A "Sjoote Crescent"? The Regional Impact of the Iran War

In: Current history: a journal of contemporary world affairs, Band 105, Heft 687, S. 20-26

Abstract

Examines the regional impact of the rise of political Shiism following the defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime. Jordan, a Sunni monarchy, has been concerned about the shift of power to Shiite Muslims in Iraq &, possibly, in the region generally, since Shiites are opposed to rule by monarchy & to secularism. Saudi Arabia, a Wahhabi monarchy, is also concerned about the rise of Iraqi Shiites, especially because of the presence of severely repressed Shiites in Saudi Arabia. Other countries in the region -- Kuwait, Bahrain, & Syria -- are less affected by the rise of Shiites in Iraq. Like the Iranian Revolution, events in Iraq may lead to a shift from rule by secularlist Sunni Muslims by conservative Shiite Muslims who seek an Islamic state. C. Ong-Dean