Community‐based reconciliation in the Middle East

IntroductionWith the turn of the twenty first century, the Middle East has witnessed an unprecedented turmoil since the post‐colonisation era. The occupation of Iraq by the United States and its allies has triggered internal tensions and violence in Iraq that swept across the region. The US propagated establishing a pro‐western, functional, representative democratic system in Iraq that was expected to be a model for other countries in the region towards democratisation and economic growth. Since 2011, Some Arab states embraced democratic and political changes and, simultaneously, encountered some socio‐political unrest brought by the “Arab Spring”. Various strata of conflict can be recognised in this context driven by political, ideological and sectarian agenda; or, driven by mere struggle for freedom and against repression and dictatorship. Regardless of the trigger of strives, it is obvious that reconciliation and conflict management in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Egypt and other countries in conflict is still an issue. Yet, the concept of community‐based reconciliation in the Arab World is still nuanced. The social ties in Arab societies are strong. Some of these ties are significantly noted to be recognised in kinship of various familial hierarchies: nucleus family, extended family and tribes. This paper will discuss whether familial affiliations can contribute to community‐based reconciliation in the Middle Eastern Arab countries.