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Not all Shiites have historically accepted the apolitical attitudes which became standard. One group was lead by Zaid, a grandson of Husain. He argued that the true Imam must publicly assert his claim to the title and seek to overthrow the corrupt regime run by unacceptable rulers.
In fact, Zaid led just such a revolt and was killed in the process, but his ideas lived much longer. His followers, who became known as the Zaidis, accepted him as the true Imam and rejected his quieter brother and nephew, who are accepted as the Fifth and Sixth Imams by most Shiites.
Tracing the Imamate from Zaid, Zaidis followers also reject the doctrine of a Hidden Imam who is only spiritually present and instead, like the Isma'ilis, believe that the Imam is present. The Zaidis believe that the Imam can be any descendant of Ali who has sufficient learning and military ability - indeed, it is possible for there to be more than one Imam at a time.
Unlike most Shiites, Zaidis do not believe that the Imam is infallible or capable of performing miracles. Unlike most Sunnis, the Zaidis reject any form of 'sufi' tradition. Today, the last Zaidis can only be found in Yemen, which was actually ruled by Zaidi Imams until 1962. Doctrinally, the Zaidis have more in common with Sunnis than they do with most Shiites and are theologically they closest to the Mu'tazila legl school.
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