Özet:

The originally political dispute between Iran and Saudi Arabia covered by religious / sectarian explanations re-appeared in the early 1980s after the Iranian Revolution and deepened following the post-2003 US invasion of Iraq. Along with geopolitical ambitions and political-militarily impetus, that dispute also has a strong historical and cultural background. Twelver Shiite (Imamiyyah) School deepened its institutionalism process and experienced a harsh competition for influence with another strong tradition, Hanbali School, in Baghdad which was under the direct political control of Iranian origin Buvayhids. Subsequently, the rise and expansion of another Iranian dynasty, the Safavids, in the region and the ascent of the Wahhabis in Najd added a new dimension to existing political and cultural dispute. Contemporary sectarian violence across the Middle East, in addition to early disagreements and clashes during the rise of Islam and Umayyad era, originates in the regional power politics before the Crusades in the early XIth century and also in the political rivalry between the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. This historical framework further extends current political rivalry based on regional hegemony competition between Tehran and Riyadh. The article aims at reviewing the political and cultural disputes of the periods mentioned above in order to get a better understanding of the fundamental dynamics of current political and sectarian disagreements.              

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