181. Fearing a 'Shiite Octopus'. Sunni – Shi'a relations and the implications for Belgium and Europe
- Author:
- Jelle Puelings
- Publication Date:
- 01-2010
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- During the last five years, and more specifically since the US invasion of Irak, different Sunni policy makers and religious actors have ventilated their concern for what they see as the rise of Shiite Islam. Although the condemnation of Shiism by more rigorous currents such as Wahhabism is hardly new, recently different governments in the Middle East have taken concrete measures against Shiite actors. The same 'Cold War scenario' the region witnessed immediately after the Iranian Revolution seems to appear again, making Arab Sunni voices reverberate up to Western policy makers, who start to worry themselves about the role of Iran and its allies. In this paper we will try to give an evaluation of this alleged shift in the Sunni-Shi`a power balance, and point out the possible consequences for Belgium and the EU emanating from this controversy.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Islam, Bilateral Relations, and Sectarianism
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Middle East, Arabia, and Belgium