 Despite the heavy presence of Shia Muslims in some Arab countries, particularly among the population of Arab states of the Persian Gulf, they have been treated poorly throughout history.Additionally, Shia Muslims along with Kurds have faced genocide by the pan-Arabist regime of Saddam Hussein.For both historical and political reasons, the Shia have fared rather poorly in much of the Arab world, and the topic of Shi‘ism and Shia groups is one of the most sensitive issues for the Sunni elite.