Sectarianisation of a multidimensional conflict: a reply to Durac

Abstract

This is a reply to Vincent Durac’s article ‘The limits of the sectarian narrative in Yemen’, which starts with a discussion of the proposition that conflict in the Middle East is driven by sectarian difference including the conflict in Yemen. However, Durac’s article shows that the conflict in Yemen is not inherently sectarian. This reply uses this as a starting point to argue that the conceptual, theoretical and empirical usefulness of sectarianism as an analytical category should be developed. This is exemplified in how the concept is applied to the conflict in Yemen. The reply argues that whereas the conflict on the surface has the characteristics of a sectarian conflict, a rigid focus on sectarian difference to explain the onset of conflict obfuscates as much as it enlightens. This underscores the need for research that combines deep understanding of local dynamics with an appreciation for larger trends in order to understand complex conflicts, such as the one in Yemen.