Description

While the problem of sectarianism has been the subject of considerable scholarship, less attention has been paid to the contestation of sectarian identities, or a process the organizers of this project term “desectarianization.” In the Middle East, the manipulation of sectarian identities has often been used, with devastating impact on society, to ensure regime survival. Since the 2011 uprisings, however, groups across the region have sought to contest the dominance of sectarian religious identities. This project examines the role of human rights groups, LGBTQ movements, environmentalists, nationalists, students, socialists, and labor movements in such contestations, focusing on Bahrain, Iraq and Lebanon. The project will be based in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Lancaster University’s Richardson Institute, the oldest peace and conflict research center in the UK. It builds on a project that began in 2018 with support from the Carnegie Corporation: “Sectarianism, Proxies and Desectarianization” (SEPAD), which culminated in a special issue of Faith and International Affairs; events in the British Parliament and Chatham House; a new book series at Manchester University Press; and a podcast series. Support from HRLI will allow SEPAD to examine the contestation of sectarian identities in the three focus countries, using interviews, public opinion surveys, and electoral data. With Luce funds, SEPAD will hire a post-doctoral researcher to contribute a sociological/anthropological perspective, enriching the current framework that is more grounded in political science. Fieldwork will be undertaken in case study countries where possible. An additional goal is to facilitate a network of scholars and practitioners, including emerging voices from the region. To that end, young local scholars will be invited to contribute to SEPAD’s blog, Hadra, and to participate in a series of online workshops. Among the anticipated outcomes are an edited volume, journal articles, policy papers and podcasts, as well as workshops in London, Washington, DC, and Beirut. Simon Mabon, professor of international politics at Lancaster University, and Ibrahim Halawi, a teaching fellow in international relations at Royal Holloway, University of London, will serve as co-PIs, supported by a team of co-investigators.
 
Recommendation: That the Directors of the Henry Luce Foundation approve a one-year grant of $110,000 to Lancaster University for the project, “The End of Sectarianism? Desectarianization in the Contemporary Middle East.”