Could you please explain the difference between Sunni and Shiite to me please?

I am a non Muslim and rather ignorant of the two.

This is a Shina website.

it gives the Shia perspective of what happened to divide the Muslims. so watch it and know it's a Shina opinion and that the opposite opinion is the Sunni opinion.

WNW.abubark.org

After Muhammad died, there was some disagreement over who should succeed him as leader of the Muslim world. The Shi'a, a minority of Muslims that's stayed around 10% of the total number, said that the relations of the prophet were special- you know, carrying the same blood and all- and thought that his eldest child should succeed him. Problem was, he never had any sons, only daughters, which went against tradition where the eldest son was the heir. So the Sunni, the big majority of Muslims, chose one of the companions of the Prophet as his successor- I think the man was his father-in-law. There's another 1500 years of differences after that, of course, where Shi'as had their own "saints", developed their own religious beliefs, had their own leaders etc. But that was the start of it.

For those who call me a Shia Muslim, let them know that I am Shia in so far as LOVE for the Blessed One SAW and his Ahl UL Bayt is concerned, a Sunni for the egalitarian spirit within the Muhammadi Ummah and a Sufi in matters of Tassawuf.

i gave few answers to 2 different questions on "Yahoo Answers" which were voted as best answers and i think posting both will answer your question to a great extent.

Many people mistakenly think that Muslims are divided into two halves: Sunnis and Shi'it. In reality Shia are between 7.5% to 11%. All the rest (93.5%) are Sunnis (ignoring the fact the Shi'ism is a totally different religion than Islam). The word Shia includes all kinds of Shi'it Sects such as (Twelvers Imami Rafidi Shia, Isma'ili Shia, Alawi (Nusairi) Shia, Druze Shia, Zaidi Shia).


we are muslims

shia make divisions when they try to change islam and say the Prophet's companions are non-muslims and say bad things about prophet's wives
__________________________

* Abu Zur`ah ar-Raazee

This great scholar was quoted as saying, "If you see someone degrade any of the companions of the Prophet, ((may Peace Be Upon Him)), know that he is a disbeliever. Because the Prophet, ((may Peace Be Upon Him)), was real, what he brought was the truth and all of it was conveyed to us by the way of the Sahaabah. What those disbelievers wish to do is to cast doubt on the reliability of our narrators in order to invalidate the Quraan and the Sunnah. Thus the disbelievers are the ones most deserving defamation."


Imaam Ali (r.a.) said: "With regard to me, two categories of people will be ruined, namely he who loves me too much and the love takes him away from rightfulness, and he who hates me too much and the hatred takes him away from rightfulness. The best man with regard to me is he who is on the middle course. So be with him and be with the great majority (of Muslims) because Allah's hand (of protection) is on keeping unity." [Nahjul Balagha, sermon 126 about the Kharijites]

In the that time, people who called them selves Muslims were three groups :
1- Kharijites who said that Imam Ali was a disbeliever and they send Ibn Muljim to kill him and he did that.
2- Shia who said that he was infalleble Imam and Allah had chosen him for leading Muslims.
3- Sunnies ( Majority of Muslims ) who said that he was a great companion of the prophet and he was a great leader to Muslims but Muslims had chosen him to be thier leader not Allah.
Who are the people of the middle course & the great majority (of Muslims) as Imam Ali said in his sermon, Read Imam Ali's words and then look to the three groups and you will find the answer!

interesting