Sectarianism De Sectarianization And Regional Politics In The Middle East

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Sectarianism, De-Sectarianization and Regional Politics in the Middle East

Author : Samira Nasirzadeh
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0755639189
Total Pages : 253 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (556 download)

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Book Synopsis Sectarianism, De-Sectarianization and Regional Politics in the Middle East by : Samira Nasirzadeh

Download or read book Sectarianism, De-Sectarianization and Regional Politics in the Middle East written by Samira Nasirzadeh and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2024-01-25 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the Arab Uprisings, new ways of understanding sectarianism and sect-based differences emerged. But these perspectives, while useful, reduced sectarian identities to a consequence of either primordial tensions or instrumentalised identities. While more recently 'third way' approaches addressed the problems with these two positions, the complexity of secatarian identities within and across states remains unexplored. This book fills the gap in the literature to offer a more nuanced reading of both sectarian identities and also de-sectarianization across the Middle East. To do so, the volume provides a comparative account, looking at Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. It examines the ways in which sect-based difference shapes regional politics and vice versa. The book also contributes to burgeoning debates on the role of protest movements in sectarianism. Chapters are split across three main sections: the first looks at sects and states; the second traces the relationship between sects and regional dynamics; and the third examines de-sectarianization, that is, the contestation and destablization of sectarian identities in socio-political life. Each section provides a more holistic understanding of the role of sectarian identities in the contemporary Middle East and shows how sectarian groups operate within and across state borders, and why this has serious implications for the ordering of life across the Middle East.

Sectarianization

Author : Nader Hashemi
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190862661
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (98 download)

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Book Synopsis Sectarianization by : Nader Hashemi

Download or read book Sectarianization written by Nader Hashemi and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-03-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the Middle East descends ever deeper into violence and chaos, 'sectarianism' has become a catch-all explanation for the region's troubles. The turmoil is attributed to 'ancient sectarian differences', putatively primordial forces that make violent conflict intractable. In media and policy discussions, sectarianism has come to possess trans-historical causal power. This book trenchantly challenges the lazy use of 'sectarianism' as a magic-bullet explanation for the region's ills, focusing on how various conflicts in the Middle East have morphed from non-sectarian (or cross-sectarian) and nonviolent movements into sectarian wars. Through multiple case studies -- including Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen and Kuwait -- this book maps the dynamics of sectarianisation, exploring not only how but also why it has taken hold. The contributors examine the constellation of forces -- from those within societies to external factors such as the Saudi-Iran rivalry -- that drive the sectarianisation process and explore how the region's politics can be de-sectarianised. Featuring leading scholars -- and including historians, anthropologists, political scientists and international relations theorists -- this book will redefine the terms of debate on one of the most critical issues in international affairs today.

The Struggle for Supremacy in the Middle East

Author : Simon Mabon
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1108577369
Total Pages : 311 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (85 download)

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Book Synopsis The Struggle for Supremacy in the Middle East by : Simon Mabon

Download or read book The Struggle for Supremacy in the Middle East written by Simon Mabon and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-03-16 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 1979, few rivalries have affected Middle Eastern politics as much as the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran. However, too often the rivalry has been framed purely in terms of 'proxy wars', sectarian difference or the associated conflicts that have broken out in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen. In this book, Simon Mabon presents a more nuanced assessment of the rivalry, outlining its history and demonstrating its impact across the Middle East. Highlighting the significance of local groups, Mabon shows how regional politics have shaped and been shaped by the rivalry. The book draws from social theory and the work of Pierre Bourdieu to challenge problematic assumptions about 'proxy wars', the role of religion, and sectarianism. Exploring the changing political landscape of the Middle East as a whole and the implications for regional and international security, Mabon paints a complex picture of this frequently discussed but oft-misunderstood rivalry.

Understanding 'Sectarianism'

Author : Fanar Haddad
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0197536042
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (975 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding 'Sectarianism' by : Fanar Haddad

Download or read book Understanding 'Sectarianism' written by Fanar Haddad and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-02-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Sectarianism" is one of the most over-discussed yet under-analyzed concepts in debates about the Middle East. Despite the deluge of commentary, there is no agreement on what "sectarianism" is. Is it a social issue, one of dogmatic incompatibility, a historic one or one purely related to modern power politics? Is it something innately felt or politically imposed? Is it a product of modernity or its antithesis? Is it a function of the nation-state or its negation? This book seeks to move the study of modern sectarian dynamics beyond these analytically paralyzing dichotomies by shifting the focus away from the meaningless '-ism' towards the root: sectarian identity. How are Sunni and Shi'a identities imagined, experienced and negotiated and how do they relate to and interact with other identities? Looking at the modern history of the Arab world, Haddad seeks to understand sectarian identity not as a monochrome frame of identification but as a multi-layered concept that operates on several dimensions: religious, subnational, national and transnational. Far from a uniquely Middle Eastern, Arab, or Islamic phenomenon, a better understanding of sectarian identity reveals that the many facets of sectarian relations that are misleadingly labelled "sectarianism" are echoed in intergroup relations worldwide.

The New Sectarianism

Author : Geneive Abdo
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190233168
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis The New Sectarianism by : Geneive Abdo

Download or read book The New Sectarianism written by Geneive Abdo and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-11-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Shi'a-Sunni conflict is one of the most significant outcomes arising from the Arab rebellions. Yet, there is little understanding of who is driving this tension and the underlying causes. By delving deeply into the historical factors leading up to the present-day conflict, The New Sectarianism sheds new light on how Shi'a and Sunni perceive one another after the Arab uprisings, how these perceptions have affected the Arab world, and why the dream of a pan-Islamic awakening was misplaced. Geneive Abdo describes a historical backdrop that serves as a counterpoint to Western media coverage of the so-called Arab Spring. Already by the 1970s, she says, Shi'a and Sunni communities had begun to associate their religious beliefs and practices with personal identity, replacing their fragile loyalty to the nation state. By the time the Arab risings erupted into their full fury in early 2011, there was fertile ground for instability. The ensuing clash-between Islamism and Nationalism, Shi'a and Sunni, and other factions within these communities-has resulted in unprecedented violence. So, Abdo asks, what does religion have to do with it? This sectarian conflict is often presented by the West as rivalry over land use, political power, or access to education. However, Abdo persuasively argues that it must be understood as flowing directly from religious difference and the associated identities that this difference has conferred on both Shi'a and Sunni. The New Sectarianism considers the causes for this conflict in key countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Bahrain and the development of regional trends. Abdo argues that in these regions religion matters, not only in how it is utilized by extremists, moderate Islamists, and dictators alike for political purposes, but how it perpetually evolves and is perceived and practiced among the vast majority of Muslims. Shi'a and Sunni today are not battling over territory alone; they are fighting for their claim to a true Islamic identity.

Jihadism, Sectarianism and Politics in a Changing Middle East

Author : Adib Abdulmajid
Publisher : Eburon Uitgeverij B.V.
ISBN 13 : 946301344X
Total Pages : 276 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (63 download)

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Book Synopsis Jihadism, Sectarianism and Politics in a Changing Middle East by : Adib Abdulmajid

Download or read book Jihadism, Sectarianism and Politics in a Changing Middle East written by Adib Abdulmajid and published by Eburon Uitgeverij B.V.. This book was released on 2021-05-07 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jihadism, Sectarianism and Politics in a Changing Middle East tackles questions of core significance for understanding the current religio-political scene in the Middle East. It addresses the doctrinal tenets associated with the emergence of influential Islamist organizations, the rise of sectarian-based extremist groups, and the challenges encountered by the culturally-diverse populations amidst such developments. It constitutes an exploration of sectarianism, Islamism, Salafism and jihadism. This book also delves into the historical events that have shaped the Middle East as we know it today. It further examines the key factors behind the rise of the most influential sectarian-guided, jihadi-based extremist groups in the recent years. The emergence and growth of sectarian Islamist militant organizations, whether Sunni or Shia, is deemed to be the fruit of the emerging radical interpretations and elucidations of the conception of jihad, and the evolution of the movement of Islamism in general. The main objective of this book is to help the reader understand the complex religio-political scene in today’s Middle East and the ideological principles and agendas of key influential movements, whose beliefs and actions constitute a serious threat to cultural diversity in the region.

Sectarianism in Iraq

Author : Khalil Osman
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317674863
Total Pages : 358 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

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Book Synopsis Sectarianism in Iraq by : Khalil Osman

Download or read book Sectarianism in Iraq written by Khalil Osman and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-10-10 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book links sectarianism in Iraq to the failure of the modern nation-state to resolve tensions between sectarian identities and concepts of unified statehood and uniform citizenry. After a theoretical excursus that recasts the notion of primordial identity as a socially constructed reality, the author sets out to explain the persistence of sectarian affiliations in Iraq since its creation following the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire. Despite the adoption of homogenizing state policies, the uneven sectarian composition of the ruling elites nurtured feelings of political exclusion among marginalized sectarian groups, the Shicites before 2003 and the Sunnis in the post-2003 period. The book then examines how communal discourses in the educational curriculum provoked masked forms of resistance that sharpened sectarian consciousness. Tracing how the anti-Persian streak in the nation-state’s Pan-Arab ideology, which camouflaged anti-Shicism, undermined Iraq’s national integration project, Sectarianism in Iraq delves into the country’s slide from a totalizing Pan-Arab ideology in the pre-2003 period toward the atomistic impulse of the federalist debate in the post-2003 period. Employing extensive fieldwork, this book sheds light on the dynamics of political life in post-Saddam Iraq and is essential reading for Iraqi and Middle East specialists, as well as those interested in understanding the current heightening of sectarian Sunni-Shicite tensions in the Middle East.

Sectarianism in the Contemporary Middle East

Author : Simon Mabon
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351578588
Total Pages : 204 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (515 download)

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Book Synopsis Sectarianism in the Contemporary Middle East by : Simon Mabon

Download or read book Sectarianism in the Contemporary Middle East written by Simon Mabon and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-02-02 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, the term sectarianism has been widely used to explain contemporary affairs across the Middle East and North Africa. A range of assumptions about the nature of sectarianism have become prevalent amongst scholars and policy makers who engage with these areas, in part driven by the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran (the two dominant Sunni and Shi’a states) and the emergence of ISIS. Despite its prevalence, few scholars have engaged critically with the meaning of the term and its application across the Middle East. Whilst many associate sectarianism with Islam, Sectarianism in the Contemporary Middle East interrogates the political, economic and security factors surrounding the term within both Islam and Judaism, leading to a better understanding of the contemporary politics of the Middle East. This book was originally published as a special issue of Global Discourse.

Sectarian Politics in the Gulf

Author : Frederic M. Wehrey
Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 0231536100
Total Pages : 351 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (315 download)

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Book Synopsis Sectarian Politics in the Gulf by : Frederic M. Wehrey

Download or read book Sectarian Politics in the Gulf written by Frederic M. Wehrey and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013-12-17 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of Foreign Policy's Best Five Books of 2013, chosen by Marc Lynch of The Middle East Channel Beginning with the 2003 invasion of Iraq and concluding with the aftermath of the 2011 Arab uprisings, Frederic M. Wehrey investigates the roots of the Shi'a-Sunni divide now dominating the Persian Gulf's political landscape. Focusing on three Gulf states affected most by sectarian tensions—Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait—Wehrey identifies the factors that have exacerbated or tempered sectarianism, including domestic political institutions, the media, clerical establishments, and the contagion effect of external regional events, such as the Iraq war, the 2006 Lebanon conflict, the Arab uprisings, and Syria's civil war. In addition to his analysis, Wehrey builds a historical narrative of Shi'a activism in the Arab Gulf since 2003, linking regional events to the development of local Shi'a strategies and attitudes toward citizenship, political reform, and transnational identity. He finds that, while the Gulf Shi'a were inspired by their coreligionists in Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon, they ultimately pursued greater rights through a nonsectarian, nationalist approach. He also discovers that sectarianism in the region has largely been the product of the institutional weaknesses of Gulf states, leading to excessive alarm by entrenched Sunni elites and calculated attempts by regimes to discredit Shi'a political actors as proxies for Iran, Iraq, or Lebanese Hizballah. Wehrey conducts interviews with nearly every major Shi'a leader, opinion shaper, and activist in the Gulf Arab states, as well as prominent Sunni voices, and consults diverse Arabic-language sources.

Beyond Sunni and Shia

Author : Frederic Wehrey
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190911514
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (99 download)

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Book Synopsis Beyond Sunni and Shia by : Frederic Wehrey

Download or read book Beyond Sunni and Shia written by Frederic Wehrey and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-02-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection seeks to advance our understanding of intra-Islamic identity conflict during a period of upheaval in the Middle East. Instead of treating distinctions between and within Sunni and Shia Islam as primordial and immutable, it examines how political economy, geopolitics, domestic governance, social media, non- and sub-state groups, and clerical elites have affected the transformation and diffusion of sectarian identities. Particular attention is paid to how conflicts over distribution of political and economic power have taken on a sectarian quality, and how a variety of actors have instrumentalized sectarianism. The volume, covering Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, Iran, and Egypt, includes contributors from a broad array of disciplines including political science, history, sociology, and Islamic studies. Beyond Sunni and Shia draws on extensive fieldwork and primary sources to offer insights that are empirically rich and theoretically grounded, but also accessible for policy audiences and the informed public.

Sectarianism without Sects

Author : Azmi Bishara
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0197650325
Total Pages : 549 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (976 download)

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Book Synopsis Sectarianism without Sects by : Azmi Bishara

Download or read book Sectarianism without Sects written by Azmi Bishara and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2022-03-01 with total page 549 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume analyses the transformation of social sectarianism into political sectarianism across the Arab world. Using a framework of social theories and socio-historical analysis, the book distinguishes between ta'ifa, or 'sect', and modern ta'ifiyya, 'sectarianism', arguing that sectarianism itself produces 'imaginary sects'. It charts and explains the evolution of these phenomena and their development in Arab and Islamic history, as distinct from other concepts used to study religious groups within Western contexts. Bishara documents the role played by internal and external factors and rivalries among political elites in the formulation of sectarian identity, citing both historical and contemporary models. He contends that sectarianism does not derive from sect, but rather that sectarianism resurrects the sect in the collective consciousness and reproduces it as an imagined community under modern political and historical conditions. Sectarianism without Sects is a vital resource for engaging with the sectarian crisis in the Arab world. It provides a detailed historical background to the emergence of sect in the region, as well as a complex theoretical exploration of how social identities have assumed political significance in the struggle for power over the state.

Shi’i Sectarianism in the Middle East

Author : Elisheva Machlis
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0857737783
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (577 download)

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Book Synopsis Shi’i Sectarianism in the Middle East by : Elisheva Machlis

Download or read book Shi’i Sectarianism in the Middle East written by Elisheva Machlis and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-09-17 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The eruption of violent sectarianism in Iraq following the US invasion in 2003 brought the question of Sunni-Shi'i relations in the country to the forefront of the international public agenda. It also strengthened the popular belief that contemporary Shi'ism is inherently sectarian. Yet several decades earlier, Ayatollah Khomeini had declared an Islamic revolution and downplayed its Shi'i origins and links. So what is the true orientation of Shi'i Islam in the contemporary era and how did modernisation alter its sectarian affiliation? This book contends that early Shi'i reformist thought set the foundations for a more universal-oriented Shi'ism. Prominent reformists in the first half of the twentieth century from the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf in Iraq and from the Shi'i centres in Southern Lebanon played a significant role in the renewal of Shi'ism and laid the groundwork for its reinvention in the modern era. Exploring this shift towards a more ecumenical perception of Islam, Elisheva Machlis here provides a fresh perspective on inter-sectarian relations in contemporary Iraq and illuminates the intellectual roots of the Islamic revolution, by examining networks of Shi'i scholars such as Mu?ammad ?usayn K?shif al-Ghi??' and Mu?sin al-Am?n al-'?mil?, operating within a more globalised Muslim world. Drawing on the experiences of early Shi'i reformists, such as 'Abd al-?usayn Sharaf al-D?n al-M?saw? in Lebanon and Mu?ammad Jaw?d Mughniyya in Damascus, this book gives new insight on the future of inter-Muslim relations at a time of growing inter-sectarian contention, from the Iran-Iraq war to the post-2003 Sunni-Shi'i conflict in Iraq and al-Qa'ida's anti-Shi'i message, taking into account questions of theology, historiography, jurisprudence and politics which all played a vital role in the transition to the contemporary era. The author here analyses the broad scholarly connections between Iran, Iraq and Lebanon in the twentieth century, while debating paramount questions of leadership, identity and group membership in the development of modern Shi'ism. Examining the relationship between intellectual thought and socio-political development in the region, this book provides a new perspective concerning the future of an increasingly globalised Muslim world and will prove essential reading for students and specialists.

Shi’i Sectarianism in the Middle East

Author : Elisheva Machlis
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1786739518
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (867 download)

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Book Synopsis Shi’i Sectarianism in the Middle East by : Elisheva Machlis

Sectarianism in the Middle East

Author : Heather M. Robinson
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780833096999
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (969 download)

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Book Synopsis Sectarianism in the Middle East by : Heather M. Robinson

Download or read book Sectarianism in the Middle East written by Heather M. Robinson and published by . This book was released on 2019-01-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Present unrest in the Middle East has many causes and takes on many forms. A collective sense of disenfranchisement, inadequate governance, geopolitical discord, and religious extremism all contribute to the conflicts in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, and Libya. Many Western observers and policymakers view unrest in the Middle East through the lens of binary religious sectarianism, focusing on the divisions between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. This split is most clearly articulated in the geopolitical competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and it plays out through violence in Iraq and Syria. But the complexities of human identity and of regional culture and history do not lend themselves to this arguably too-simplistic interpretation of the situation. The authors analyze sectarianism in the region, evaluate other factors that fan the flames of violent conflict, and suggest a different interpretation of both identity and the nature of regional unrest"--Back cover.

The Struggle over Democracy in the Middle East

Author : Nathan J. Brown
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135198322
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (351 download)

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Book Synopsis The Struggle over Democracy in the Middle East by : Nathan J. Brown

Download or read book The Struggle over Democracy in the Middle East written by Nathan J. Brown and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-07-03 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many residents of the Middle East - and more recently, Western powers - have placed great hope in democratization in the region. Yet authoritarianism remains the norm and movement towards democracy is both slow and uneven. The Struggle over Democracy in the Middle East examines democracy and democratization in the light of regional realities rather than the wishful thinking of outsiders. Specialists from the region analyze democratic prospects in the region, while accomplished scholars from the United States and the United Kingdom analyze Western policy, providing a wide-ranging survey of the efforts of individual countries and the effect of external influences. Addressing themes including sectarianism, culture, religion, security and the promotion of democracy, the book examines the experiences of activists, political parties, religious groups and governments and highlights the difficulties involved in bringing democracy to the Middle East. Providing a multifaceted approach to the issue of democratization, this book will be a valuable reference for courses on Middle Eastern politics, political science and democracy.

Sectarian Politics in the Persian Gulf

Author : Lawrence G. Potter
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190237961
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis Sectarian Politics in the Persian Gulf by : Lawrence G. Potter

Download or read book Sectarian Politics in the Persian Gulf written by Lawrence G. Potter and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014-06-01 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long a taboo topic, as well as one that has alarmed outside powers, sectarian conflict in the Middle East is on the rise. The contributors to this book examine sectarian politics in the Persian Gulf, including the GCC states, Yemen, Iran and Iraq, and consider the origins and con- sequences of sectarianism broadly construed, as it affects ethnic, tribal and religious groups. They also present a theoretical and comparative framework for understanding sectarianism, as well as country-specific chapters based on recent research in the area. Key issues that are scrutinised include the nature of sectarianism, how identity moves from a passive to an active state, and the mechanisms that trigger conflict. The strategies of governments such as rentier economies and the 'invention' of partisan national histories that encourage or manage sectarian differences are also highlighted, as is the role of outside powers in fostering sectarian strife. The volume also seeks to clarify whether movements such as the Islamic revival or the Arab Spring obscure the continued salience of religious and ethnic cleavages.

Sectarianism in Iraq

Author : Fanar Haddad
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 019023797X
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis Sectarianism in Iraq by : Fanar Haddad

Download or read book Sectarianism in Iraq written by Fanar Haddad and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014-05-03 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Viewing Iraq from the outside is made easier by compartmentalising its people (at least the Arabs among them) into Shi'as and Sunnis. But can such broad terms, inherently resistant to accurate quantification, description and definition, ever be a useful reflection of any society? If not, are we to discard the terms 'Shi'a' and 'Sunni' in seeking to understand Iraq? Or are we to deny their relevance and ignore them when considering Iraqi society? How are we to view the common Iraqi injunction that 'we are all brothers' or that 'we have no Shi'as and Sunnis' against the fact of sectarian civil war in 2006? Are they friends or enemies? Are they united or divided; indeed, are they Iraqis or are they Shi'as and Sunnis? Fanar Haddad provides the first comprehensive examination of sectarian relations and sectarian identities in Iraq. Rather than treating the subject by recourse to broad-based categorisation, his analysis recognises the inherent ambiguity of group identity. The salience of sectarian identity and views towards self and other are neither fixed nor constant; rather, they are part of a continuously fluctuating dynamic that sees the relevance of sectarian identity advancing and receding according to context and to wider socioeconomic and political conditions. What drives the salience of sectarian identity? How are sectarian identities negotiated in relation to Iraqi national identity and what role do sectarian identities play in the social and political lives of Iraqi Sunnis and Shi'as? These are some of the questions explored in this book with a particular focus on the two most significant turning points in modern Iraqi sectarian relations: the uprisings of March 1991 and the fall of the Ba'ath in 2003. Haddad explores how sectarian identities are negotiated and seeks finally to put to rest the alarmist and reductionist accounts that seek either to portray all things Iraqi in sectarian terms or to reduce sectarian identity to irrelevance.