Includes bibliographical references (pages 125-138).
Contents:
Identifying resilience and cross-sectarian cooperation / Jeffrey Martini, Dalia Dassa Kaye, Becca Wasser -- Transcending sectarian politics : the case of Beirut Madinati / Amanda Rizkallah -- Segregation and sectarianism : geography, economic distribution, and sectarian resilience in Bahrain / Justin Gengler -- Resilience and sectarianism in Syria : the role of foreign support / Kathleen Reedy -- Resilience to sectarianism in Baghdad and Dohuk / Ami Carpenter -- Lessons and policy recommendations for countering sectarianism / Jeffrey Martini, Dalia Dassa Kaye.
Summary:
Sectarianism has become a destructive feature of the modern Middle East. Whether it is driven by political elites as a regime-survival strategy, by major powers to build regional influence, or by religious leaders and believers who are unwilling to accept the equal status of other religious groups, sectarianism is likely to remain part of the regional landscape for years to come. This does not mean, however, that sectarianism defines all facets of the Middle East or that the violence that stems from sectarianism is irreversible. Middle Eastern communities are generally resilient to the worst sectarian impulses, and even communities that experience sectarian strife can recover from it. This report takes a multidisciplinary approach to explore resilience to sectarianism through four Middle Eastern case studies: Lebanon, Bahrain, Syria, and Iraq. No one factor is likely to be sufficient on its own, but the case studies suggest that formal and informal mechanisms for mediating the early onset of conflict, preexisting levels of trust between community leaders, activists with experience in building movements, strong border monitoring, and physical infrastructure that encourages sectarian mixing all help. Indeed, this research demonstrates that, at least at the local level, communities can resist the slide toward sectarianism.
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.