#Kitchener's misunderstanding of #Islam ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111484767553360519
— monolithic homogenous bloc controlled by the #Caliph &
— blind spot toward the #Shia-#Sunni divide
were magnified by his failure to understand the constitutional nature of #Islamic society.

In choosing Grand Sharif #Hussein as the #Arabian #Caliph, the #British intention was only to prop up the "Pope" of Islam, and through that Islamic papacy, control #Britain's #muslim subjects all over the world.

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#PeaceToEndAllPeace

Impetus for #Kitchener's desire to "capture #Islam" in #MiddleEast in #WWI was rooted in his inability to understand that #societiesAreNotHomogenous.

There was a time when Britain ruled over half of world's #muslims in #Africa & #India, and Kitchener believed Islam as a homogenous, single centralized entity controlled by the #Caliph — #Mohammad's successor.

This perception probably grew out of the fact that #Turkish #Sultan had immense sway over muslims far away in India.

#PeaceToEndAllPeace

When the #GreatPowers drew the map of the #MiddleEast after #WWI, they set aside #religion and #ethnicity as the basis, but religion was fundamental to the political existence of #Shia #Iran and #Sunni #Muslims of #Egypt, #Syria, and elsewhere

1915: #Kitchener decided to partition #ME, leading to #SykesPicot Agreement

1917: #Lenin's #Bolshevik colleague Leon #Trotsky blew up Sykes-Picot

1918: #WWI ends

1919: Treaty of #Versailles following WWI

1922: #PointOfNoReturn…

#PeaceToEndAllPeace
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