The Shia Revival by Vali Nasr

The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future by Vali Nasr (2006) argues that the Sunni-Shia divide, rather than a monolithic "Islam vs. the West" framing, is the central fault line shaping Middle Eastern politics. Nasr traces the historical roots of the schism back to the succession dispute after Prophet Muhammad's death, then shows how centuries of Shia marginalization under Sunni-dominated empires and states created a persistent minority consciousness centered on martyrdom, suffering, and resistance. He contends that the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, by toppling Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated Baathist regime, inadvertently empowered Iraq's Shia majority and triggered a broader "Shia revival" across the region — emboldening Shia populations in Lebanon, Bahrain, and the Gulf, and strengthening Iran's regional influence as the leading Shia power. Nasr warns that this shift intensified sectarian competition with Sunni states (particularly Saudi Arabia) for religious and geopolitical dominance, reshaping alliances, fueling proxy conflicts, and setting the stage for much of the instability seen in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen in subsequent years. The book is often cited as an early and influential account of sectarianism as a driver of Middle Eastern geopolitics, offering a useful analytical lens for understanding contemporary regional rivalries beyond conventional state-centric or great-power frameworks.

Found on Devadex — the discovery index for independent software the big search engines bury. More from gumroad.

Report this listing