Shiites, many of whom live in the city of Lucknow, make up 18 percent of India’s Muslim population. Shimon Shapira, a retired IDF general, recounts his experience at a conference there hosted by Amir Khan, a leader of the Indian Shiite community and a local noble:
The meeting in Shiite Lucknow with Saudi Sunnis from Mecca and Medina stimulated a delicate dialogue with restrained tension. [Khan] expressed his opinion that all religious extremism in Islam in this era began with the disintegration of the Ottoman empire and the creation of the Saudi Arabian kingdom. He contended that the Saudis supported Islamic movements that became extremist and violent over the years.
Anwar Majed Eshki, the chief Saudi guest, respectfully contended that as a devoted Muslim, he saw great importance in bridging the Islamic sects. Indeed, he believed that the presence of Jewish guests from Israel was evidence of a huge advancement in the mutual understanding necessary for solving the many problems in the Middle East. One morning, Sunnis and Shiites gathered as one for a joint morning prayer, without allowing the religious differences between Sunnis and Shiites to interfere. The commitment to Allah dominated all differences at that moment. It’s also worth noting that Eshki visited Jerusalem this year and led Muslim prayers in the al-Aqsa Mosque.
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