Answer :
Final answer:
The main religious difference is that most Persians are Shia Muslims while most Arabs and Kurds are Sunni Muslims. Shia Islam is particularly prevalent in Iran and parts of Iraq, whereas Sunni Islam dominates the Arab world and is significant among Kurds in northern Iraq and other regions.
Explanation:
The main religious difference among Arabs, Persians, and Kurds relates to the two principal branches of Islam, namely Shia and Sunni. Most Persians are followers of Shia Islam, and this is also the dominant sect in Iran. Meanwhile, the Arab world is predominantly Sunni Muslim. The Kurds, an ethnic group with their origins in northern Europe, also primarily follow Sunni Islam, despite their distinct language, culture, and historical religion.
Religious practices and interpretations vary significantly between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Shia Islam is notably centered in Iran and parts of Iraq, where cities like Karbala and Najaf hold significant religious importance due to their holy sites. Southeastern Iraq has a majority Arab Shia population, and the Shia division of Islam in this region is about three times larger than the Kurdish population. On the other hand, Sunni Muslims are dominant throughout most of the Arab world and in the Kurdish regions of northern Iraq, as well as in countries such as Turkey, where they make up a considerable majority of the Muslim population.
Historically, the early debate in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad's death over rightful leadership was a critical issue, creating the differentiation between Sunni, who comprise about 90% of Muslims, and Shia, who include the rest. Sunni Muslims believe in the appropriateness of dynamic leaders after the Prophet, whereas Shia Muslims believe in the leadership of the Prophet's family's descendants. These differences have shaped not just religious practices but also political dynamics in various regions, including historical and contemporary conflicts.
