The Islamic Sham Organisation: a Salafi "Middle Way" Against Jihadi Radicalization

L'Instance Islamique du Sham : une « voie moyenne » salafiste contre la radicalisation jihadiste

Thomas Pierret (1)

1 IREMAM - Institut de Recherches et d'Etudes sur les Mondes Arabes et Musulmans

It is often assumed that the different brands of Salafism (quietist, activist, and Jihadi) disagree on the means, rather than on the ends. What happens to their differences when, as in Syria after 2011, all varieties of Salafis embrace armed struggle in the context of a popular insurgency? Based on the case of the Islamic Sham Association, a humanitarian and missionary organisation of activist “Sururi” Salafi obedience, this essay argues that the difference between this group and Jihadis is not only a matter of means, but also of ends. Whereas Jihadis envision the Syrian conflict as a mere episode in a decade-old global jihad, and assign themselves a leading role in the struggle in their capacity as a vanguard, the Islamic Sham Association subscribes to the narrative and symbols of the Syrian revolution, hence to its demands for popular sovereignty.

Domaines: Science politique

Thomas Pierret. L'Instance Islamique du Sham : une « voie moyenne » salafiste contre la radicalisation jihadiste. Archives de Sciences Sociales des Religions, 2018, 181, pp.219-239. ⟨hal-01802663⟩