Journal of Peace Research Book Review of 'The Shia Revival: How Conflict Within Islam Will Shape the Future' by V. Nasr

[Review: Nasr, Vali, 2007. The Shia Revival: How Conflict Within Islam Will Shape the Future.] The recent reality shift in the Middle East exposes the prevalent sectarian politics shaping the future of the region and its prospects for democracy and peace. The geopolitics and the provocative factors of power hindering the co-existence of the Shia and the Sunni find their roots in historical grievances and in the re-enactment of struggles for power. Nasr articulates that competing theologies and the crystallization of tribal and ethnic identities are the factors that fuel violence and magnify differences in the Middle East. The ideologies of identity politics, power, and narratives of struggle contours the geopolitical realities within which the Shia and the Sunni co-exist.