africa: the construction of African ..., By Maghan Keita, pg.90

[Iran_pg.90-34] Iran: a short history : from Islamization to the present, By Monika Gronke, pg.90

[35] Encyclopaedic Historiography of the Muslim World. NK Singh, A Samiuddin, p. 90.

[36] The Cambridge illustrated history of the Islamic world. Francis Robinson, p. 72.

[37] Modern Iran: roots and results of revolution]. Nikki R Keddie, Yann Richard, pp. 13, 20

[38] The Encyclopedia of world history: ancient, medieval, and modern. Peter N. Stearns, William Leonard Langer, p. 360.

[39] Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces. Steven R Ward, pg.43

[40] Iran: a short history: from Islamization to the present. Monika Gronke, p. 91.

[41] The Judeo-Persian poet ‘Emrānī and his "Book of treasure": ‘Emrānī's Ganǰ… 'Emrānī, David Yeroushalmi, p. 20.

[42] A new introduction to Islam. Daniel W Brown, p. 191.

[43] Encyclopaedic Historiography of the Muslim World. NK Singh, A Samiuddin, p. 90.

[44] The Cambridge illustrated history of the Islamic world. Francis Robinson, p. 72.

[45] Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces. Steven R. Ward, p. 44.

[46] Iran and America: re-kindling a love lost]. Badi Badiozamani, pp. 174–5.

[47] The Cambridge illustrated history of the Islamic world. Francis Robinson, p. 72.

[48] Iraq: Old Land, New Nation in Conflict. William Spencer, p. 51.

[49] Culture and customs of Iran. Elton L Daniel, 'Alī Akbar Mahdī, p. 185.

[50] Iraq: Old Land, New Nation in Conflict. William Spencer, p. 51.

[51] "Human Rights Watch says Iraq forces killed 250 Sunni prisoners". Hindustan Times. July 13, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[52] Jane Arraf (29 Jan 2015). "Iraq PM orders urgent probe into military 'massacre'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 16 March 2015.

[53] Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq , St. Martin's Griffin, 2012 ISBN 1250006961 ISBN 978-1250006967, p.163-164.

[bbc.com-54] Iraq conflict: Diyala Sunni mosque attack kills dozens, bbc.com.

[Post77-55] Kiernan, Laura (October 19, 1977). "Amina Khaalis Relives Horror of Slayings, Court Is Told". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 10, 2017.

[mafiabook-56] Griffin, S.P. (11 April 2006). "4". Philadelphia's Black Mafia: A Social and Political History. Kluwer Academic Publishers. pp. 35–37. ISBN 0-306-48132-4.

[PostBarry77-57] Meyer, Eugene; Edwards, Paul (March 10, 1977). "Barry 'A Very Lucky Man". Washington Post. Retrieved March 10, 2017.

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@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 modernist who favours a blend of democracy and Islam has been branded a Wahhabi even though he has ties to Sufi circles"}}</ref> China has employed this rhetoric in the [[Uyghur genocide]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=June 29, 2020|title=China cuts Uighur births with IUDs, abortion, sterilization|work=Associated Press|url=https://apnews.com/article/269b3de1af34e17c1941a514f78d764c|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref>Russia has employed its own "War on Terror" in  [[Second Chechen War]] , insurgency in North Caucasus and currently in the [[Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War|Russian war in Syria]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shuster|first=Simon|date=September 19, 2011|title=How the War on Terrorism Did Russia a Favor|url=http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2093529,00.html|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=TIME}}</ref>
-In a sectarian twist, War on Terror rhetoric has also been weaponised by  [[Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran]] which follows the [[Khomeinism|Khomeinist]] interpretation of [[radical Islamism]], even closely cooperating with USA frequently .<ref>{{Cite web|last=N. Katz|first=Mark|date=|title=Iran and the "War on Terror"|url=https://mepc.org/commentary/iran-and-war-terror|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Middle East Policy Council}}</ref> Even prior to the War on Terror, Iranian leaders like [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Khomeini]] and [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani|Rafsanjani]] had invoked the Wahhabi label describing Sunnis as "heretics" to stir up Sunniphobia and Iran's policy of exporting its [[Iranian Revolution|Islamic Revolution]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kramer|first=Martin|date=|title=Khomeini’s Messengers in Mecca "Khomeini declared that the Saudi rulers, “these vile and ungodly Wahhabis, are like daggers which have always pierced the heart of the Muslims from the back,” and announced that Mecca was in the hands of “a band of heretics.”32 Once more, the Saudis were transformed into what the speaker of the parliament, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, called “Wahhabi hooligans.” Rafsanjani recalled the nineteenth-century Wahhabi massacres (of Shi‘ites) in Najaf and Karbala, the Wahhabi destruction of Islamic monuments in Medina (venerated by Shi‘ites), and the Wahhabi burning of libraries (containing Shi‘ite works). The Wahhabis “will commit any kind of crime. I ask you to pay more attention to the history of that evil clique so that you can see what kind of creatures they have been in the course of their history.”33 This represented a deliberate attempt to fuel a present crisis with the memory of past sectarian hatreds."|url=https://martinkramer.org/reader/archives/khomeinis-messengers-in-mecca/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=MartinKramer.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Rabinovich, Shaked|first=Itamar, Haim|url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Middle_East_Contemporary_Survey_Volume_X.html?id=CKNrjrfWJ90C&redir_esc=y|title=Middle East Contemporary Survey, Volume XI 1987|publisher=Westview Press|year=1989|isbn=0-8133-0925-5|location=Boulder, San Francisco, London|pages=174 "Iranian statements pandered to the belief still held by Shi‘ites that the fanatic Saudis were driven by their own misguided beliefs to kill innocent Shi‘ite pilgrims. Khomeini declared that the Saudi rulers, “these vile and ungodly Wahhabis, are like daggers which have always pierced the heart of the Muslims from the back,” and announced that Mecca was in the hands of “a band of heretics.”Once more, the Saudis were transformed into what the speaker of the parliament, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, called “Wahhabi hooligans.” Rafsanjani recalled the nineteenth-century Wahhabi massacres (of Shi‘ites) in Najaf and Karbala, the Wahhabi destruction of Islamic monuments in Medina (venerated by Shi‘ites), and the Wahhabi burning of libraries (containing Shi‘ite works). The Wahhabis “will commit any kind of crime. I ask you to pay more attention to the history of that evil clique so that you can see what kind of creatures they have been in the course of their history.”This represented a deliberate attempt to fuel a present crisis with the memory of past sectarian hatreds."}}</ref> After the War on Terror, its perceived that an imagined Wahhabi conspiracy replaced America as Iran's [[Great Satan]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Anas|first=Omair|date=September 17, 2016|title=Iran's new Great Satan: Saudi Arabia and its Wahhabi ideology|work=FirstPost|url=https://www.firstpost.com/world/irans-new-great-satan-saudi-arabia-and-its-wahhabi-ideology-3008626.html/amp|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref>
+In a sectarian twist, War on Terror rhetoric has also been weaponised by  [[Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran]] which follows the [[Khomeinism|Khomeinist]] interpretation of [[radical Islamism]], even closely cooperating with USA frequently .<ref>{{Cite web|last=N. Katz|first=Mark|date=|title=Iran and the "War on Terror"|url=https://mepc.org/commentary/iran-and-war-terror|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Middle East Policy Council}}</ref> Even prior to the War on Terror, Iranian leaders like [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Khomeini]] and [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani|Rafsanjani]] had invoked the Wahhabi label describing Sunnis as "heretics" to stir up Sunniphobia and Iran's policy of exporting its [[Iranian Revolution|Islamic Revolution]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kramer|first=Martin|date=|title=Khomeini’s Messengers in Mecca "Khomeini declared that the Saudi rulers, “these vile and ungodly Wahhabis, are like daggers which have always pierced the heart of the Muslims from the back,” and announced that Mecca was in the hands of “a band of heretics.”32 Once more, the Saudis were transformed into what the speaker of the parliament, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, called “Wahhabi hooligans.” Rafsanjani recalled the nineteenth-century Wahhabi massacres (of Shi‘ites) in Najaf and Karbala, the Wahhabi destruction of Islamic monuments in Medina (venerated by Shi‘ites), and the Wahhabi burning of libraries (containing Shi‘ite works). The Wahhabis “will commit any kind of crime. I ask you to pay more attention to the history of that evil clique so that you can see what kind of creatures they have been in the course of their history.”33 This represented a deliberate attempt to fuel a present crisis with the memory of past sectarian hatreds."|url=https://martinkramer.org/reader/archives/khomeinis-messengers-in-mecca/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=MartinKramer.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Rabinovich, Shaked|first=Itamar, Haim|url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Middle_East_Contemporary_Survey_Volume_X.html?id=CKNrjrfWJ90C&redir_esc=y|title=Middle East Contemporary Survey, Volume XI 1987|publisher=Westview Press|year=1989|isbn=0-8133-0925-5|location=Boulder, San Francisco, London|pages=174 "Iranian statements pandered to the belief still held by Shi‘ites that the fanatic Saudis were driven by their own misguided beliefs to kill innocent Shi‘ite pilgrims. Khomeini declared that the Saudi rulers, “these vile and ungodly Wahhabis, are like daggers which have always pierced the heart of the Muslims from the back,” and announced that Mecca was in the hands of “a band of heretics.”Once more, the Saudis were transformed into what the speaker of the parliament, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, called “Wahhabi hooligans.” Rafsanjani recalled the nineteenth-century Wahhabi massacres (of Shi‘ites) in Najaf and Karbala, the Wahhabi destruction of Islamic monuments in Medina (venerated by Shi‘ites), and the Wahhabi burning of libraries (containing Shi‘ite works). The Wahhabis “will commit any kind of crime. I ask you to pay more attention to the history of that evil clique so that you can see what kind of creatures they have been in the course of their history.”This represented a deliberate attempt to fuel a present crisis with the memory of past sectarian hatreds."}}</ref> After the War on Terror, its perceived that an imagined Wahhabi conspiracy replaced America as Iran's [[Great Satan]] .<ref>{{Cite news|last=Anas|first=Omair|date=September 17, 2016|title=Iran's new Great Satan: Saudi Arabia and its Wahhabi ideology|work=FirstPost|url=https://www.firstpost.com/world/irans-new-great-satan-saudi-arabia-and-its-wahhabi-ideology-3008626.html/amp|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref> This was further revealed by the statements of [[Qasem Soleimani|Qassem Soleimani]] , the former chief of [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|IRGC]] who labelled "Wahhabism" with Jewish roots.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=23 February, 2019|title=Soleimani: Wahhabism Has Jewish Roots|url=https://iranintl.com/en/iran-in-brief/soleimani-wahhabism-has-jewish-roots?page=77|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Iran International}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=J. Frantzman|first=Seth|date=February 22, 2019|title=IRGC General Soleimani says roots of Wahhabism are Jewish, linked to ISIS|url=https://m.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/the-roots-of-wahhabism-are-jewish-linked-to-isis-soleimani-581388/amp|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=The Jerusalem Post}}</ref> In an even more sectarian and semi-genocidal tone, [[Mohammad Javad Zarif|Javad Zarif]] , the Iranian FM, called to "rid the world of Wahhabism".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Javad Zarif|first=Mohammad|date=September 13, 2016|title=Mohammad Javad Zarif: Let Us Rid the World of Wahhabism|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/14/opinion/mohammad-javad-zarif-let-us-rid-the-world-of-wahhabism.amp.html|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=El-Bar|first=Karim|date=October 5, 2016|title=Analysts slam Iran's Zarif for blasting Wahhabism but ignoring own record|url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/analysts-slam-irans-zarif-blasting-wahhabism-ignoring-own-record|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Middle East Eye}}</ref>
 == Historic Persecution ==

v t e Religious persecution and discrimination
By group	Atheism Exclusivism Baháʼí Faith Buddhism Christianity Persecution Catholicism Eastern Orthodoxy Jehovah's Witnesses LDS or Mormon post–Cold War era Falun Gong Hinduism Persecution Untouchability Islam Persecution Ahmadiyya Shi'ism Sufism Sunnism minority Muslim Judaism Persecution Neopaganism Protestantism Rastafari Sikhism Yazidism Zoroastrianism
Methods	Censorship Communal violence Cultural genocide Deprogramming Desecration Domicide Discrimination Ethnic cleansing Ethnic conflict Ethnic violence Extrajudicial killing Extrajudicial punishment Exclusivism Forced conversion Forced displacement Hate crime Iconoclasm Intolerance Pogrom Political violence Population cleansing Population transfer Sectarian violence Social cleansing Segregation State atheism State religion Terrorism Violence War
Events	Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire (64–313) Persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire (c. 324–c. 491) Decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent (c.550–c. 1200) Yellow Turban Rebellion (c.184–c. 205) Battle of Tours (732) Rhineland massacres (1096) Jerusalem massacre (1099) Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent (643–1526) Inquisition (1184–1908) Massacre at Ayyadieh (1191) Northern Crusades (12th–16th cent.) Crusades against schismatics (13th–15th cent.) Forced conversions of Muslims in Spain (1500–1526) European wars of religion (1522–1712) Ottoman–Habsburg wars (1526–1791) Goa Inquisition (1561–1812) French Wars of Religion (1562–1598) Expulsion of the Moriscos (1609–1614) Test Acts (1673–1829) Persecution of Muslims during the Ottoman contraction (1683–1922) Christianization of the Sámi people (1700s) French Revolutionary dechristianisation (1789–1801) Utah War (1857–1858) 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war (1860) Circassian genocide (1864) Dungan Revolt (1862–1877) Adana massacre (1909) Massacres of Albanians in the Balkan Wars (1912–1913) Greek genocide (1913–1922) Pontic Greek genocide Assyrian genocide (1914–1924) Armenian genocide (1915–1923) Persecution of Christians in the Eastern Bloc (1917–1990) Soviet persecution (1922–1991) 1917–1921 1921–1928 1928–1941 1958–1964 1970–1987 legislation Šahovići massacre (1924) White Terror (Spain) (1936–1975) Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses (1933) The Holocaust (1939–1945) Genocide of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia (1941–1945) Communist Polish persecution (1945–1989) Communist Romanian persecution (1945–1989) Noakhali riots (1946) Direct Action Day (1946) 1946 Bihar riots (1946) Rawalpindi massacres (1947) Persecution of Hindus in Pakistan (1947–ongoing) Violence against Muslims in India (1947–ongoing) Violence against Hindus in independent India (1947–ongoing) 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight (1948) Jewish exodus from the Muslim world (1948–1980) Antireligious campaigns of the Chinese Communist Party (1949–ongoing) Persecution of Tibetans (1950–ongoing) Exodus of Turks from Bulgaria (1950) Religious violence in Nigeria (1953–ongoing) Istanbul pogrom (1955) Buddhist crisis (1963) Huế Phật Đản shootings (1963) Thích Quảng Đức (1963) Xá Lợi Pagoda raids (1963) Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) Four Olds (1966) Famen Temple (1966) Bangladesh genocide (1971) Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh (1971–ongoing) Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) Cambodian genocide (1975–1979) 1984 anti-Sikh riots (1984) Revival Process (1984–1989) Big Excursion (1989) Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus (1990) Yugoslav Wars (1991–2001) Ethnic cleansing in the Bosnian War (1992–1996) Bosnian genocide (1995) War crimes in the Kosovo War (1999) Walisongo school massacre (2000) Kosheh massacres (2000) September 11 attacks (2001) 2002 Gujarat riots (2002) South Thailand insurgency (2004–ongoing) Boko Haram insurgency (2009–ongoing) Maspero demonstrations (2011) Attacks by Islamic extremists in Bangladesh (2013–2016) Yazidi genocide (2014–2017) Genocide of Christians by ISIL (2014–ongoing) Iraqi Turkmen genocide (2014–2017) Persecution of Uyghurs in China (2014–ongoing) Rohingya genocide (2016–ongoing) Christchurch mosque shootings (2019) 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings (2019) 2020 Delhi riots (2020) 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel (2023) 2024 Istanbul church shooting Crocus City Hall attack (2024)
Religion