After the prophet Mohammed died in 632, the Islamic community chose a caliph to lead the faithful. That institution lasted almost 1,300 years until it was abolished in 1924. Since that time, no mainstream Muslim held the position until June 29, when the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria re-established the caliphate, to the alarm of governments worldwide. But a look at recent history should quiet those fears, particularly if we consider just why has there been no caliph since the 1920s.
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