ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author considers several past and present conflicts that are rooted in an underlying ethnic security dilemma. A multitude of ethnic and ethnoreligious conflicts, dating back at least to the early collapse of the Ottoman Empire and genocidal violence against the Armenians, could be understood through the lens of the ethnic security dilemma. The author focuses on the more recent and ongoing ethnic rivalries in the region. In each case, the prevailing logic of insecurity forces members of minority communities into drastic and typically violent actions to maintain their place within the larger society. Within divided societies living in fragile or failing states, the security dilemma is all too powerful a force to be ignored. Nevertheless, it is possible for minority communities to shake the sectarian impulse. The author demonstrates that even though the ethnic security dilemma frames the actions of many minority communities, some minority communities have resisted the urge to descend into competitive sectarianism.
