Abstract:

Sunni-Shiite divide has become one of the most important factors for politics in the Middle Eastern region after the 2011 Syrian crisis. The sectarian dimension of the crisis has come into prominence from time to time in the conflicts in Syria, especially when sectarian groups perceive each other as existential threats. However, this transformation has yet to emerge as a result of the historical roots of sectarianism, but of the leader and political elites using sectarian identities as a tool to ensure the security of power. This article discusses how and by whom sectarian instrumentalization has been applied in the Syrian crisis and how this policy affected the conflicts. In this article, it is argued that the complex sectarian dimension of the Syrian crisis cannot be explained by the primordialism approach. In this context, the Instrumentalism approach has been used to discuss the argument that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and his administration instrumentalized the sectarian identity to preserve his authority. For this reason, the actions, discourses and policies of the government have been analyzed to explain how sectarianism was instrumentalized in the Syrian crisis. In the Syrian crisis, the policy of instrumentalizing sectarianism has played an important role in Assad’s ability to turn the conflict in his favor and preserve his existence. On the other hand, it should be noticed that this policy has many negative consequences and brings along a dangerous process. The policy of instrumentalizing sectarianism has led to problems that will affect generations, such as the division of society according to identity lines, the disappearance of tolerance between sectarian groups, and the emergence of identity-based hostilities in the Middle East region. This shows that although the instrumentalization of sectarianism is a policy that provides advantages in the short term, it will create major problems in the long run.

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