Workshop on sectarianism in a new Middle East

The over-all aim of the workshop is to examine (inter)disciplinary perspectives on sectarianism in a new Middle East. Thus, the SWAR project rests on the claim that it is necessary to integrate insights from various disciplines (the team consists of people from political science, anthropology and religious studies) but acknowledges at the same time that interdisciplinarity is associated not only with promises but also pitfalls.

Against this background, the workshop will explore:

i) how sectarianism as such, and Shia/Sunni divisions in a new Middle East more specifically are perceived and approached from different disciplinary perspectives,

ii) compare strengths and weaknesses of the various perspectives and their associated analytical tools and

iii) discuss whether and how insights from these perspectives can be integrated.

Presenters:

• Bassel F. Salloukh, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon;
• Toby Matthiesen, Oxford University, Oxford, UK;
• Rainer Brunner, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS, Paris, France;  
• Michael Kerr, Kings College, London, UK
• Raymond Hinnebusch, University of St. Andrews, UK
• Thomas Brandt Fibiger, Anthropology, Aarhus University, Denmark
• Martin Thomas Riexinger, Religious Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark
• Morten Valbjørn, Political Science, Aarhus University, Denmark.

Members of the department with an interest in the topic are welcome to take part, but please let Morten Valbjørn know by mail (mortenv@ps.au.dk) Wednesday 12.00 at the latest.