{
  "id": 17153390,
  "title": "The ‘Muslim divide’ is about power, not piety",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/the-muslim-divide-is-about-power-not-piety",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T00:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2026/10/30/the-muslim-divide-is-about-power-not-piety"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The article from Free Malaysia Today challenges the notion that the \"Muslim divide\" is rooted in religious differences, instead arguing that it is primarily driven by power struggles, politics, and economic interests. The author points out that despite sharing a common belief system, many Muslim-majority nations are experiencing internal conflicts, often involving Sunni-Shia tensions that have been exploited by authoritarian regimes and militant groups to fuel conflict. These conflicts are frequently exacerbated by the manipulation of religious rhetoric by leaders and regional power games between nations like Saudi Arabia and Iran, who use these divisions to justify their military interventions in countries like Yemen and Syria. The piece further highlights how these conflicts are often exacerbated by the artificial borders drawn across ethnic and tribal lines, the presence of valuable natural resources, and the resulting economic disparities. The article concludes that true unity within the Muslim world cannot be achieved without addressing the underlying issues of poverty, economic inequality, and systemic corruption that fuel these conflicts.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}