Before the fall of Saddam, the Shia were a despised majority – persecuted, marginalized and decimated in the 1991 uprising after the first Gulf War.  Today they‘ve gained new political power in the Iraqi government and provincial councils. This revival is upending the delicate balance of power in Baghdad.

Who are the Shia? And how will this Sunni-Shia divide alter the outcome in Iraq and our future? How will it change the Bush Administration’s plans for a “New Middle East?”

In Mosaic Special Report - Shia Rising in Iraq, we explore these questions with author and Middle East Analyst, Vali Nasr. His new book “The Shia Revival,” looks at the growing power of Shia Muslims in Iraq and beyond.

Adding further insight is Mosaic Producer Jamal Dajani, who walks us through the news stories coming from Germany’s Deutsche Welle TV and Al-Alam TV from Iran.