Shi i Sectarianism in the Middle East

The eruption of violent sectarianism in Iraq following the US invasion in 2003 brought the question of Sunni-Shi''i relations in the country to the forefront of the international public agenda. It also strengthened the popular belief that contemporary Shi''ism is inherently sectarian. Yet several decades earlier, Ayatollah Khomeini had declared an Islamic revolution and downplayed its Shi''i origi...