Sectarianism and Civil War in Syria

This study describes and explains sectarianization in Syria before and after the Arab uprising. As an epicentre of sectarian conflict, Syria provides an excellent laboratory for its study. This study compares variance in Syria’s sectarianism over time and across place on order to expose its causes and its varying impact on Syria’s society and polity. The introductory chapter examines key approaches to and debates over sectarianism in the Syrian uprising from which is derived a framework of analysis. Subsequent empirical chapters are divided into two sections. Several examine ley aspects of sectarianism at the national level, looking at the interaction of sectarianism and state formation over the long term; the impact of the regional power struggle on Syria’s sectarianization; and whether sectarianism was institutionalized by civil war governance in both regime- and opposition-controlled areas. A second set of chapters looks at sectarianism in Syria’s different cities, regions and communities, from Damascus, Homs, Hama, and Aleppo to Idlib, the Alawi coast, and the Druze and Christian communities. The concluding chapter uses the analytical framework to systematically compare the evidence from the empirical cases in order to identify regularities. This not only provides nuanced insights into the Syrian case but also informs broader theoretical discussions of sectarianism.