The conflict over the succession of religious leadership following the death of the Prophet Muhammad nearly 1,400 years ago is the origin of the split between Sunni and Shia Islam. The battles between the Fatimids and the Abbasids, the Crusades, the Mongol invasion, the Ottoman conquest, and, of course, Western imperialism all serve as points of reference for today’s struggles.
因此，这条时间线的重要性在最近的事件中显露无疑。近1,400年前先知穆罕默德死后的宗教领袖继承权冲突是逊尼派和什叶派伊斯兰教分裂的根源。法蒂玛和阿巴斯王朝之战、十字军东征、蒙古人入侵、奥斯曼帝国的政府，当然还有西方帝国主义，都是今天的斗争的参照点。