The Other Saudis: Shiism, Dissent and Sectarianism

Toby Matthiesen
Author and Research Fellow
Oxford University

Join us for a lecture by Toby Matthiesen, on his 2012 APSA winning publication, The Other Saudis: Schiism, Dissent and Sectarianism. Here, he traces the politics of the Shia in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia from the nineteenth century until the present day. Using little-known Arabic sources, extensive fieldwork in Saudi Arabia and interviews with key activists, Matthiesen outlines the difficult experiences of being Shia in a Wahhabi state, and casts new light on how the Shia have mobilized politically to change their position.