This article offers a critical examination of the vocabulary associated with the study of ‘sectarianism’ in the Middle East. It surveys Arabic- and English-language works on ‘sectarianism’ to illustrate how the term’s lack of definition has allowed it to be used in contradictory ways that render it, not simply meaningless, but distortive to our understanding of the region. In addition, the term ‘sectarianism’, with its inescapably negative connotations, has been used as a tool to neutralize political dissent and stigmatize people’s religious identity and otherwise legitimate acts of expression and mobilization.

中文翻译：

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中东研究中的“宗派主义”及其不满

本文对与中东“宗派主义”研究相关的词汇进行了严格的考察。它对“宗派主义”的阿拉伯语和英语语言进行了调查，以说明该术语缺乏定义是如何使该术语以矛盾的方式使用的，这不仅使其变得毫无意义，而且会扭曲我们对该地区的理解。此外，“宗派主义”一词具有不可避免的负面含义，已被用作中和政治异议，污蔑人们的宗教身份以及其他合法表达和动员行为的工具。