News > November 1, 2007

By Author highlights conflict in Middle East | Chantel O'Neal

The university welcomed Vali Nasr, one of the world’s leading experts on the Islamic world and politics, as he spoke about one of the most important struggles facing the Muslim world.

Vali Nasr talks about the modern conflict between the Shiites and the Sunnis in the Middle East. (Alex Hummel/Old Gold & Black)

Nasr’s lecture, held at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in Wait Chapel, was based on his latest book The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future.

The division between the Shiites and the Sunnis, two religious sects, may seem insignificant, but has proven to be a central theme in the Middle East. This has become a defining factor for the future of Iraq, and in many ways for the region as well. “What began in Iraq has become much larger than Iraq,” Nasr said. “The sectarianism and conflict is not confined to within the borders of one country; it has rapidly spread through the Muslim world, and is continuing to do so.”

Nasr believes that the debate is less about religion or doctrinal differences and more about the desire for recognition and power in Iraq. The dispute between the Shiites and the Sunnis is 1,400 years old; however, the United States expedited it and enabled a major power shift in the country of Iraq by removing Saddam Hussein. The once Sunni-led dictatorship was replaced with an elected government, and the Shia majority has realized it is no longer restrained. This is what Nasr refers to as the “Shia Revival.”

The Shia-Sunni conflict is both old and new. Its origins can be traced back through history, but it is currently interacting with and affecting other issues in the region. “It’s the point at which the oldest conflict in the Middle East, the Arab-Israeli conflict, converged with the newest conflict in the Middle East, which is the sectarian conflict in Iraq,” Nasr said.

By comparing it to the divide between Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians, Nasr was able to better explain the ongoing dispute between the Shiites and the Sunnis. Like Catholics and Protestants, the Shiites and Sunnis agree on the majority of their beliefs, but they disagree on how to approach them. The two also share a similar “history of competition, conflict and rivalry,” according to Nasr.

With conflicts escalating, understanding Islam’s role in politics is becoming more and more important. Nasr was able to help with that understanding by making the public more aware and concerned with one of our country’s greatest challenges. By explaining the history of the problem, as well as the present conditions, Nasr provided a necessary framework.

“I came because I don’t really feel like I know that much about it, and it is becoming a really important issue in the world,” sophomore Kelly Laffey said. “I’m actually taking the Iraqi-Israeli course here, and I just think the whole thing is very interesting. I didn’t know much about what was going on until listening to him speak tonight.”

Nasr’s lecture was the first of what is hoped to be a series of religious speakers and symposiums. The lecture was sponsored by the department of religion. However, the lecture series on religion and politics will be organized and planned by an interdisciplinary group of professors and leaders from various departments.

“Vali Nasr is one of the leading experts in the US on Shi’i politics and a fantastic speaker,” said Michelle Browers, assistant professor of political science and one of the event organizers. “He was our first choice among the list of experts we considered, and I think we are very fortunate to have him at our university.”