Transformationism in the Interaction between the Shia and Other Islamic Sects

The present writing is an attempt to argue that some of the views which are intended to bring about proximity among sects, in fact, cause Shia Islam to dissolve in Sunni Islam. These views, on the one hand, lower the status of Imamate and undermine its culture; and on the other hand, they propagate caliphate, causing it to become even superior. This paper is concerned to show that the spread of such views will cause serious political and social damages to both Shia Islam and the Shiites; to show this, I have first analyzed these views to show their social and political implications; then, I have considered the inferences which the exponents of these views draw from their own premises so that I can show that not only such conclusions necessarily follow from these views but also that they have been really arrived at; and finally, the historical evidence is provided to show that any position taken on Imamate and caliphate has led to certain political and social results. Further, the arguments advanced by the exponents of proximity are sometimes evaluated.