Middle East conflict: Confessional factor

K.M. Truevtsev

Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 107031 Russia

E-mail: hrrc@mail.ru

Received November 9, 2017

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Abstract

The current regional conflict in the Middle East has been analyzed. In particular, the role of the confessional factor in the structure and in the process of development of the conflict has been studied. The fact has been stressed that the slogan of transition power from the Alawite minority to the Sunni majority in Syria converted into a trap of domination of terrorist groups, such as Nusra and Daesh, in the area. The situation turned to be a tragic reality, in which Sunnis, beside Christians, happened to fall in the ranks of the most depressed confessional groups. Syria is the very center of the regional conflict, but Iraq, Yemen, and, partly, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are also affected.

The interference of regional and global powers, despite all contradictions, enabled a way to dismiss the role of the terrorist organizations in the area and to diminish them completely. However, many problems and dangers will still remain, even in the case of final defeat of Daesh and Nusra. Among them, direct confrontation between two regional states (Iran and Saudi Arabia) can occur.

Keywords: regional conflict, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Yemen, Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra

References

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For citation: Truevtsev K.M. Middle East conflict: Confessional factor. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2017, vol. 159, no. 6, pp. 1556–1565. (In Russian)

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