The Reemergence of Sectarianism in the Middle East and What it Means for Europe

CONFERENCE 'Let's Talk About Sects. The Reemergence of Sectarianism in the Middle East and What it Means for Europe' 

Sectarian propaganda and its reflective violence has unleashed a tidal wave of challenges to the Middle East and, by extension, those areas - including Europe, including Finland - that are proximate. This seminar addresses this key ideological threat to peace and stability in the region, while reflecting on solutions to contain it. It will address the role of sectarianism not as an enduring, historical ideology in the Middle East but as a political tool in some states' foreign policies, that is fracturing the state-system in the Arab world while justifying the worst human rights violations and fuelling conflict within the Islamic communities of Europe.

The Panel

Con Coughlin, The Daily Telegraph Defence Editor and Chief Foreign Affairs Columnist

Iranian Ambitions in and Throughout the Middle East

Piercamillo Falasca, Editor of Strade Magazine

The Rise of Islamic Sectarianism in Europe

Mitchell Belfer, President of the Euro-Gulf Information Centre

Some Solutions to Sectarianism: The Arab Gulf Model

Khalifa Alfadhel, Assistant Professor, International Law, University of Bahrain

From Tahrir to Manama: Sectarianism and Intolerance as a Result of the Arab Spring