The current Middle East is a complex region with volatile borders and marked by political instability, inter- as well as infra-state military crises, sectarian polarisation and fragmentation. The outbreak of civil war in Syria have exacerbated those multiple internal fractures, which however reflect deeper and systemic shatterbelts. These geopolitical fault lines encompass polarized religious identities (Sunni, Shi’a, Islamic minorities, Christian minorities), geostrategic rivalry among regional players (I.R. of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey), the failure of the so-called “political islam” and the rise of Salafism and salafi-jihadism. The lack of an external security provider is further exasperating the risk of disintegration of the old political architecture. Within this depressing frame, the only long-term suitable answer is a new effort by the international community to take into account all regional and international actors’ interests and perception of insecurity, offering at the same time real protection to all the ethno-cultural minorities of the region.
Riccardo Redaelli
Director of the Master in Middle Eastern Studies (MIMES), Catholic University of the S: Heart, Milano, Italy