Confronting the Caliphate

Abstract

When jihadist groups establish their own governance and proto-states, they, to some extent, rely on the acquiescence of the civilians under their control. Therefore, civilians are not only victims of coercive control but are also agents of change, sometimes providing fundamental challenges to the jihadists’ governance attempts. Civilians in Mali, Iraq, Algeria, and Syria have engaged in various forms of civil resistance against jihadist groups: refusal to cooperate, participation in public protests, and various forms of more covert everyday resistance. Exploring civil resistance against jihadist groups, the book not only studies the conditions under which it occurs but also the forms it takes. It explores who chooses to resist and the conditions under which such resistance can be successful. Confronting the Caliphate is a comprehensive study of this topic, based on original research from surveys in Mosul; disaggregated data on protests across communities in Syria; a comparative analysis of Mali, Iraq, and Yemen; and accounts of resistance in Algeria. It clearly shows that civil resistance is not only possible but is much more prevalent than previously assumed. The rule of jihadist groups presents civilians with some of the most difficult and dangerous circumstances for engaging in civil resistance, but the book demonstrates how they can nonviolently and successfully resist.