Nasr: Sectarianism Could “Put an End” to the Arab Spring

Writing in the New York Times, Vali Nasr argues that sectarianism, a trademark of the Middle East, could exacerbate the conflict in Syria and spread throughout the region. The tensions between Sunnis and Shiites could impede democratic transitions and force the U.S. to reexamine its response to the Arab uprisings. Nasr notes, ”There are no recent examples of extended power-sharing or peaceful transitions to democracy in the Arab world.” Instead, with the fall of authoritarian regimes, “budding democracies are more than likely to be greeted by violence and paralysis.”

The author recommends that the U.S. work closely with regional allies to diffuse sectarian tensions, specifically in Bahrain and Lebanon, since “the specter of protracted bloody clashes, assassinations and bombings, sectarian cleansing and refugee crises from Beirut to Manama, causing instability and feeding regional rivalry, could put an end to the hopeful Arab Spring.”