Shiites and Democracy (June/July 2007)
Shiites and Democracy
by Sreeram Chaulia
Sreeram Chaulia is a writer on global issues for the Hong Kong-based Asia Times. He has worked for international peace and humanitarian organisations in war zones and is currently purusing a PhD in Political Science at Syracuse University in New. York.
Shiite voter
...In recent years, the Middle East has witnessed a pervasive assertion of Shiite political power, much to the chagrin of the region's predominantly Sunni Muslim-dominated governments. While many experts agree that the Shiite revival is likely to herald momentous change, there is little consensus as to on what direction this change will take.
One school of thought, best articulated by Vali Nasr, views the Shiite revival as a ray of hope for jumpstarting political reform in the region. Nasr argues that Shiites have become "both an objective and a subjective democratic force" - that they have embraced democracy not only as "an episodically useful vehicle" for reversing centuries of subjugation at the hands of Sunni Muslims, but also "as an idea in itself."[1] Skeptics counter that Shiites have as many anti-democratic tendencies as Sunnis and that projections of Shiite-led democratization are wishful thinking given facts on the ground. There is some validity to both arguments, but close examination reveals a more complex picture....
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