“The Shia Crescent” as A Geopolitical Phenomenon: An Imaginary or Real Threat?

Abstract

The article concerns the geopolitical concept of the “Shia Crescent”, a term that has become widely spread in Western and Arab political discourse over the last decade. The article studies the problems of Sunni-Shii relations through one of the programs of “Al-Jazeera”, a leading Arab satellite channel; the conducted analysis proves that regional media are constructing a negative image of the Shiis in public opinion. Although mutual antipathy between Sunnis and Shiis has a centuries-long history, latest developments have created new impulses for this antagonism.