SECTARIAN FRAMING FOR GEOPOLITICS: HOW SAUDI, IRANIAN AND QATARI MEDIA CONSTRUCT SUNNI-SHIA NARRATIVES IN THE YEMEN AND SYRIA WARS

Abstract

This article contends that the Sunni-Shia narrative used in reporting on the Yemen and Syria conflicts is intentionally shaped by state-affiliated media to promote the foreign policy goals of rival regional powers, instead of mirroring a stable, pre-existing sectarian situation. utilizing securitization theory (Buzan, Wæver, & de Wilde, 1998) and framing theory (Entman, 1993, 2004) this study aims to creates a comparative analytical framework Sectarian Securitization which reveals how the state-aligned media from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar shape distinct referent objects, threat actors and legitimizing language from the same fundamental conflicts. Illustrative material sourced from Saudi (Al Arabiya, Asharq al-Awsat), Iranian (Press TV, Al-Alam) and Qatari (Al Jazeera) reports shows that each outlet engages in a unique securitizing strategy: Saudi media portrays Iranian-supported Shia militias as a vital danger to Sunni Arab rule; Iranian media depicts Saudi-supported Wahhabism and takfiri extremism as a menace to an Iran-led "Axis of Resistance"; and Qatari media frames authoritarian governance, with anti-Alawite overtones in the Syrian context, as a threat to a cross-border Sunni political resurgence. The discussion includes implications for international relations theory, media studies and the practice of conflict resolution.