Sectarianism in the Middle East

On April 29th, 2015, as part of the Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions Series at the Mid North Shepherd Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, I was asked to speak on the issue of Sectarianism in the Middle East. In this talk, I argue that issues of sectarianism, as often labelled as such, are often actually non-sectarian in original nature, that a variety of other factors (economic and political) are the primary reasons why these tensions exist between various actors. I discuss the politics in countries such as Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other countries. This is important, especially since many are often quick to argue that very complicated conflicts can be reduced to religious differences. It is necessary to unpack complex conflict situations, and when one does so, it is evident that religion may be just one of many factors that have led to the current situations that exist in different Middle East states today.

I have embedded the video below.

I hope that this video will be useful for those looking to better understand international relations, and particularly issues and conflicts related to Middle Eastern politics today.