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As nations around the world struggle with the threat of militant Islam, Vali Nasr, one of the leading scholars on the Middle East, provides us with the rare opportunity to understand the political and theological antagonisms within Islam itself.
Author: Vali R. Nasr, Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
May 2007
As nations around the world struggle with the threat of militant Islam, Vali Nasr, one of the leading scholars on the Middle East, provides us with the rare opportunity to understand the political and theological antagonisms within Islam itself.
By Vali R. Nasr, Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studiesat the Council on Foreign Relations, and Professor at the Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
The Shi’a Revival was written, in part, for college level courses. It is particularly appropriate for the following types of courses:
General Courses on Middle Eastern History and Near Eastern Studies
The Shi’a Revival is an ideal text for general courses because it addresses key issues in comparative politics, Near Eastern Studies, and Middle Eastern History within historical and contemporary contexts. Understanding the interrelationship between sectarian identity and sectarian conflict is a complex regional and political issue. For the student of history and Near Eastern studies, The Shi’a Revival shows how divergent Sunni and Shi’a historical narratives and religious traditions have shaped the contemporary Middle East. For students of political science it asks how the United States should balance these considerations with its economic, geo-strategic, and political imperatives. In addition, The Shi’a Revival also raises significant questions about the interrelationship between religion and politics—including democratization, the rise of sectarianism in the post-Cold War era, and the role of Iran and religious identity in the global system.
Instructors desiring a brief introduction to this topic may wish to use Dr. Nasr’s article in the July/August 2006 issue of Foreign Affairs entitled, “When the Shiites Rise.”
Discussion Questions
The Shia Revival provides the basis for a class lecture examining the interrelationship among sectarian identity, sectarian conflict, and US Middle East policy.
1. What are the key factors that have shaped Sunni and Shia identity politics?
2. How has the 2003 Iraq War affected Shi’a politics?
3. How has the 2003 Iraq War affected regional politics?
Specialized Courses
In specialized courses, the students will possess a far greater understanding of the interplay between religion and politics or political Islam, enabling them to play a larger role in class discussions. In addition to the suggestions outlined above, teachers may use The Shi’a Revival in the following ways:
1. Debate
Choose a focused topic and choose small teams and conduct a normal debate with 3–4 minute opening arguments, 3–4 minute rebuttals, 5–7 minutes of questions from the floor (the rest of the class) and 3–4 minutes of closing arguments. The whole debate should last half an hour. Here are some ideas for possible resolutions to start the debate:
2. Op-eds
Assign your students to write an op-ed on some aspect of the Sunni-Shi’a conflict or the Shi’a revival. The standard to meet is importance of the topic, clarity in presenting a specific point of view, and brevity (650–750 words). Because the op-ed is short it requires different writing skills from a conventional term paper—the point must be made within the first or second paragraph, the writing style is usually more argumentative than in term papers, and the writing must be simple even as the ideas advanced are sophisticated. They will need help in focusing the argument—which is best done before writing—because most students choose arguments that are either too sprawling or esoteric for good op-eds. Circulate half a dozen examples of good op-eds to give students a template to emulate.
3. Mock National Security Meeting
Assign your students to write a memorandum to the President. The memorandum should give an overview of the geo-political situation in the Middle East, lay out the pros and cons of each option regarding U.S. policy toward Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, or another regional actor, and recommend a course of action. You can then have your students re-enact a cabinet meeting by assigning them different roles (including the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Adviser, the Director of Central Intelligence, the Secretary of State, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Secretary of Defense) and asking them to defend their positions based on the priorities and responsibilities of each position.
Academic Modules—featuring teaching notes by the authors of CFR publications—are designed to assist educators in creating or supplementing a course syllabus. The modules are customized packages built around a primary CFR text, such as a book or report, and include teaching notes; additional readings; video, audio, and transcripts of CFR meetings; Foreign Affairs articles; and other online resources. Use of these modules is free of charge. They may be used in part or in their entirety.
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