Abstract
This research examines how antisemitic tropes play a critical role in producing prejudice against Shi’as and, ultimately, Muslims more broadly. It focuses on the rhetoric of conspiracy in anti-Shi’i discourse rooted in the Sunni revivalist Ṣaḥwa movement of the Arabian Peninsula and how this discourse has been transformed by social media. Ṣaḥwa (“awakening”) refers to the politicization of Sunni Islam following the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and the decline of Pan-Arabism after the Six Day War. The rise of the Islamic Republic in Iran offered both inspiration and rivalry, deepening sectarian divides. In this context, centuries-old heresiographies have been rearticulated globally and entangled with national politics. I analyze how Ṣaḥwa polemicists disparage Shi’i beliefs by constructing parallels between Shi’ism and qualities ascribed to Jews in global registers of antisemitism. This commensuration provides a language for broader anti-Muslim discrimination in English-language media. My analysis highlights how hate discourse often spills over, extending prejudice beyond its original targets. This tendency underscores the need for intersectional approaches to institutional interventions.


