The Other Saudis
Shiism, Dissent and Sectarianism

This book traces the politics of the Shia in the oil-rich Eastern Province of Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia since the nineteenth century.

Toby Matthiesen (Author)

9781107618237, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 22 December 2014

292 pages, 31 b/w illus. 1 map
22.7 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.44 kg

'Matthiesen's The Other Saudis is a good example of a historically grounded approach to the study of sectarianism and communal politics. It presents an exhaustive account of the predicament of Saudi Arabia's little known Shia community, which is caught in the crossfire between the royal family and the Wahhabis and Saudi Arabia and Iran.' Vikas Kumar, Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs

Toby Matthiesen traces the politics of the Shia in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia from the nineteenth century until the present day. This book outlines the difficult experiences of being Shia in a Wahhabi state, and casts new light on how the Shia have mobilised politically to change their position. Shia petitioned the rulers, joined secular opposition parties and founded Islamist movements. Most Saudi Shia opposition activists profited from an amnesty in 1993 and subsequently found a place in civil society and the public sphere. However, since 2011 a new Shia protest movement has again challenged the state. The Other Saudis shows how exclusionary state practices created an internal Other and how sectarian discrimination has strengthened Shia communal identities. The book is based on little-known Arabic sources, extensive fieldwork in Saudi Arabia and interviews with key activists. Of immense geopolitical importance, the oil-rich Eastern Province is a crucial but little known factor in regional politics and Gulf security.

Introduction
1. Politics of notables
2. Oil and dissent
3. Shia Islamism
4. A decade of confrontation
5. No more revolution
6. Marginal recognition
7. A new Intifada
Conclusion: the politics of sectarianism.

Subject Areas: Constitution: government & the state [JPHC], Politics & government [JP]