TOI: Bringing in the Other Islamists

Comparing Arab Shia and Sunni Islamism(s) in a sectarianized Middle East

Islamism has remained predominantly Sunni-centric. This project brings ‘the Other Islamists’ – Shia Islamists – into the debate on Islamism in the Arab Middle East. It will use a cross-disciplinary theoretical approach which takes religion seriously without essentialising it, to explore whether, and if so, how and why, Shia Islamism(s) differ from their Sunni counterparts. The project will focus on three research puzzles drawn from the Islamism and sectarianization debates:

1) To what extent are Islamist movements shaped by their context, to what extent by their religious identity/ideology/institutions;

2) To what extent and how does the importance of sect-coded identities for Islamist movements change over time and how has this affected/been affected by the process of sectarianization;

3) What role does sectarian othering play in intra-sect competition within the current sectarianized milieu.

These questions are examined through three WPs made up of comparative and within-case-studies of key Islamist movements in Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Bahrain. The studies will be carried out by a team of internationally leading experts.

News

New article by Jeroen Gunning and Dima Smaria on "Theorising from Beirut’s Southern Suburbs: Spatialised Capital and Habitus in ‘Nested Everyday Security Fields’" in The International Spectator
New article by Morten Valbjørn and Jeroen Gunning on “The more, the merrier”: Three ways of case universe extension – reflections on bringing Shia into Islamism Studies”, in International Studies Review
New article by Courtney Freer and Morten Valbjørn co-authored with Hamad Albloshi "Beyond the usual suspects - Bringing in Kuwait’s Shiʿi Islamists" in Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 61, no. 5, pp. 736-753.
Review essay by Raphael Lefevre on "Armed Groups in the Middle East and Conflict Research" in Perspectives on Politics.
New special forum edited by Jeroen Gunning and Morten Valbjørn on "Grasping Arab Islamist Responses to the War on Gaza" in Mediterranean Politics.
New article by Benedict Robin-D’Cruz "Social Crisis and Islamist Transformation: Iraq’s Sadrism Through Bourdieu’s Homology" in Sociology of Religion.
New article by Younes Saramifar on "Warscapes and Reticulating Inhumanities: Ethnographic Lessons from Shia Militancy" in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.
New article by Morten Valbjørn, Jeroen Gunning and Raphael Lefevre “When Transnationalism is not Global: Dynamics of Armed Transnational Shi’a Islamist Groups”, in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism
New article by Marc Lynch, Jeroen Gunning and Morten Valbjørn on “Changing Warscapes, Changing Islamists?” in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism
New article by Courtney Freer and Naeman Mahmood“An Islamist Disadvantage? Revisitng Electoral Outcomes for Islamists in the Middle East” in Middle Eastern Studies.

Publications

Lefèvre, Raphaël, Jeroen Gunning & Morten Valbjørn (forthcoming). "The Shia Factor: Intra-Islamist Dynamics and the Growth of Armed Islamism". International Political Science Review
Lefevre, Raphael (forthcoming). "Shia Foreign Fighters, State Support and Ideology", Security Studies,
Valbjørn, Morten, (forthcoming). "Beyond academic sectarianism and toward an upgraded instrumentalism", Middle East Law and Governance,
Haddad, Fanar (2025). "Competitive Impunity: The Contestation of Symbolism in Baghdadi Public Space". Middle East Critique, first view.
Robin-D’Cruz, Benedict (2025). "Iraq’s Rhizomatic State and the Politics of Impunity". Middle East Critique, first view.
Smaira, Dima & Jeroen Gunning "Theorising from Beirut’s Southern Suburbs: Spatialised Capital and Habitus in ‘Nested Everyday Security Fields’". The International Spectator, first view.
Lefevre, Raphael (forthcoming). "Armed Groups in the Middle East and Conflict Research", Perspectives on Politics, first view.
Albloshi, Hamad H., Courtney Freer & Morten Valbjørn (2025). "Beyond the usual suspects - Bringing in Kuwait’s Shiʿi Islamists". Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 61, no. 5, pp. 736-753.
Valbjørn, Morten & Jeroen Gunning (2025). “The more, the merrier”: Three ways of case universe extension – reflections on bringing Shia into Islamism Studies”, International Studies Review, vol. 27, no. 1.
Gunning, Jeroen & Morten Valbjørn (2025). "Grasping Arab Islamist Responses to the War on Gaza". Mediterranean Politics, vol. 30, no. 2.
Hinnebusch, Raymond & Morten Valbjørn (2025). "Theorizing Sectarianism in Syria", pp. 3-39 in Raymond Hinnebusch & Morten Valbjørn (eds.) Sectarianism and Civil War in Syria. London: Routledge.
Hinnebusch, Raymond & Morten Valbjørn (2025). "Conclusion: exposing patterns of sectarianization in Syria", pp. 367-388 in Raymond Hinnebusch & Morten Valbjørn (eds.) Sectarianism and Civil War in Syria. London: Routledge.
Robin-D’Cruz, Benedict (2024). "Social Crisis and Islamist Transformation: Iraq’s Sadrism Through Bourdieu’s Homology". Sociology of Religion, first-view
Valbjørn, Morten, Gunning Jeroen and Raphael Lefevre (2024). “When Transnationalism is not Global: Dynamics of Armed Transnational Shi’a Islamist Groups”, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, first-view.
Saramifar, Younes "Warscapes and Reticulating Inhumanities: Ethnographic Lessons from Shia Militancy". Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, first-view
Lynch, Marc, Jeroen Gunning & Morten Valbjørn (2024). “Changing Warscapes, Changing Islamists?”, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, first-view.
Freer, Courtney and Naeman Mahmood (2024) “An Islamist Disadvantage? Revisiting Electoral Outcomes for Islamists in the Middle East,” Middle Eastern Studies, vol 61. no 1,1, pp. 148–160.
Valbjørn, Morten, André Bank & May Darwich (2024). “Forward to the Past? Regional Repercussions of the 2023-24 Gaza War”, Middle East Policy, vol 31, no. 3.
Saramifar, Younes (2024). "Collective (Non-)Memory of the Iran-Iraq War and Sectarian Thinking among Veterans-Turned-Shi'i Militia Fighters". The Middle East Journal, vol. 77, no. 3-4, pp. 290-305
Freer, Courtney (2024). "Cracking Down on Opponents: How Sectarianism Serves Status Quo in Bahrain". ISPI Commentary. July 8.
Haddad, Fanar (2024). Explaining de-sectarianization - Instrumental design or organic atrophy, Babylon - Nordic Journal for Middle East Studies,vol 23. no 2.
Freer, Courtney (2024). "Culture, Politics, and Citizenship in Kuwait" in Zweiri, Mahjoob & Sinem Cengiz (eds.) The Making of Contemporary Kuwait, London: Routledge
Robin-D’Cruz, Ben (2024). "Deleuze and Guattari on Protest Weakness in Iraq" Third World Quarterly, first-view
Matthiesen, Toby (2024). "How Gaza Reunited the Middle East". Foreign Affairs. February 9.
Freer, Courtney (2024). The Resilience of Parliamentary Politics in Kuwait, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wastnidge, Edward et al. (2023). "Social Relations After COVID-19: IRAQ". SEPAD-TOI Surveys.
Wastnidge, Edward et al. (2023). "Social Relations After COVID-19: LEBANON". SEPAD-TOI Surveys.
Smaira, D., & Gunning, J. (2023). “Navigating Dahiyeh, negotiating everyday peace: Mediation practices across Beirut’s Southern Suburbs”. Peacebuilding, 1–20.
Haddad, Fanar (2023) "Shia Rule Is a Reality in Iraq. “Shia Politics” Needs a New Definition", pp. 13-36 in Cambanis, Thanassis & Sajad Jiyad (eds.). Shia Power Comes of Age: The Transformation of Islamist Politics in Iraq, 2003–2023, Washington: Century Foundation Press.
Robin-D’Cruz, Ben (2023) "The Sadrist Electoral Machine in Basra" in Cambanis, Thanassis & Sajad Jiyad (eds.). Shia Power Comes of Age: The Transformation of Islamist Politics in Iraq, 2003–2023, Washington: Century Foundation Press.
Nauntofte, Jens & Morten Valbjørn (2023). "Mellemøsten", in Morten Winther Bülow & Tonny Brems Knudsen (eds.) International PolitikNU - magtbalance, værdier og samarbejde. 4. ed. Aarhus: Systime.
Ketchley, N., Eibl, F., & Gunning, J. (2023). Anti-austerity riots in late developing states: Evidence from the 1977 Egyptian Bread Intifada. Journal of Peace Research.
Sheikh, Mona, Morten Valbjørn, Dino Krause (2023). “What is Exceptional about Religion – Major Debates in International Relations, Islamism Studies and Peace and Conflict Research” in Jeff Haynes Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics, (3^rd ed.). London: Routledge.
Freer, Courtney (2023). "Sunni Islamist Reactions to the Iranian Revolution: The Case of Kuwait". Gulf International Forum. August 14.
Gunning, J., & Smaira, D. (2023). “Theorising ‘nested security fields’ from Beirut’s Southern Suburbs”. In J. Bordón (Ed.), Spatialising Securitisation in the Middle East (pp. 35–43). SEPAD, Lancaster University.
Valbjørn, Morten (2023). "Approaching Sectarian Identity Politics and Middle East International Relations in the First Post-Arab Uprisings Decade − A Stocktaking". IEMed - Aula Mediterranea, vol. 140
Freer, Courtney (2023). "Islamist Adaptation and Change in the Arab World", in Frederic Wehrey (ed.) Disruptions and Dynamism in the Arab World. Washington DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Valbjørn, Morten (2023). ”Review: ‘The Muslim Brotherhood: Ideology, History, Descendants’ by Joas Wagemakers”. Middle East Journal, 77(1).
Freer, Courtney (2023). "Kuwait Parliamentary Elections: Rethinking the Meaning of “Opposition”". Gulf International Forum, June 5
Haddad, Fanar (2023). "Perpetual Protest and the Failure of the post-2003 Iraqi State". Middle East Report Online. March 22.
Matthiesen, Toby (2023). The Caliph and the Imam: The Making of Sunnism and Shiism, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Matthiesen, Toby (2023). "Whither Sunni-Shia Relations?". Project Syndicate. March 7.
Valbjørn, Morten (2023) Saudi-Arabien og reformatorerne Ronaldo og Rodriguez, POV.International, February 9 2023,
Haddad, Fanar (2022) “Turbulent Times for the ‘New Iraq’” Current History (2022) vol 121 issue 839.
Lefevre, Raphael, (2022) “Groups like the Taliban have seized power elsewhere. Will the Taliban face similar difficulties governing?”, Washington Post - The Monkey Cage, August 25, 2021
Freer, Courtney & Morten Valbjørn (2022). "Islamist Divisions in Kuwait's Elections". Sada - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. November 22. (in Arabic).
Haddad, Fanar. (2022). "Shia Rule Is a Reality in Iraq. “Shia Politics” Needs a New Definition". The Century Foundation: Faith and Fracture. No.: October 27.
Mansour, Renad & Benedict Robin-D’Cruz. (2022). "The Sadrist movement in Iraq: Between protest and power politics". Chatham House: Middle East and North Africa Programme. No.: October 2022.
Robin-D’Cruz, Benedict. (2022). "The Sadrist Electoral Machine in Basra". The Century Foundation: Faith and Fracture. No.: October 11.
Young, Michael & Benedict Robin-D’Cruz (2022). "Staying on Top". Diwan: Carnegie Middle East Center. October 3.
Robin-D’Cruz, Benedict (2022). "Muqtada al-Sadr and the Struggle for Religious Authority". Carnegie Middle East Center. September 14.
Gunning, Jeroen & Dima Smaira (2022). "Who you gonna call? Theorising everyday security practices in urban spaces with multiple security actors – The case of Beirut's Southern Suburbs". Political Geography, vol. 98, no. October.
Haddad, Fanar (2022). "Muqtada al-Sadr is like Michael Corleone — that’s no compliment". al-Jazeera English, September 6.
Mansour, Renad & Benedict Robin-D’Cruz (2022). "Understanding Iraq’s Muqtada al-Sadr: Inside Baghdad’s Sadr City". Chatham House. August 8.
Freer, Courtney (2022). "Kedourie, nationalism, Islamism, and the umma". Middle Eastern Studies, vol 58, no 3
Mansour, Renad and Benedict Robin-D'Cruz, (2022). Why Muqtada al-Sadr Failed to Reform Iraq, Foreign Policy, March 10 2022
Masoud, Tarek, Khalil al-Anani, Courtney Freer & Quinn Mecham (2022). "Islam and Islamism", pp. 156-181 in Marc Lynch, Jilllian Schwedler & Sean Yom (eds.) The Political Science of the Middle East - Theory and Research Since the Arab Uprisings. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mansour, Renad and Benedict Robin-D'Cruz (2022). Iraq’s populist leader quit parliament. What happens now? Washington Post – The Monkey Cage, June 22, 2022.
Haddad, Fanar, Lisel Hintz, Rima Majed, Toby Matthiesen, Bassel F Salloukh & Alexandra Siegel (2022). "The Politics of Identity and Sectarianism", pp. 182-205 in Marc Lynch, Jilllian Schwedler & Sean Yom (eds.) The Political Science of the Middle East - Theory and Research Since the Arab Uprisings. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Freer, Courtney (2021). "Shi’a Islamist Movements in the Arab Gulf States", in Khalid Al-Jaber & Kristian Coates Ulrichsen (eds.) Political Islam in the Gulf Region. Washington: Gulf International Forum.
Bachleitner, K., & Matthiesen, T. (2021). Introduction to themed section on ‘Belonging to Syria. National identifications before and after 2011’. Nations and Nationalism,
Valbjørn, Morten & Jeroen Gunning (2021). "Sunni-centrisme, shia-islamisme og sekterisme – studiet af mellemøstlig islamisme ti år efter de arabiske revolter". Babylon - Nordic Journal for Middle East Studies, vol 19, no 1, pp. 72-89.
Freer, Courtney & Andrew Leber (2021). "Defining the “Tribal Advantage” in Kuwaiti Politics". Middle East Law and Governance, first-view,
Valbjørn, Morten (2021). "Observing (the debate on) sectarianism: On conceptualizing, grasping and explaining sectarian politics in a new Middle East". Mediterranean Politics, vol 26, issue 5.
Robin-D’Cruz, Benedict. (2021). "The social logics of protest violence in Iraq: explaining divergent dynamics in the Southeast". LSE Middle East Centre Paper Series. No.: 53 (August 2021).
Matthiesen, Toby (2021). "The Arab Counter-Revolution:The Formation of a Regional Alliance to Undermine the Arab Spring". Democracy and Autocracy, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 8-14.
Freer, Courtney & Andrew Leber (2021). "The ‘tribal advantage’ in Kuwaiti politics and the future of the opposition". Brookings - Order from Chaos Blog. April 19.
Lefèvre, Raphaël (2021). "Groups like the Taliban have seized power elsewhere. Will the Taliban face similar difficulties governing?". Washington Post - The Monkey Cage. August 25.
Valbjørn, Morten & Jeroen Gunning (2021). "Bringing in the ‘Other Islamists’: Beyond Sunni-centric Islamism studies in a sectarianized Middle East". Mediterranean Politics, vol 26 issue 4
Haddad, Fanar (2021). "Anti-Sunnism and anti-Shiism: Minorities, majorities and the question of equivalence". Mediterranean Politics, vol 26 issue 4.
Lefevre, Raphaël (2021) “How ‘the Local’ Affects Militant Islamist Groups”, LSE MEC Blog, August 11,
Valbjørn, Morten (2021). "Three Ways of Countering Sectarianism - Challenges and Dilemmas". Resilience and Inclusive Politics in the MENA Region: Online Commentary No. 6, Lebanese American University - Institute for Social Justice and Conflict Resolution.
Freer, Courtney (2021): The Symbiosis of Sectarianism, Authoritarianism, and Rentierism in the Saudi State, SEN Featured Weekly Article, April 18.
Ataie, Mohammad, Raphaël Lefèvre & Toby Matthiesen (2021). "How Iran’s 1979 Revolution Affected Sunni Islamists in the Middle East ". LSE Middle East Centre - Blog. April 26. Available at:
Valbjørn, Morten (2021). "Palæstina-spørgsmålets (ir)relevans i den arabiske verden efter 'the Abrahams Accords'". Frit Forum, Februar, pp. 7-9.
Lefèvre, Raphaël, (2021): Jihad in the city: militant Islamism and contentious politics in Tripoli, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Valbjørn, Morten (2021). "Three Ways of Countering Sectarianism - Challenges and Dilemmas". Resilience and Inclusive Politics in the MENA Region: Online Commentary No. 6, Lebanese American University - Institute for Social Justice and Conflict Resolution.
Freer, Courtney (2020). "How Politics at Home Shapes Kuwait’s Foreign Policy". Lawfare. November 15.
Valbjørn, Morten & Jeroen Gunning (2020). "Islamist Identity Politics in Conflict Settings". APSA MENA Politics Newsletter, vol. 3, no. 1.
Haddad, Fanar (2020). "Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units: A Hybrid Actor in a Hybrid State", pp. 30-65 in Adam Day (ed.) Hybrid Conflict, Hybrid Peace How militias and paramilitary groups shape post-conflict transitions. New York: United Nations University.
Matthiesen, Toby (2020). "The Coronavirus Is Exacerbating Sectarian Tensions in the Middle East". Foreign Affairs. March 23.
Haddad, Fanar (2021). "From Existential Struggle to Political Banality: The Politics of Sect in Post-2003 Iraq". The Review of Faith & International Affairs, vol. 18, no. 1.
Matthiesen, Toby (2020). "Ein Sündenbock für die Region". Zenith. April 3.
Freer, Courtney (2020). "State religious authorities in rentier economies and the management of independent Islamism". British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 47, no. 1.
Valbjørn, Morten (2020). "Sectarian identity politics and Middle East international relations in the first post-Arab Uprisings decade - from ’whether’ to ‘how,’ ‘where’ ‘when’ and for ‘whom". POMEPS Studies, no. 38 (Sectarianism and International Relations)
Gunning, Jeroen & Dima Smaira (2020). "Everyday security in Beirut’s southern suburbs: mapping the capacity and legitimacy of state and non-state actors". POMEPS Studies, no. 37 (Challenges to the Middle East North Africa Inclusionary State).
Valbjørn, Morten (2020). "Countering Sectarianism: The Many Paths, Promises, and Pitfalls of De-sectarianization". The Review of Faith & International Affairs, vol. 18, no. 1,
Gunning, Jeroen (2020). "Like two peas in a pod or two roads diverging? Comparing Hamas and Hizballah". Mediterranean Politics
Valbjørn, Morten (2017). "Bringing the ‘Other Islamists’ back in: Sunni and Shia Islamism(s) in a sectarianized new Middle East". POMEPS Studies, no. 28 (New Analysis of Shia Politics).

Presentations

2025

Freer, Courtney (2025). Engaging Islamism(s) , Presentation at the workshop 'Engaging Islamism(s) through the Lens of The Other Islamists Project', Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Emory University, January 9, 2025.
Valbjørn, Morten (2025). Assessing the 'Islamist Advantage, Presentation at the workshop 'Engaging Islamism(s) through the Lens of The Other Islamists Project', Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Emory University, January 9, 2025.

2024

Freer, Courtney (2024). Sunni and Shii Interactions with Legal Authorities: The case of Kuwait. Presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion, San Diego, November 23-26.
Valbjørn, Morten (2024). Three ways of case universe extension – reflections on bringing Shia into Islamism Studies, presentation at annual meeting of the Danish Political Science Association, Nyborg Strand, November 7 2024.
Valbjørn, Morten (2024) The Middle East Time Machine, Presentation at the conference "Iraq evolving: Emerging threats, challenges and opportunities", presentation at Royal Danish Defence College, Copenhagen, October 15.
Gunning, Jeroen (2024) Fielding Hamas and the Sadrists: The role of Sunni and Shia religious eld dynamics in shaping the behaviour of armed Islamist groups in politics, Presentation at ISA 2024 Annual Convention Program, San Francisco, California, USA, April 3rd - 6th, 2024.
Matthiesen, Toby (2024) Arab Islamist responses in context, presentation at the TOI Workshop 'Arab Islamist Responses to the War on Gaza', King's College London March 6 2024.
Gunning, Jeroen (2024): Arab Islamist Responses to the War on Gaza presentation at the TOI Workshop 'Arab Islamist Responses to the War on Gaza', King's College London March 6 2024.

2023

Gunning, Jeroen (2023). The relation between Hamas and Hezbollah, Presentation at DIIS Event "What is Hamas? History, politics and relation to other jihadist movements, Danish Inst. for International Studies, Copenhagen, Dec 7 2023.
Valbjørn, Morten (2023). What is so Sectarian about Sectarian politics, Presenation at Religionsvidenskabelig Forening, Aarhus University, Nov 21 2023.
Gunning, Jeroen (2023): Hamas: Between Politics and War, The Pivot, November 3.
Valbjørn, Morten (2023): Mellemøsten et årti efter det arabiske forår, FUAU Det gode selskab - Den politiske verden omkring os, October 26.
Gunning, Jeroen (2023) In Context: Hamas After Oct 7, LSE Middle East Centre, October 26.
Matthiesen, T. The Caliph and The Imam (S. 13, Ep. 5)”. POMEPS Middle East Political Science Podcasts with Marc Lynch. October 2023
Haddad, F. Shia Power (S13, Ep. 2), POMEPS Middle East Political Science Podcasts with Marc Lynch. September 2023.
Valbjørn, Morten (2023) Saudi scenarios – triangular reflections on possible causes and consequences of the Saudi reform process, presentation at the conference ”Economic Change and the Future of the Middle East”, Arab and Islamic Studies, Aarhus University, September 27-28.
Valbjørn, Morten (2023) Danish diplomacy and the Middle East, Talk at the Danish Foreign Policy Society, Aarhus, September 12 2023.
Valbjørn, Morten (2023), Shakespearean lessons on identity politics and proxy warfare in the Middle East, Presentation at the conference ”Proxy warfare and great power rivalries”, Royal Defence College, Copenhagen, Sept 7-8 2023.
Saramifar, Younes (2023) Warring Ecology and violent pleasures of inhumanities: Shia militancy from Qassim Soleimani’s testicles to AK47 Presentation at the panel “War & Fun”, European International Studies Association, 16^th Pan-European conference on International Relation, Potsdam, Germany, 5-9 September.
Gunning, J. & Smaira, D (2023). Theorising ‘nested security fields’ from Beirut’s Southern Suburbs. Paper on virtual panel on “Bourdieu and the (inter)national politics of the Middle East” at the 16th Pan-European Conference on International Relations of the European International Studies Association (EISA PEC 2023). 5 September 2023.
Gunning, J. & Robin D’Cruz, B. (2023) Fielding Hamas and the Sadrists: The role of Sunni versus Shia religious field dynamics in shaping forms of authority and leadership of armed Islamist movements engaged in politics. Paper on virtual panel on “Bourdieu and the (inter)national politics of the Middle East” at the 16th Pan-European Conference on International Relations of the European International Studies Association (EISA PEC 2023). 5 September 2023
Valbjørn, Morten (with Jeroen Gunning) (2023), Expanding the Islamist case universe beyond Sunni-centrism: Three ways of bringing Shia Islamists in Presentation at the panel “Islamism and Islamist Politics in the Middle East” at the 2023 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, United States · August 31 – September 3.
Freer, Courtney (2023) Islam, Islamism(s), and Democracy. Presentation at the conference “Parliament of World's Religions”, Chicago, US, August 14 2023
Gunning, J. (2023) Critical Terrorism Studies and Decolonisation. PREVEX Conference on “Governing through counter-terrorism in the Arab world.” SciencesPo, Center for International Studies, Paris. 19 June 2023.
Gunning, J. & Smaira, D. (2023) Class and land conflict in warscapes: The case of Lassa, Lebanon, Paper at Book Workshop on “Warscapes in the Middle East and North Africa”. Sciences Po, Paris, 5-6 June 2023
Lefevre, Raphael & Jeroen Gunning, Morten Valbjørn (2023). From Emulation To Repulsion: Mapping The Effects Of The Iranian Revolution On Armed Sunni Islamist Groups, Presentation at the conference ”The Iranian Revolution at 45: Short- And Long-Term Global Effects on Islamist Politics”, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK, April 3 2023
Freer, Courtney (2023). Sunni Islamist Reactions to the Iranian Revolution: The Case of Kuwait, Presentation at the conference ”The Iranian Revolution at 45: Short- And Long-Term Global Effects on Islamist Politics”, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK, April 3, 2023
Gunning, J. "Security Politics & Beirut’s Southern Suburbs (S. 12, Ep. 23)”. POMEPS Middle East Political Science Podcasts with Marc Lynch. 6 April 2023. https://pomeps.org/security-politics-beiruts-southern-suburbs-s-12-ep-23
Matthiesen, Toby (2023) The Sunni/Shia Schism during history, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Denmark. February 27 2023.
Valbjørn, Morten (2023). Approaching sectarian identity politics and Middle East international relations in the first post-Arab Uprisings decade – a stocktaking, Aula Mediterrània, IEMed, Barcelona, Spain, February 23 2023.
Gunning, J. Critical Security Studies and Decolonisation. Keynote paper at Conference on “Security and Strategic Studies: The State of the Field”. Strategic Studies Unit, Arab Center for Research & Policy Studies, Doha. 18 February 2023. https://bit.ly/3XHYiEq
Gunning, J. co-authored with Dima Smaira (2023) Afterlives of Martyrdom and Debt in Everyday Welfare Contestations: Notes from Lebanon (). ISSR-funded workshop on “Generational Afterlives of Martyrdom: Care, Inheritance and Turbulence between Religiosity and Militancy”, Sana Chavoshian and Jeroen Gunning. Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 13 February 2023

2022

Gunning, J. & Smaira, D. (2022) Theorising ‘nested security fields’ from Beirut’s Southern Suburbs, virtual workshop as part of SEPAD project on “Spatialising Securitisation in the Middle East Gunning”. 5 December 2022
Saramifar, Younes We are history: an anthropological understanding of Shia militancy, Presentation at the panel “Bringing in the Other Islamists – comparing Shia and Sunni Islamism”, The Middle East Studies Association’s 56th annual meeting, Denver, United States. , December 4 2022.
Freer, Courtney An Islamist Disadvantage?: Revisiting Electoral Outcomes for Islamist Parties in the Middle East, Presentation at the panel “Bringing in the Other Islamists – comparing Shia and Sunni Islamism”, The Middle East Studies Association’s 56th annual meeting, Denver, United States. , December 4 2022.
Leber, Andrew, Courtney Freer, Jeroen Gunning, and Morten Valbjørn. What We Talk About When We Talk About Islamistst, Presentation at the panel “Bringing in the Other Islamists – comparing Shia and Sunni Islamism”, The Middle East Studies Association’s 56th annual meeting, Denver, United States. , December 4 2022.
Valbjørn, Morten, Raphaël Lefèvre, and Jeroen Gunning: When Transnationalism is not Global: The Transnational Dynamics of Shia Islamist Armed Groups, Presentation at the panel “Bringing in the Other Islamists – comparing Shia and Sunni Islamism”, The Middle East Studies Association’s 56th annual meeting, Denver, United States, December 4 2022.
Valbjørn, Morten (2022), The Other Islamists, Presentation at the workshop “Comparing Shia and Sunni Transnationalism”, Dept of Political Science, Aarhus University, November 10 2022.
Gunning, Jeroen (2022), Transnational Dynamics of Shia Islamist Armed Groups, Presentation at the workshop “Comparing Shia and Sunni Transnationalism”, Dept of Political Science, Aarhus University, November 10 2022.
Gunning, J. & Smaira, D. (co-authored with Morten Valbjørn) (2022) Comparing Shia and Sunni geographies of ’everyday islamistness’ in Greater Beirut. Virtual work in progress seminars. SEPAD (The Sectarianism, Proxies and De-sectarianisation project, Lancaster University). 31 October 2022
Lefèvre, Raphaël, Jeroen Gunning, Morten Valbjørn The Sunni Bias: New Data on Armed Shia Islamists and Implications for Research on Islamist Insurgencies, Presentation at the panel “War and transnational violence”, Danish Political Science Association Annual Meeting 2022, Hotel Nyborg Strand, Oct 27-28 2022.
Lefevre, Raphael (2022), All jihad is local: the micro-politics of armed Islamism, Presentation at “GIC Seminar Series”, University of Bristol, United Kingdom, October 19, 2022.
Valbjørn, Morten Sunni-centrism, Shia Islamism and Sectarianism. Presentation at the panel “Beyond Sunni-centrism: Shia and Sunni Islamism in the Middle East”, the 12th Nordic Conference for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, September 23 2022.
Gunning, J. & Smaira, D. (2022) Navigating Dahiyeh, negotiating everyday peace: Mediation practices across Beirut’s Southern Suburbs, virtual workshop on “Everyday Peace practices in the Middle East: Insights for research and practice”,. Finnish Institute in the Middle East (FIME), Beirut, 22 September 2022
Freer, Courtney Revisiting a Social Movement Theory Approach to Sunni and Shii Islamists. Presentation at the panel “Beyond Sunni-centrism: Shia and Sunni Islamism in the Middle East”, the 12th Nordic Conference for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, September 23 2022.
Matthiesen, Toby Comparing State Sponsorship for Sunni and Shii Islamist movements. Presentation at the panel “Beyond Sunni-centrism: Shia and Sunni Islamism in the Middle East”, the 12th Nordic Conference for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, September 23 2022.
Freer, Courtney, Kuwaiti Elections: A Chance for Real Change?, Gulf International Forum, September 20, 2022.
Gunning, J. co-authored with Dima Smaira and Morten Valbjørn (2023) Comparing Shia and Sunni geographies of ’everyday islamistness’ in Greater Beirut, Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference. Newcastle, 31 Aug 2022.
Gunning, Jeroen (with Dima Smaira and Morten Valbjørn). (2022). Comparing Shia and Sunni geographies of ‘everyday Islamistness’ in Greater Beirut. Presentation at Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference 2022, Newcastle University. Aug 30-Sept 2 2022.
Robin-D’Cruz, Benedict (2022). The Sadrist Electoral Machine & the Islamist Electoral Edge. Presentation at the panel “Bringing In The Other Islamists – Comparing Shi’a And Sunni Islamism“ at the BRISMES Annual Conference, University of St. Andrews (UK), July 5 2022.
Valbjørn, Morten (with Jeroen Gunning) (2022). Sunni-centrism, Shia Islamism and Sectarianism. Presentation at the panel “Bringing In The Other Islamists – Comparing Shi’a And Sunni Islamism“ at the BRISMES Annual Conference, University of St. Andrews (UK), July 5 2022.
Lefèvre, Raphaël (with Mohammed Ataie, Morten Valbjørn, Jeroen Gunning) (2022). The Other Foreign Fighters: the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the Rise of State-Backed Shia Foreign Fighters. Presentation at the panel “Bringing In The Other Islamists – Comparing Shi’a And Sunni Islamism“ at the BRISMES Annual Conference, University of St. Andrews (UK), July 5 2022.
Valbjørn, Morten, Raphaël Lefèvre, and Jeroen Gunning (2022). A Global or Regional Jihad: Transnational dynamics of Shia Islamist armed groups. Presentation at TOI-POMEPS workshop “Islamists in Warscapes”, Dept of Political Science, Aarhus University, June 29-30 2022.
Lynch, Marc, Morten Valbjørn, and Jeroen Gunning (2022). Changing Warscapes, Changing Islamists. Presentation at TOI-POMEPS workshop “Islamists in Warscapes”, Dept of Political Science, Aarhus University, June 29-30 2022.
Robin-D’Cruz, Benedict (2022). State Capital, the Iraqi Judicial Field, and the Regulation of Political Struggles, presentation at “New Perspectives on Security in Iraq”, Royal Danish Defence College, Copenhagen, June 5-6 2022.
Valbjørn, Morten (with Raphaël Lefèvre, and Jeroen Gunning). Transnational dynamics of Shia Islamist armed groups. Presentation at Transjihad workshop “Jihadism: a particular form of conflict, governance and theology?”, Danish Inst. for International Studies (DIIS), Copenhagen, May 23-24, 2022
Gunning, J. co-authored with Vivienne Matthies-Boon) (2022) Imbaba in Frankfurt: Towards decolonising Critical Theory. Paper at conference on “Politics from the Margins”, 72nd PSA Annual International Conference, University of York. 12 April 2022.
Valbjørn, Morten (2022). Approaching international relations in a sectarianized new Middle East, ToRS, Copenhagen University, Denmark. April 4 2022.
Lefevre, Raphael (2022). Jihad in the City. The Paul Wilkinson Memorial Lecture, The Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV), University of St Andrews, United Kingdom. March 3 2022.
Valbjørn, Morten (2022) Sectarian Politics, AIS, Aarhus University, Denmark. March 2 2022
Lefevre, Raphael (2022). All Jihad Is Local: the Micro- P Politics of Militant Islamism in 80 1980’s Lebanon and Beyond, St.Antony’s College Middle East Centre, Oxford University, United Kingdom, February 18 2022.
Lefevre, Raphael, Jeroen Gunning & Morten Valbjørn, A Regional Jihad? Transnational Dynamics of Shia Islamist Armed Groups, TOI-POMEPS workshop (online), February 4 2022.
Freer, Courtney (2022): Book Talk Political Islam in the Gulf Region, Gulf International Forum (online), January 12 2022.

2021

Gunning, J. co-authored with Dima Smaira (2021) Navigating Dahiyeh, negotiating everyday peace: Mediation practices across Beirut’s Southern Suburbs , Lunchtime Seminar, Middle East Centre. LSE, 9 December 2021
Juergensmeyer, Mark, Mark Sedgwick, Lene Sedgwick and Morten Valbjørn (2021), Round table discussion on religious and secular nationalism, Aarhus University, November 25 2021.
Gunning, Jeroen and Dima Smaira (2021), Navigating Dahiyeh, Crafting Everyday Peace: Mediation practices across Beirut’s Southern Suburbs, Paper presented at LSE MEC Lunchtime Seminar, London School of Economics and Political Science, December 9, 2021.
Gunning, Jeroen & Morten Valbjørn (2021), To speak out or not to speak out? Explaining variation in Islamist responses to the Abraham Accords Paper presented at WiP SEPAD Workshop, Lancaster University (online), November 29 2021.
Haddad, Fanar (2021), The Shia Challenge to Shia Politics,’ Presentation at "Arab Shia Communities in Transition: A Peacemaking Opportunity for the International Community", The Arab Gulf States Institute, Washington DC., November 22 2021.
Matthiesen, Toby (2021), The Caliph and the Imam : Writing a Global History of Sunni-Shii Relations, presentation at "5e journée d'études sur le chiisme contemporain", École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, November 19 2021.
Haddad, Fanar (2021), Iraq in the region, presentation at the "Iraq Initiative Conference 2021", Chatham House, London, Nov 15-16 2021.
Lefèvre, Raphaël, The Other Jihadis: How Shia and Sunni Jihadis differ from each other, guest lecture at the Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, November 16 2021.
Gunning, Jeroen, Courtney Freer, Thomas Richter and Morten Valbjørn (2021), “To speak or not to speak? Explaining variation in Islamist responses to the Abraham Accords”, Paper presented at the DPSA: Danish Political Science Association’s annual meeting, Vejle Fjord, October 29 2021.
Gunning, J. & Smaira, D. Navigating Dahiyeh, negotiating everyday peace: Mediation practices across Beirut’s Southern Suburbs, virtual workshop on “Urban peace and conflict – exploring geographies of hope in violently contested cities”. 6-8 September 2021
Valbjørn, Morten (2021): “What is so Sectarian about Sectarian Politics? Identity Politics and Authoritarianism in a New Middle East", presentation at CMES Research Seminar, Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies , Lund University, May 20 2021.
Valbjørn, Morten (2021). “Beyond the beyond(s): On the (many) third way(s) beyond primordialism and instrumentalism in the study of sectarianism”, presentation at Higher Research Seminar, Department of Political Science, Lund University, May 19 2021.
Valbjørn, Morten (2021). Changing Warscapes, Changing Islamists?, Presentation at ICSRU workshop, Aarhus University, March 11.
Gunning, Jeroen, Lynch, Marc & Valbjørn, Morten (2021): Changing Warscapes, Changing Islamists? Religion, Organization, Strategic Context and New Approaches to Jihadist Insurgencies, presentation of framing paper for the virtual TOI-POMEPS workshop "Changing Warscapes, Changing Islamists? Religion, Organization, Strategic Context and New Approaches to Jihadist Insurgencies", January 6-7 2021.

2020

Valbjørn, Morten (2020). Observing (the Debate on) Sectarianism: On Conceptualizing, Grasping and Explaining Sectarian Politics in a new Middle East. Presentation at the virtual SEPAD conference “10 Years On: The People & the Protests”, Lancaster University/virtual, December 17 2020.
Valbjørn, Morten & Jeroen Gunning "TOI: Bringing in the Other Islamists", Presentation at TOI-TJ-RJC Workshop on (Shia and Sunni) Jihadism Aarhus University/DIIS/Uppsala University (virtual), November 4 2020.
Fanar Haddad discusses his new book “Understanding ‘Sectarianism’: Sunni-Shi’a Relations in the Modern Arab World” with Charles Tripp and Morten Valbjørn, hosted by Simon Mabon in the inaugural episode of SEPADDiscusses, July 27 2020.

2019

Valbjørn, Morten (2019) Bringing in the Other Islamists, Presentation at ICSRU-TOI Workshop, Arab Islamic Studies, Aarhus University, October 28 2019.
Gunning, Jeroen & Morten Valbjørn (2019): TOI Framing paper, Paper presented at “TOI Kick-off Research Workshop”, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, October 21 2019.