Confronting the caliphate: Civil resistance against jihadists

Occupying a square to prevent the Sharia-judge from amputating a teenager’s hand, spraying forbidden graffiti at public buildings, secretly listening to nonreligious music at home, or shouting anti-jihadist slogans with hundreds of others at a public protest: these are only a few examples of a much larger range of nonviolent resistance behavior displayed by civilians who have lived under the repressive rule of jihadists

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Friday 21 April 2023, 08.30-09.30
DIIS ∙ Danish Institute for International Studies
Auditorium
Gl. Kalkbrænderi Vej 51A, 2100 Copenhagen

From Iraq and Syria to Mali and Algeria civilians have, at different points throughout the last 30 years, been exposed to the often brutal realities of so-called jihadist proto-states: state-like entities controlled and governed by jihadist groups. But despite the repressive circumstances, civilians have found multifold ways to engage in resistance. The new book ‘Confronting the Caliphate’ sheds light on this largely understudied phenomenon. In this book launch, we will dive into some of the surprising and creative ways in which civilians have protested against their jihadist rulers.

In their research, the authors of the book find that non-violent resistance against jihadists is in fact widespread and highly diverse, ranging from cases of open, more confrontative acts of defiance to more common, hidden resistance such as listening to forbidden music, consuming alcohol, or refusing to pay taxes.

In the book launch we will talk about the wide spectrum of civil resistance, what sparks it in the first place, and why the most brutal and repressive jihadist proto-states might also be the ones most likely to experience civil uprisings. We will also discuss why some protests manage to reach their goals, whereas others do not, as well as how resistance can be bolstered in jihadist conflicts around the world.

Speakers
Isak Svensson is Professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Sweden, and lead author of “Confronting the Caliphate. In the past, he has led two multiyear research projects on both the outcomes of and the participation in nonviolent uprisings.

Dino Krause is Postdoc Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) and co-author of “Confronting the Caliphate”. His current work focuses on de-escalation and containment in conflicts with non-state groups that are affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Isabel Bramsen is Associate Professor and Director Peace and Conflict Studies at the Department of Political Science, Lund University, Sweden. She is the author of several works on how civil resistance develops over time, as well as why it sometimes escalates into violence.

Marie Barse is Communications Officer and journalist at Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) (moderator).

Practical information
The seminar will be held in English. Physical participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use our registration form here. 

Livestream does not require registration. The video livestream will appear on this page just before the seminar starts.