Project on Middle East Democracy

Project on Middle East Democracy
The POMED Wire Archives


Category: Sectarianism

POMED Notes: “After Mubarak: What do the Egyptian People Really Want?”

February 18th, 2011 by Kyle

On Wednesday, the Middle East Institute hosted an event focused on the public opinions of Egyptians in the wake of Mubarak’s fall from power, entitled, “After Mubarak: What do the Egyptian People Really Want?” The Middle East Institute hosted two speakers; Steven Kull, Middle East public opinion expert and director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, along with, Shibley Telhami, the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Saban Center of the Brookings Institution.

For full notes, click here for pdf. or continue below.

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Posted in Diplomacy, Egypt, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Mideast Peace Plan, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, Protests, Public Opinion, Reform, Sectarianism, US foreign policy | Comment »

Bahrain: Importing Sunnis To Suppress Shia Majority

February 17th, 2011 by Alec

Ian Black, writing for The Guardiannotes that the Bahraini government has been hiring non-native Sunni Muslims from Jordan, Yemen and Pakistan, while also importing tanks and troops from Saudi Arabia to grow its police and security forces.  Sixty-five percent of the Bahraini population is Shia while the ruling family and government elite are Sunni.  Black states that there has been a concerted effort, despite lack of official statistics, on the part of the government to import Sunnis to change the demographic balance in their own favor.  Bahrainis often complain about police officers of Pakistani origin who often do not speak Arabic. Black also notes that Iraqi Ba’athists have been streaming into the country since the U.S. led invasion in 2003 and points out that the Bahraini secret police, known as the Mukhabarat, is currently headed by a Jordanian.


Posted in Bahrain, Human Rights, Sectarianism | Comment »

Sudan: Clashes in South Sudan Kill Over 100

February 14th, 2011 by Alec

Rebels loyal to Lieutenant General George Athor, who split from the south Sudanese army last year, attacked a base in Jonglei state in south Sudan last week.  According to south Sudanese military spokesman Colonel Phillip Aguer, rebels also attacked two towns in Upper Nile state as well.  The total number of people killed in the violence is estimated to be 105 people, including 39 civilians.  This comes on the heels of violence last month in Upper Nile state that killed 54 people.  Alan Boswell, writing for Timestates that there have been other rebellions against the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) over the past year based along tribal lines of conflict.  Boswell warns that such tribal politics will probably dominate South Sudan’s new government and may lead to more violence.


Posted in Military, Sectarianism, Sudan | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Christian Minorities Under Attack - Iraq and Egypt”

January 23rd, 2011 by Alec

The House Committee on Foreign Affairs through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hosted a hearing on discrimination and violence against Christians in Egypt and Iraq.  Co-Chairman of the Commission Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) led the hearing with comments and appearances from Executive Members of the Commission Rep. Chris Smith of (R-NJ), Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), Rep. Trent Franks (AZ) as well as Rep. Rush D. Holt, Jr. (D-NJ).  Testifying before the Commission were Tamara Cofman-Wittes, deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs at the US State Department, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA),  Michele Dunne, senior associate in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Dina Guirguis, Keston Family Research Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), and Sister Rita (pseudonym), an Iraqi Catholic nun.

To read full notes continue below, or click here for pdf.  For full testimony, click here.

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Posted in Egypt, Event Notes, Iraq, Sectarianism, Terrorism | Comment »

Lebanon: Hariri Announces He Will Seek Premiership as Qatari-Turkish Negotiations Fail

January 20th, 2011 by Naureen

On Thursday, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced that he will seek the premiership again during Monday’s parliamentary consultations. Elias Muhanna argues that the selection of Lebanon’s next prime minister will depend on Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Druze community. In his statement, Hariri also called for calm as Lebanese special police forces tightened security around official buildings: “Any drop of blood that falls from any Lebanese citizen is more important to me than any post.” Hariri’s announcement comes after Qatar and Turkey suspended talks over the crisis stating, “The final decision lies with Lebanese groups.  A joint statement from the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani and the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that progress had been made in the form of a “working draft […] to resolve the current crisis in Lebanon based on the Syrian-Saudi initiative.”


Posted in Lebanon, Sectarianism | Comment »

Commentators Analyze Hariri/Hezbollah Strength after Walkout

January 14th, 2011 by Naureen

Writing for Foreign Policy, Elias Muhanna called Hezbollah’s walkout “uncharacteristically shortsighted” as it undermines Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s ability to make conciliatory gestures toward the group when the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) indictments are released. Emile Hokayem assessed that Hariri was unlikely to have emerged from the situation strongly regardless, as distancing himself from the tribunal would have caused ire among Sunnis in his government, whereas supporting the tribunal would have led to a continuation of the internal deadlock. However, Hokayem argued the walkout has left Hezbollah in a stronger position and advises Hariri to “bank on the missteps of the opposition,” especially given his popularity among Sunnis and Hezbollah’s opposition to the STL.  Nicholas Noe, writing at The Guardian’s Comment Is Free, argued that the situation was avoidable and points blame at past and present U.S. administrations who failed to construct an effective policy towards Lebanon and relations with Hezbollah.


Posted in Lebanon, Sectarianism | Comment »

Lebanon: Hariri Meets with World Leaders on Special Tribunal, Internal Deadlock

January 10th, 2011 by Naureen

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed support for the UN tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri after meeting with the current Prime Minister Saad Hariri.  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also reiterated his support for the independent tribunal and his hope that it “would help end impunity in Lebanon.”

Hariri also met with King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz of Saudi Arabia to discuss the Saudi-Syrian-brokered accord aimed at reducing political tension and maintaining stability in Lebanon. Saudi Arabia and Syria have been attempting to mediate the dispute between Hezbollah and Hariri’s government since July, with both sides accusing the other of stalling.


Posted in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, Syria | Comment »

Egypt: Sectarianism Caused by Lack of Equality and Political Space

January 7th, 2011 by Kyle

In a video released (Arabic) earlier this week by opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei, he blamed the Alexandria church bombing on “an education and religious atmosphere that fosters hatred.” He called for the creation of an environment where “everyone sees himself as Egyptian without consideration to his religious beliefs,” and have equal opportunities and freedom to establish places of worship.

In The New York Times, Michael Slackman writes about the growing awareness of religious strife in Egypt following the bombing and the likelihood that Hosni Mubarak will seek a sixth term, instead of passing the reins of power to his son in order to maintain the status quo. However, many commentators argue that the status quo of corruption, vote rigging, and discriminatory laws is the nation’s greatest problem. Gamal Assad, a Coptic Christian and member of Parliament, stated “This sectarian atmosphere is driving young people to retreat and lock themselves within the framework of the church. There is no room for political participation, which makes them susceptible to the conservative religious discourse. If there were real elections, if there was real representation, if there was any real participation by the people, then the political decisions could be more appropriate and address all these problems.”


Posted in Egypt, Elections, Sectarianism | Comment »

Iraq: Prospects for the New Government

January 6th, 2011 by Alec

In an article for The National Review, Jafar al-Rikabi writes that despite the months-long delay in forming a government, the prospect for an “independent, prosperous, democratic Iraq” remains high and that current skeptics too easily rush to judgment on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s ability to stabilize the country.  He notes the biggest obstacle to stability is pressure from Saudi Arabia and Turkey to form a Sunni-dominated government rather than forming a cross-sectarian list.  Ranj Alaaldin disagrees in a piece at The Guardian’s Comment is Free, stating that the new government, “is composed of unlikely political and ideological bedfellows and is the product of desperate power-seeking efforts among easily compromised domestic elements.”


Posted in Iraq, Sectarianism | Comment »

Egypt: Religious Leaders and Regional Actors Call for Unity

January 4th, 2011 by Kyle

In response to the bombing of Saints Church in Alexandria, Coptic Pope Shenouda III called for calm and legal equality, saying, ”We all believe in the rule of law and the importance of law and order. A state would collapse if the law was not implemented, but we want equality.” The head of Al-Azhar, Egypt’s leading Islamic university, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, announced the creation of “Family House,” a project to bring Christian and Muslim scholars together to address inter-faith issues in Egypt.  Lebanese political and religious leaders called on Muslims and Christians to stand together on common Arab values.  In Cairo, protests continued as commentators discussed who carried out the bombing and activists called for human shields of both Christians and Muslims to surround churches celebrating Coptic Christmas Eve on January 6th.


Posted in Egypt, Human Rights, Protests, Sectarianism | Comment »

Egypt: Coptic Church Bombed, Egyptians Protest

January 3rd, 2011 by Jason

A suicide bomber detonated a powerful explosive outside of the Al-Qiddissin church in Alexandria on New Year’s Day  killing 21 people. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in a televised address that the attack bore the mark of “foreign” hands, and called the bombing an attack on “all Egypt.” President Barak Obama also condemned the attack saying the perpetrators have “no respect for human life and dignity.” Egyptian Copts clashed with police the day after the bombing, with some in the Coptic community claiming that the government failed to provide adequate security for the worshipers. Protests continued yesterday as some Muslims joined the Coptic protests in Alexandria chanting “the Crescent will live next to the Cross.” Issandr El Amrani called the attack “yet another very worrying indication of rising sectarian tensions in Egypt,” and Hani Shukrallah assailed the government, security forces, and “the millions of supposedly moderate Muslims among us; those who’ve been growing more and more prejudiced, inclusive and narrow minded with every passing year,” for helping to fan the flames of sectarian discord in Egypt.


Posted in Egypt, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Protests, Sectarianism | Comment »

Iraq: New Government “Good Basis for Setting Out”

December 28th, 2010 by Jason

In a recent interview with the Council on Foreign Relations, Joost Hiltermann calls the new Iraqi government “a good basis for setting out,” while also expressing concern about the power-sharing agreement. Hiltermann says the newly established National Council for Strategic Policy has yet to be fully defined, and that it remains to be seen whether “Allawi feels that it satisfies his earlier demands for having a real check against Maliki’s power as prime minister.” Hiltermann goes on to address how Iraq’s various factions, including the Kurds and the Sadrists, are affected by the power-sharing deal, and says that the withdrawal of U.S. forces by the end of 2011 is “definitely on track.”


Posted in Elections, Iraq, Kurds, Oil, Political Parties, Sectarianism, US foreign policy | Comment »

Iraq: Government Finally Seated…Now What?

December 22nd, 2010 by Jason

With the Iraqi government finally in place, commentators and average Iraqis are beginning to take stock of the nine-month process and look toward the future. Liz Sly, writing in The Washington Post, profiles Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the claims that he may be “another Iraqi strongman in the making,” noting that his critics say he has an “authoritarian streak.” Sean Kane of the United States Institute of Peace argues at The Middle East Channel that “Iraq’s Parliament now offers the best hope for political change and progress towards the consolidation of Iraq’s fledgling democracy.” Kane goes on to say that the new found power of Speaker Osama Najafi of Iraqiyya and his First Deputy Qusayal-Suhail, a leading member of the Sadrist coalition, is “noteworthy and represents an opportunity,” for the parliament to exert itself more prominently into Iraqi politics.

Meanwhile, the BBC and The New York Times blog At War both provide perspectives from average Iraqis. One young man from Baghdad told the BBC that the new government “‘is like running a car with cooking oil.’” And a man in Najaf told At War “‘The same people who were against the government and attempting to weaken it by all means portrayed themselves as trouble solvers. […] Now they are part of it. Let’s see what they will bring to the people. I hope they are honest.’”


Posted in Iraq, Political Parties, Sectarianism | Comment »

Lebanon: Khamenei Dismisses STL, “Justice is More Important” Than Stability

December 21st, 2010 by Jason

Speaking during a meeting with the Qatari emir yesterday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) “‘a rubber-stamp one whose verdict is null and void whatever it is.’” The Daily Star reports that the statement from the leader of Iran was not well received by many in Lebanon. “Labor Minister Butros Harb criticized Khamenei’s remarks, saying that it was up to the Lebanese to decide, ‘and not for others to dictate to them how to deal with the tribunal.’” Also in The Daily Star, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir worries about a possible take over by Hizbullah: “The way Hizbullah is acting and their talk about becoming a significant force leads us to believe that if the party continues to pursue its plan it could seize power.” The patriarch also contradicted the recent assertion by Roger Cohen that stability “trumps” justice, saying “‘Justice is justice and if we sacrifice it once, we could sacrifice it many times. Stability is important but justice is more important and guarantees stability.’”


Posted in Hezbollah, Iran, Lebanon, Political Parties, Sectarianism | Comment »

Iraq: Government Formation Delayed, Sadrists Make Gains

December 20th, 2010 by Jason

After initial reports that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki would announce his cabinet today, speaker of the parliament Osama al-Nujaifi told reporters that the parliament would not meet to discuss cabinet appointments. There have also been reports that the prime minister would announce half of his cabinet posts today, with the rest to be announced later. Maliki has until December 25 to unveil his government which will then be subject to parliamentary approval. An editorial in Saturday’s The Wall Street Journal  warned that “the deal could fall apart,” while an editorial in today’s The Daily Star argues “if Iraq’s lawmakers cannot take into account the needs of their populace - irrespective of race or creed - regression will surely follow.”

Meanwhile, Jack Healy writes in The New York Times that the Sadrist Movement, led by Muqtada al-Sadr, is “tracing a path mapped out by militant groups like Hezbollah or Hamas, which built popular support by augmenting their armed wings with social and political groups that ran schools and hospitals and handed out jobs.” Healy also reports that the group is vying for the governorship of Maysan province.

Update: P.M. Maliki appeared with Speaker Nujaifi  at a press conference Monday evening in Baghdad to announce his list of cabinet officials according to the Associated Press. However, “nearly one-third of the nominees were only acting ministers, an attempt to buy time to work out disagreements with a key part of al-Maliki’s coalition — the hardline Shiite faction loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.”


Posted in Iraq, Islamist movements, Political Parties, Sectarianism | Comment »

Iraq: Allawi to Join Government

December 15th, 2010 by Jason

Steven Lee Myers reports that Ayad Allawi has agreed to join the government of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki. “Mr. Allawi did so grudgingly and with conditions, warning that an agreement brokered by the United States to form a broad power-sharing coalition government under Mr. Maliki’s leadership could still unravel.” Meanwhile, Reidar Visser excoriated the U.S. for over-stating the political progress in Iraq at recent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. “They do not even seem to notice that the Iraqi parliament has yet to address the legal framework for the supposed cornerstone of the power-sharing ‘deal’, the national council for high policies, without which the whole ‘agreement’ is basically a spin-doctor masquerade.”


Posted in Iraq, Political Parties, Sectarianism, US foreign policy, United Nations | Comment »

Lebanon: Stability “Trumps” Justice

December 13th, 2010 by Jason

Roger Cohen, writing in The New York Times, describes Lebanon as a “gravity-defying…country with two armies, a ‘unity’ government too divided to meet, a wild real estate boom and a time bomb called the ‘international tribunal.’” Attitudes in Lebanon about the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) have changed significantly since its inception. This change is embodied by Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Druze community: “A recent meeting between Jumblatt and Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, did not go smoothly. ‘He told me I’m a national leader and should back the tribunal,’ Jumblatt said. ‘I said, no, I prefer to be a tribal leader, I’m downgrading! And I asked what the use of tribunal justice is if it leads to slaughter? It’s better to drop justice for stability.’” Jumblatt’s notion of stability over justice is echoed by Cohen. “Lebanese stability is precious and tenuous: It trumps justice delayed, flawed and foreign.”



Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon, Political Parties, Sectarianism, US foreign policy | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Crisis in Lebanon: Sectarian Politics, Regional Dynamics, and the U.N. Special Tribunal”

December 8th, 2010 by Jason

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) held a panel discussion Wednesday titled “Crisis in Lebanon: Sectarian Politics, Regional Dynamics, and the U.N. Special Tribunal.” The speakers were Aram Nerguizian, a scholar with the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Randa Slim, an independent consultant and a board member of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue and the Project on Middle East Democracy, Andrew J. Tabler, a Next Generation Fellow in the Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, and Mona Yacoubian, head of the Lebanon Working Group at USIP and special adviser to USIP’s Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention.

 (To read full notes, continue below the fold or click here for pdf.)

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Posted in Civil Society, DC Event Notes, Hezbollah, Israel, Judiciary, Lebanon, Military, Political Parties, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, Syria, US foreign policy, United Nations | Comment »

POMED Notes: “The Realities of Power Sharing in the Next Iraqi Government”

December 7th, 2010 by Jason

The Middle East Institute (MEI) held an event on Tuesday titled “The Realities of Power Sharing in the Next Iraqi Government” with Reidar Visser. The event was held to mark the release of Visser’s new book, “A Responsible End?: The United States and the Iraqi Transition, 2005-2010.” Visser was introduced by Kate Seelye, the Vice President of Programs and Communications at MEI.

(To read full notes, continue below the fold or click here for pdf.)

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Posted in Civil Society, DC Event Notes, Elections, Iran, Iraq, Kurds, Political Parties, Sectarianism, US foreign policy | Comment »

Iraq: Inclusive Government May Lead to Gridlock

December 6th, 2010 by Jason

Kenneth M. Pollack, writing in The National Interest, argues that the new Iraqi government may be too inclusive: “The Iraqis went for an all-inclusive government because they could not sort out their political divisions. But forming one simply means bringing all of those differences inside the government, where they are likely to prevent it from actually governing.” Pollack goes on to say that “Iraq’s fragmented and immature political systems,” will be prone to gridlock due to the inability of the parliament to act as credible check on the power of the prime minister.

Reidar Visser, in an article supporting the idea that there are difficult times ahead, writes that a ruling by the Iraqi federal supreme court will give the newly elected speaker of the parliament, Usama al-Nujayfi of Iraqiyya, “preeminence” as the speaker, rather than an equal role within a “three-man presidency of the parliament” that has existed since 2006. However, Visser notes that it would be “prudent of them (Iraqiyya) to be aware that their logic of an orthodox reading of the constitution will probably apply with equal force to another institution that is much debated these days: the national council for strategic policies […] which is not even mentioned in the constitution precisely like the ‘[collective] presidency of the parliament’ which Iraqiyya complained about to the supreme court.”


Posted in Civil Society, Iraq, Judiciary, Political Parties, Sectarianism | Comment »