Shiite crescent
The term “Shiite crescent” summarizes those countries that have a Shiite majority or a high proportion of Shiites in their population. These include not only Iran and Iraq , but also Bahrain , Lebanon and Azerbaijan . The term Shiite crescent comes from the fact that these countries, if you connect them on the map, represent roughly the shape of a crescent.
In some cases, Yemen is also part of the Shiite crescent. Due to fluctuating figures, it is disputed how large the Shiite component in the population is. The CIA World Factbook gives a share of about 35% Shiites in the total population, Sunnis are said to make up about 65% of the population of Yemen.
Syria does not actually belong to the Shiite crescent due to the lack of a Shiite majority or strong minority. However, since the country is run by a small Shiite elite belonging to the Nusairians and has close ties to Iran, Syria is counted as part of the Shiite crescent - at least when looking at the region from a geostrategic perspective.
literature
- Ferhad Ibrahim : " Iran and the Arab World ( Memento of May 27, 2008 in the Internet Archive )", in: From Politics and Contemporary History , No. 9, Bonn 2004, pp. 39–47.
- Ulrich Ladurner : "Power poker in the Persian Gulf" in: Yearbook 2005 for the Brockhaus Encyclopedia , Mannheim 2005 ( Memento from October 10, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
- Vali Nasr: “ When the Shiites Rise ”, in: Foreign Affairs July / August 2006, pp. 58-74.
- Asher Susser: "Rise of the Shiite Crescent", in: Internationale Politik , No. 9, 61st year, (2006), pp. 68–74
- Michael Bröning: " The Myth of the Shiite Crescent ", in: Project Syndicate May 2008.
Web links
- Le Monde diplomatique : The Shiites and their struggle for God
- Deutsche Welle : Hezbollah caught in the Arab no-confidence trap
- Deutsche Welle : Middle East expert: Iran wants to build Shiite axis
- Süddeutsche Zeitung : The power of the Shiites
- Der Tagesspiegel : The Shiite Crescent
- Die Zeit : Regime under pressure - After the Iraq election, the neighboring Arab states fear the Shiites' increased self-confidence
- Ferhad Ibrahim : Iraniens et Arabes (French) An essay that describes the current situation and the relationship between Iran and the Arab states.