The policies of the regime of deposed President Saddam Hussein, especially following his religious campaign in the 1990s, widened the rift between Sunni and Shiite clerics. Salafist currents began to exploit the religious openness of the country to enhance their activities and reach, which only added insult to injury. On the other hand, the rise of political Islam among Shiite clerics bred Shiite Salafism that competed, rather conflicted, with its Sunni counterpart.
There were several attempts after 2003 to patch things up between both parties, including holding common prayers for Sunni and Shiite scholars and reconciliatory conferences that joined religious and social figures from both sides. However, all these attempts just made things appear better on the surface and did not really mend the broken ties.
Simply put, Sunnis and Shiites each consider the other part of a dangerous political project that threatens its identity and the future of its sect. Sunnis think that there is a Farsi-Shiite project that aims to eradicate Sunnism and Arabism from Iraq, while Shiites fear a Sunni-Wahabi-Saudi project that would oppress the Shiite majority in Iraq.
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