TWELVER SHI'ITE ISLAM: CONCEPTUAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS

Abstract

Recent political events surrounding the Iranian "nuclear crisis", as well as the still unsettled fate of Iraq have resulted in a renewed interest in the Shi'ite dimension of Islam among political observers. The events in mainly Shi'ite Iraq and Iran should also be of concern to policy-makers in Southeast Asia, and this is not only because of the possibility of the almost certain occurrence of "solidarity effects" among Muslims of the region in general should America go to war against Iran.