Sunni-Shiite talks begin with spat over Iran, Iraq

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Sunni-Shiite talks begin with spat over Iran, Iraq

But Taskhiri, who was also present at the opening session, blamed the escalating tension between Sunnis and Shiites on the "real enemy" of both, an allusion to Israel and the United States.

"There is a cunning plot to turn Muslims away from their real enemy to an illusive one... the Islamic Republic of Iran," said Taskhiri, who heads Iran's World Forum for Enhancing Relations Among Islamic Schools of Thought.

"Muslims forget Israel and the dangers of colonialism, while Sunnis perceive the Shiites -- and vice versa -- as the biggest challenge... tearing the body of this (Islamic) nation into pieces," he added.
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"The facts show that the wedge being driven (between Muslim sects) is political and has nothing to do with religion."