Integration or Isolation: Black Shi’ism in the American Diaspora

Liyakat Takim McMaster University, Ontario, Canada Keywords: double-minority, American Shi’is, Twelver Shi’ism, Black Shiʿi, Shi’i Islam In a country that claims to be founded on Judeo-Christian values, the experiences of minority groups such as Muslims are often relegated to the margins of discourses on religion.

Shi’i division over the Iraqi state: decentralization and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq

This article traces the evolving political platform of one of Iraq’s oldest and most powerful Shi’i political parties, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI). Drawing on an analysis of 15 years of primary materials produced by ISCI, it focuses principally on their promotion of decentralization as a path towards peace and stability in Iraq.

“Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and U.S. Policy” Updated June 26, 2020

Bahrain and the politics of COVID-19 – Responsible Statecraft

According to Johns Hopkins University, as of May 22, 2020, Bahrain has registered 8,000 positive cases of the coronavirus, with 12 deaths. The reported numbers are suspect, especially as Bahrain’s neighbors report much higher totals of positive cases- Saudi Arabia more than 67,000, Qatar over 40,000, the UAE over 26,000, and Kuwait more than 19,000.

Beyond structure and agency: Rethinking political identities in Iraq after 2003

This paper examines ethno‐symbolic and instrumental explanations of ethnic and sectarian identities placed within the constructivist turn in the study of political identity, both in the abstract and how they have been deployed to explain the increasing contemporary influence of ethnosectarian mobilisation in Iraq and the wider Middle East.

The Bektashi Shi’as of Michigan: Pluralism and Orthodoxy within Twelver Shi’ism

Project Associate Mohammad Sagha writes on the Bektashi Shi’a community based in Michigan, USA for the Visions Blog. He explores debates on orthodoxy and heterodoxy within Islam and the need to examine the diversity and pluralism within modern Shi’ism which is often overlooked in larger debates of Islam and the Muslim world.

Nine Years After Bahrain’s Uprising, Its Human Rights Crisis Has Only Worsened

It’s been nine years since Bahrain’s February 2011 uprising. Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in cities and towns across the country to protest the ruling Al Khalifa family’s tight grip on power, discrimination against the country’s majority Shia population, and arrests of political critics.

For the US Congressional Research Service report ‘Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and U.S. Policy’, updated Feb 20, 2020, click here.

Ma’rifa: A Shi’a Youth Conference

Shi`a students today find themselves dealing with a myriad of challenges. Between the struggles of navigating faith in America, creating spaces to cultivate spirituality, balancing several identities, as well as being a minority within the Muslim community, students need a meaningful forum to engage these issues.

Understanding Structural Anti-Shī’ism in Sunnī Diaspora Spaces

Anti-Shia rhetoric continues to dominate Sunni-majority Muslim diasporic spaces across the Western world in MSAs, mosques, relationships, and third spaces. This piece works to break down the beliefs, attitudes, political dynamics, and behaviors I have been able to understand in which structural Sunni normativity and anti-Shi’ism exists and thrives in Sunni Muslim spaces.

Pushing for Protection: Advocating for the Shia – Shia Rights Watch

Annual Report 2019 In this report, Shia Rights Watch quantifies violence against Shia Muslims and presents the dynamics of anti-Shiism in various nations of the world. This report reflects year-round investigations arranged by native activists and international researchers on actions taken to endanger populations based on their Shia identity.