Refighting the Past in the Present: Modern Conflicts and the Mobilizing and Contesting of Sacred History

The creation and strategic utilization, and selective sectarianization of sacred history is a key component of contemporary conflicts between competing social movements and armed groups around the world. This article will highlight the deployment of competing historical narratives in the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq using the concept of "framing." Framing in this sense refers to the creation of interpretive lenses through which target audiences are encouraged to perceive and experience world events and through which they develop a sense of group and self-identity and solidarity. In order to support their arguments that contemporary conflicts are existentially important to their respective target audiences and membership, rival groups in Syria and Iraq engage not only in physical, military combat but also a clash of socio-political and historical narratives and memories. The conflicts are framed as ones of survival as competing leaders and groups seek to convince their supporters and audiences to undertake severe risks in "defense" of their respective communities. This type of mobilization framing seeks to not only encourage new modes of social mobilization but also to maintain and increase internal solidarity among current group members and supporters....

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