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Securitization as a Tool of Survival: The Deployment of Religious Rhetoric in Bashar al-Asad’s Speeches

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>6/05/2021
<mark>Journal</mark>The Middle East Journal
Issue number1
Volume75
Number of pages24
Pages (from-to)9-32
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of Sunni Islam in speeches given by Syrian President Bashar al-Asad between 2014 and 2017. I discuss how religion is used in these speeches as a security tool to consolidate authority, legitimize the Baˈathist regime, and marginalize political dissidents. I attend specifically to the emphasis al-Asad places on convincing religious scholars (ulama) to support state security measures, and to the novel links he constructs between religion and national unity.