We live in an age where wars between nation-states pose less of a threat than spiraling conflict between state and non-state actors, some of whom harbor hopes of wrestling state power and gaining global domination. Seemingly inspired by engrained sectarian animosities, these conflicts have been threatening the fragile state orders and state structures of South and West Asia alike. Sectarianism’s negative connotations are a result of its departure from the dominant religious and political perspectives in any given context. This is exemplified today by the legal idioms of modern nation-states, which claim uniformity of purpose in contrast to sectarian divisiveness even while promoting discord along lines of community for political advantage. To understand the complexities of modern sectarianism, it is important to note that using sectarianism to describe internal differences among Muslims as inherently religious ignores the often more important aspect of state formation, the challenges of consolidation and sustainability, and the international, regional, and domestic linkages informing that process.