By Sami Hadaya

freelance researcher and translator

Abstract

Ten years after the onset of the uprisings that swept many of the Arab countries very little change has been achieved.

The reasons for that cannot be explained away with one or even several factors. However, sectarian polarizations definitely contributed in fragmenting national identities. On the other hand, the imaginary forms of enmities and comraderies created under the rationale of sectarianism have solidified the legitimacy of authoritarian regimes who claim to be the only viable protectors of national cohesion.

This new paper is therefore an attempt to lay out what the process of sectarianization looks like in Syria by delineating the different factors and structures that played vital roles in the sectarianization of the conflict. The paper aims to demonstrate how the rhetoric and practices of the Assad regime, GCC states, Turkey and Iran contributed to the articulation and reification of ethno-sectarian rationalities and polarisations, albeit for their own political benefits, while refraining from disregarding individual agencies where they exist.