At roughly the same time as Khomeini's accession to power in Iran, Hussein's Sunni-dominated government increased its repression of Shiites, using its trademark tools of murder and torture.

The toppling of Iraq's Sunni-dominated government opened the lid to fierce disputes among various Shiite leaders about the proper place of religion and politics in the Iraq of the future.

Much as it continues to profess hatred for America, Hezbollah, as a Shiite group, did not like the violent excesses of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated government either.

Such processions were banned by Mr. Hussein and his Sunni-dominated government in the early 1970's as part of the wider effort to suppress the power of the majority Shiites.

Many were Shiite Muslims more active in their religion than the Sunni-dominated government felt it could tolerate.

For many Iraqis, the episode carried heavy overtones of the brutality associated with Saddam Hussein and his Sunni-dominated government.

The Shiites, though the majority of Iraq's population, suffered severe oppression under the Sunni-dominated government of Mr. Hussein, and have so far appeared more willing to accept the American military occupation.

The Shi'ite protests were not quelled by these propaganda campaigns, and the establishment of an Islamic Republic in Iran influenced many Shi'ites to stand up against the Sunni-dominated government.

Al-Wefaq said in a statement the Sunni-dominated government is trying to escape responsibility for "violations leading to numerous fatalities and hundreds of injuries on junior security personnel."

Deep divisions along sectarian lines spilt over in Bahrain during the Arab Spring as predominantly Shia Muslim protesters demanded democracy from the Sunni-dominated government.