De-securitizing through Diplomacy : De-sectarianization and the View from the Islamic Republic

Nasirzadeh, S. and Wastnidge, E. (2020) De-securitizing through Diplomacy : De-sectarianization and the View from the Islamic Republic. Review of Faith and International Affairs, 18 (1). pp. 23-33. ISSN 1557-0274

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Abstract

As a country often defined in terms of its sectarian identity, the Islamic Republic provides an interesting test case for the notion of de-sectarianization. Iran’s position as the pre-eminent Shi’a-majority power in the region has presented it with opportunities to draw on its historical confessional linkages, but it also singles it out as a unique case. Building upon the theoretical and conceptual frameworks provided by the sectarianization thesis, de-securitization, and insights from diplomatic studies, this paper presents empirical examples from Iran’s Eurasian and religious diplomacy that provide a potential starting point for desectarianization of the region’s fractious international politics.