A fault-line runs from Lebanon on the
Mediterranean, down through Syria and Iraq, to Saudi Arabia, the Gulf and
beyond.
It divides Shia and Sunni Muslims, the two sides of Islam. It is the oldest division in the Middle East, but just like the schism in Christianity between Protestants and Catholics, it is as much about power and identity as religion.
Leaders have tried to use sectarianism as a tool to protect and strengthen their own legitimacy, just as European governments still sometimes use nationalism.
But the forces that are being unleashed in the Middle East are at best a blunt instrument, at worst beyond anyone's control. Read more
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