Understanding 'Sectarianism'

‘No one has written with more theoretical and practical insight on Muslim sectarianism than Fanar Haddad. In this volume, he brings together the best of his insights on a topic that remains poorly understood. An essential read for anyone who is serious about understanding “sectarianism” in the Arab world today.’ – Nader Hashemi, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies, University of Denver, and co-author of ‘Sectarianization’‘A clear-sighted and highly readable analysis of the shifting contexts and meanings of sectarian identification in the modern Arab world. Detailed and politically astute, this book makes a critical contribution to the literature on sectarian political identities.’ – Charles Tripp, Professor of Politics, SOAS University of London‘A timely book that debunks several myths about the persistent Sunni-Shi’a divide in the Arab world. Haddad inspires us to reconsider common wisdom and offers a theoretically nuanced interpretation of a phenomenon that has dominated analyses of Iraq and beyond in the last decades.’ – Madawi Al-Rasheed, Visiting Professor, Middle East Centre, LSE, and editor of ‘Salman’s Legacy’‘A brilliant exploration of sectarianism. Haddad’s unmatched combination of theoretical sophistication, historical perspective and political insight makes this one of the best books available on a critically important topic, and an essential read for understanding the real dynamics of religion, identity and political contention.’ – Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science, George Washington University‘A thought-provoking account of Sunni-Shi’a relations in the Arab world that critiques how the term “sectarianism” has often been used.’ – Toby Matthiesen, Senior Research Fellow in the International Relations of the Middle East, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford

Fanar Haddad is Senior Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore. He is the author of ‘Sectarianism in Iraq’, also published by Hurst.