The instrumentalization of sectarian identities in Iraq and Lebanon in the context of the New Middle East Cold War

The emergence of the new Cold War in the Middle East has significantly altered the socio-political landscape of the region and reignited the debate on sectarianism and sectarian identities. The dissertation’s aim is to demonstrate how the power struggle between Tehran and Riyadh has exploited existing domestic sectarian struggles in Iraq and Lebanon in their rivalry, exacerbating the instability of both countries. Through the presentation of the current theoretical debate regarding sectarianism and sectarian identities, a LEGO approach is employed. This approach implies a strategy based on a combination of different theories to build a more comprehensive explanation of the emergence of sectarian conflicts and it will be applied first to each domestic context, attempting not to fall into the trap of Orientalism, and then to the external actors’ strategy for the subsequent instrumentalization of sectarian identities.