Talk:Abdel Razaq family: Sunni or Shi'ite?

Good work, also on the formatting. I see you used sources we already have, with different descriptions. No problem with that, but I think we should at least use the same shortcuts. For example the Reuters article whose description I just changed on the other pages (because it doesn't only contain HRW sources, as you pointed out). That source has the shortcut KO on the other pages, while you named it RI3 here. Only a remark to consider, as a German I am required to be anal about stuff like that. ;)

I was about to point out that Alawites (and our alleged Shabiha muscle men milita) are a branch of Shia Islam, commenting on what you wrote about the sword inscription, but read the wikipedia article first. They are more detached from Shi'ism than I thought, incorporating Christian believes and stuff and considering themselves a step ahead of Islam (which sect doesn't consider themselves ahead? ;)). Their central, godlike figure is Ali, the cousin of Mohamed and first convert to Islam. He's the father of Hussein, mentioned on the sword inscription, who is also a central figure in Shia Islam, but apparently not in Alawism which focuses on Ali. Maybe someone leaving "clues" not familiar with the details of their belief? Or me trusting Wikipedia without real knowledge to find something suspicious? Questions over questions... --CE 04:24, 2 July 2012 (EST)


 * My understanding of the distinction is vague but about the same (reached first I guess, so ha). The Ali/Hussein difference is new and relevant. Either the fakers are being sloppy and fuzzing together Shia/Shi'ite and Alawi/Alawite (by the way, why aren't Sunnis "ites?") OR the particular killers are some new Shia-leaning type of Alawi, OR some other Shia unit of the Shabiha or an allies Shia group, OR like the first but not even caring how it lines up, just killing this Shia family and blaming Shi'ism/Shi'ite heretics more directly than the way they consider it to be actually responsible for their killing (that is, by necessitating it).

It will probably remain a mystery, but is well-worth thinking about some more as evidence comes together. --Caustic Logic 16:22, 2 July 2012 (EST)


 * By the way, I called it R|3 here because it's the third reference on this page. (KO) was temporary, I think, until I figured out how to do that number-link thing. Then shouldn't it just go page by page? Or are you thinking a site-wide short-hand for each source? I liked that kind of idea at first, but I also know when you get 200+ of those together it gets silly... "no, it can''t be SP6, the other SPs are all connected -how about S...R for the title... no, that's taken. How about...") I hope this gets big enough sometime that'll be a problem, especially once we get outside the Houla sub-set and more BBC reports or SANA or AFP reports come into play. --Caustic Logic 20:43, 2 July 2012 (EST)