Despite the differences in their Islamic beliefs, thousands of Sunni and Shiite Muslims marched to join a procession for the 27 victims of a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque last Friday. The people in the mosque were doing their communal prayers when the fatal attack happened, which was later claimed by the Islamic State.
Following the brutal attack on the house of worship, Kuwait declared a day of mourning in honor of the victims of the attack on the Imam Sadiq mosque in the district of Sawaber, located in the eastern part of Kuwait City. The Interior Ministry has also stated that the police have located the car used to drop off the bomber. Kuwaiti police have also arrested the owner of the car, according to The New York Times.
The Islamic State has been quick to claim responsibility for the attack, identifying the bomber as Abu Sulaiman al-Muwahhad and saying that the attack was initiated because the mosque was propagating Shiite thought. Sunni jihadists consider Shiite worldviews as apostasy.
The attack on the mosque is Kuwait's worst terrorist attack in years and the first attack that is initiated on a Shiite mosque, reports Al Jazeera.
People who participated on the procession for the 27 victims carried the Kuwaiti flag, while others carried a simple black flag to show mourning. Many of the participants chanted "Sunnis and Shiites are brothers!"
Kuwait's Emir, Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, visited the site of the bombing after the attack. A Sunni, he states that the bombing was a violation of the sanctity of Ramadan, which is a holy month for Muslims. The law forbidding the shedding of innocent blood was also broken.
"National unity is a protective fence for the security of the nation," he said.
