"Rand Arroyo Center"--Title page. "Prepared for the United States Army"--Title page "This report documents research and analysis conducted as part of a project titled Implications of a Religious War in the Middle East for the U.S. Army sponsored by Headquarters, Department of the Army"--Page iii. Includes bibliographical references (pages 113-126).
Contents:
Introduction -- The history of sectarianism in the Middle East -- Sectarianism in Iraq -- Sectarianism in Syria -- Conclusion and policy implications.
Summary:
"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.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.