ABSTRACT
From its early history, Islam has had two main strands, Sunni and Shi'a, and a small number of minor other ones—the most important of these continues to be Sufism. Sunni Islam is found, above all, in the Arab world, with Saudi Arabia as its focus and Egypt, Jordan, Northern Iraq, and most of Syria as other strongholds. As for the Sunni version of Islam, the idea of an intermediary between people and God is anathema to most Sunnis, and especially to those following Wahhabism—the creed according to the views of Muhammad al-Wahhab—the particularly harsh and reactionary form Islam has taken in Saudi Arabia. It was clear that Islam was being mobilized to secure the basis of a superior status for Muslim men, a superiority not readily available in other aspects of their lives, especially as they were often unemployed or in low-status jobs. In some instances Islamic reformers have brought about important adjustments to the modern world.
