ABOUT THE BOOK
fjrigjwwe9r0pp_Books:Description
Since the outbreak of the Arab unrest,
sectarian politics has become more pronounced throughout the West Asian region
which is reflected in the growing polarisation of society and politics on
narrow sectarian lines. Rulers have adopted sectarian approaches as a measure
to secure their regimes. Opposition forces have also united themselves on the basis
of their sectarian affiliations. This book focuses on three countries –
Bahrain, Yemen and Syria, where protests have taken place during the Arab
uprisings and who have witnessed widespread violence and political instability.
The role of two major regional powers such as Iran and Saudi Arabia has been
extremely critical in all these three countries. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia
have used sectarianism as a foreign policy tool to pursue their interests in
the region. They have been found to be involved in a `proxy war` in these
countries by the way of supporting either the regime or the opposition forces.
Similarly the involvement of the two extra-regional powers, the US and Russia,
especially in Syria has proven to be crucial for the security and geopolitics
of the region. Sectarian faultlines has been widening since the outbreak of the
unrest and has affected the political and security situation in West
Asia.
ABOUT Author
fjrigjwwe9r0pp_Books:aboutAuthor
Dr.
Prasanta Kumar Pradhan is an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Defence
Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi. He holds a doctorate degree from the
School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His
areas of research interests include politics, foreign policy, security and
strategic issues in West Asia; and India`s relationship with West Asia and the
wider Arab world. He is the author of the monograph India`s Relationship with
the Gulf Cooperation Council: Need to Look beyond Business, IDSA, 2014; and
edited Geopolitical Shifts in West Asia: Trends and Implications, Pentagon, New
Delhi, 2016. He has published articles in reputed journals and contributed
articles to several edited volumes on West Asia.