Shia Crescent rising

NADER HASHEMI

The Shia Revival:How Conflicts Within IslamWill Shape the FutureBy Vali NasrNorton, 287 pages, $34As I follow the debate on the Israel-Lebanon war, I am struck by the number of commentators who believe the root of this conflict is located in the emergence of a new "Shia Crescent." The theory goes something like this: A newly emboldened Iran, under the militant leadership of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is trying to extend its hegemony in the Middle East by undermining pro-Western Arab states, destabilizing the Israel-Palestine peace process and supporting terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas. These political ambitions will be secured by Iran's nuclear program, which will significantly enhance its power over its Arab neighbours while providing a deterrent to any retaliation by Western powers.