format_quote Originally Posted by
Dahir
Wow! I did not expect that. What I still wonder is about the large Shia populations in South Asia, I'd expect pretty much ALL Shias to live between Southern Turkey and Northern Pakistan and everything in-between and across...:?
There are Shiites in any country with Muslim people I presumed. Like Southeast Asian Muslims, eventhough they're Sunni Muslims, but traditionally they're so passionate about Imam Ali. There are Shiites in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Southern part of Philippines.
Like in Malaysia, Shiism is regarded as heresy by the religious authority. Thus in order to escape persecution... they prefer to call themselves as Sunnis who love the Ahl Bait.
There are lots of Malaysian Shiites in Malaysian forums...