The ongoing wars and tensions in West Asia are often described in political terms as proxy battles, resource control, superpower rivalries but beneath the surface lies a profound civilizational and religious undercurrent. The region has become a theater for an ancient divide between Arabic and Persian worlds, amplified by the Sunni-Shia split. This is not merely a modern geopolitical contest; it echoes deep mythological, historical, and theological fault lines that have shaped identities for centuries. India, with its ancient cultural bonds to Persian civilization through the Rig Veda and Indo-Iranian heritage, finds itself awkwardly positioned in this clash, often appearing aligned with forces on the “wrong” side of the divide from a civilizational perspective.
The core religious fracture is the Sunni-Shia schism, which began in the seventh century over who should succeed Prophet Muhammad as leader of the Muslim community. Sunnis, comprising the majority of Muslims worldwide and dominating the Arab world, favored election by consensus among the faithful. Shias insisted that leadership belonged to the Prophet’s family, specifically through his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and later his descendants. This disagreement escalated into tragedy at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, where Ali’s son Hussein was killed by forces loyal to the Sunni caliph. For Shias, this event symbolizes ultimate sacrifice and resistance to oppression, becoming a cornerstone of their identity marked by mourning rituals during Ashura. Sunnis view it as a tragic political dispute rather than a defining theological moment.
Over time, this split intertwined with ethnic and cultural differences. The Arab heartland remained predominantly Sunni, while Persia being conquered by Arab armies in the seventh century gradually embraced Shia Islam as a way to preserve distinct identity against Arab dominance. Persians adapted Islam to their pre-Islamic traditions, blending it with Zoroastrian elements such as reverence for fire, emphasis on good versus evil, and a sense of chosen destiny. Iran today sees itself as the guardian of Shia interests, supporting groups across the region that share this faith, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to militias in Iraq and Yemen’s Houthis.
Meanwhile, Sunni Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, have positioned themselves as defenders of orthodox Sunni tradition, often backed by Western powers, particularly the United States. This alignment is strategic: oil wealth, security alliances against perceived Iranian expansion, and opposition to revolutionary ideologies. The result is a pattern of proxy conflicts manifesting in Syria, Yemen, Iraq where each side funnels arms, funds, and fighters to opposing factions. What begins as local power struggles becomes framed in religious terms, with mosques and media amplifying sectarian rhetoric to rally populations.
Yet calling these purely religious wars misses nuance. Sectarian identity is frequently a tool wielded by rulers to legitimize power, mobilize support, or deflect from domestic failures like corruption or economic hardship. The divide is real and deeply felt by many communities, but it is magnified by modern nationalism, colonial legacies, and foreign interventions. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, for example, toppled a Sunni-led regime and empowered Shia majorities, intensifying regional rivalries far beyond ancient grievances.
Adding complexity is the civilizational layer. Persian civilization, with its imperial heritage from the Achaemenids onward, long predates Islam. Zoroastrianism introduced ideas of cosmic struggle between light and darkness, influencing later Abrahamic faiths. When Arabs brought Islam, Persians retained linguistic pride, literary traditions, and a sense of cultural superiority, even as they converted. Shia Islam became a vehicle for Persian resurgence, allowing resistance to full Arab cultural absorption.
In contrast, the Arab world draws from Bedouin tribal roots, early Islamic conquests, and the centrality of Arabic as the language of revelation. The Quran’s Arabic purity reinforces a sense of divine favor. This creates a subtle but persistent tension: Arabs sometimes view Iranians as outsiders who twist Islam, while Iranians see Arab states as puppets of Western imperialism, betraying true Islamic justice.
India enters this picture through deep historical ties to ancient Persia. The Rig Veda, composed around 1500–1200 BCE, shares remarkable parallels with Zoroastrian texts like the Avesta. Both emerge from Proto-Indo-Iranian peoples who spoke related languages and worshipped similar deities. Vedic gods such as Mitra (covenant-keeper) correspond to Avestan Mithra; the sacred drink soma finds its counterpart in haoma. Even the reversal of terms like devas as good in Vedic tradition, Asuras as demonic in Zoroastrianhints at an ancient theological parting of ways, possibly tied to Zoroaster’s reforms emphasizing ethical dualism.
These connections show that India’s Vedic heritage carries echoes of Persian thought. Fire rituals, concepts of cosmic order (rta/asha), and poetic hymns reflect shared origins. Later Persian influences arrived through trade, invasions, and cultural exchange during the Mughal era, enriching Indian art, architecture, and literature. Sufi mysticism, often Shia-influenced, blended Persian poetry with Indian devotion.
Yet in contemporary geopolitics, India appears to tilt toward the Sunni Arab side and its Western allies. Economic necessities drive this: millions of Indian workers in Gulf countries send remittances home, and India imports vast amounts of oil from Saudi Arabia, UAE, and others. Strategic partnerships with Israel and the United States further align New Delhi with this bloc. Relations with Iran persist through Chabahar port for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia but they are cautious, overshadowed by stronger Gulf ties.
From a civilizational viewpoint, this positioning seems mismatched. India’s ancient affinity lies with Persian cultural depth, philosophical inquiry, and resistance to hegemony, qualities that Iran claims to embody in its anti-imperial stance. By siding pragmatically with Sunni Arab states and the U.S.-led order, India risks distancing itself from this heritage. Critics argue that true non-alignment would honor historical bonds by maintaining equidistance or even leaning toward Iran’s narrative of sovereignty and multipolarity.
This is not to romanticize Iran’s actions or ignore its regional ambitions. The point is that West Asia’s conflicts transcend politics; they involve clashing worldviews rooted in religion, mythology, and identity. India, heir to Indo-Iranian traditions, could play a bridging role by emphasizing shared civilizational threads rather than sectarian lines. Instead, economic and strategic calculations pull it toward one side, potentially placing it on the “wrong” side of this deeper divide.
In the end, reducing West Asian wars to religion alone is misleading, just as ignoring religious dimensions is naive. The Sunni-Shia split, Arabic-Persian rivalry, and mythological echoes form a potent mix that fuels enduring strife. For India, navigating this requires wisdom: honoring ancient Persian roots while pursuing pragmatic interests. Only through understanding these civilizational layers can lasting peace emerge, rather than perpetual clash.
