Dr Toby Matthiesen :The Gulf States and the Arab Uprisings: Counter-Revolution and Sectarianism
When faced with rising political challenges in early 2011, the Gulf states -- Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in particular -- mobilised sectarianism in order to suppress domestic calls for reform, a strategy that I analyze in my recent book Sectarian Gulf: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab Spring that Wasn't.Following on from the sectarian logic, and by a desire to weaken Iran and its allies, the Gulf states became the key backers of the opposition in the Syrian civil war. At the same time, however, they spearheaded counter-revolutionary efforts across the region, most prominently in Egypt. During this talk I will explore how the internal political dynamics of the Gulf states, and the growing demands for reform, determined the different reactions by Gulf governments both at home and abroad, a reaction that is shaping the regional fallouts from the Arab Uprisings.
An Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies seminar | |
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Date | 6 November 2013 |
Time | 17:15 to 19:00 |
Place | Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies Tea and Coffee in Common Room from 16:30, Lecture Start Lecture theatre 1 at 17:15 |
Event details
Location:
Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies