LANCASTER University is leading the way on a new project focused on problems with sectarianism in the Middle East.

Sectarianism, Proxies and De-sectarianisation (SEPAD) is a collaborative project based at the university’s Richardson Institute.

It aims to understand the conditions that give rise to sectarian violence and proxy conflicts along religious lines, with the goal of creating space for a ‘de-sectarianisation’ of socio-political life.

At a launch event in London, co-organised by the Foreign Policy Centre and funded by Carnegie Corporation, SEPAD fellows delivered presentations on the myriad forms in which sectarian difference emerges, along with analysis of how the rivalry between two major Gulf powers is shaping the Middle East.

Attendees discussed the impact of the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the contemporary Middle East with MPs and members of the House of Lords.

The event also explored the politicisation and sectarianisation of events in Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, analysing conditions that give rise to theological tensions and violence. Findings and policy recommendations from the event will be published in a report by Foreign Policy Centre.

Project director Dr Simon Mabon, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Lancaster University and Director of the Richardson Institute, said: “It is a great honour to be leading this project, and to be able to draw upon the expertise of some of the best scholars in their field.

“Amidst increasingly precarious conditions across the Middle East, understanding the dynamics that contribute to political violence that go beyond the age-old “ancient hatreds” thesis is incredibly important, and this is one of the fundamental goals of the project.”

SEPAD will continue to look at the spread of identities across Middle Eastern states – which are predominantly Arab and Sunni – and how Shi'a and Persian (Iranian) identities have often been used as a means of ensuring control and regime survival.

The trend has facilitated the rise of sectarian tensions, and the project will seeks to identify and document the conditions that give rise through proxy conflicts by analysing them through the lens of sectarianism.

Fellows include Lancaster University’s Professor James Sweeney, Dr Mark Garnett, senior politics lecturer, and Nicholas Coombs, a former British diplomat, now based in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion.

Dr Simon Mabon, Dr Rahaf Al Doughli and Dr Edward Wastnidge will present work from the project as a department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion seminar on Wednesday, November 21, starting at 4pm.