"This relief is reflected in the way Sunni Arab leaders openly praise the American presence in Iraq, and the protection this provides for the Sunni Arab community. The Shia religious leaders know that preaching open warfare against the Sunni Arabs would be like throwing kerosene on a fire. Decades of Sunni Arab tyranny has left wounds that will take generations to heal. Meanwhile, the Shia religious leaders have more practical personal considerations to worry about. While Iraq holds the primary Shia religious Shrines, those decades of Sunni oppression have allowed the Iranian clergy and religious schools to take center stage theologically. This brings up the Iranian-Arab split again. The Iraqi Shia want to work at making the Iraqi branch of Shia Islam the leading one. To that end, they don't want Iraq dominated by Iran, politically, or in terms of religion."