Report prepared by: Geostrategic Studies Team
The renewed discussion about extremism in Syria is no longer merely a reflection of security concerns or isolated militant activity. Rather, it has become a gateway to understanding a deeper structural crisis affecting both the Syrian state and society. What is unfolding today bears little resemblance to the rise of ISIS between 2014 and 2019. Instead, it represents a new phase in which extremism has shifted from territorial domination to a more subtle, pervasive, and dangerous form.
Syria today is not facing the return of a single organization, but rather the reproduction of the conditions that enable radicalism to thrive. A weakened state, an exhausted society, and a collapsed political horizon have created fertile ground for new manifestations of extremism—less visible, but more deeply embedded.
Syria today is not facing the return of a single organization, but rather the reproduction of the conditions that enable radicalism to thrive. A weakened state, an exhausted society, and a collapsed political horizon have created fertile ground for new manifestations of extremism—less visible, but more deeply embedded.
From “Caliphate” to the Economy of Chaos
The military defeat of ISIS marked the end of its territorial project, but not the end of its ideological or functional presence. What emerged instead can be described as an “economy of chaos,” in which extremism no longer seeks to govern territory, but rather to exploit instability, insecurity, and political fragmentation.
In this new phase, radicalism does not require centralized leadership or formal structures. It operates through small, fluid networks, exploiting security vacuums and social fractures. Its objective is not control, but disruption—undermining stability, exhausting institutions, and perpetuating fear.
This transformation has made extremism more elusive and harder to confront. It is no longer a visible enemy, but a latent condition that resurfaces whenever state authority weakens.
Syria’s Social Environment: A Factory for Radicalization
The resurgence of extremist tendencies cannot be understood without examining Syria’s broader socio-economic collapse. Years of war have devastated the economy, dismantled education systems, eroded social cohesion, and destroyed trust between citizens and institutions.
Widespread poverty, unemployment, and political marginalization have created a vacuum in which extremist narratives find resonance. For many—especially young people who have known nothing but conflict—radical ideologies offer a sense of belonging, clarity, and purpose in an otherwise directionless reality.
In this context, extremism is less an ideological choice than a social reaction—born not of conviction, but of despair.
The State and Extremism: A Complicated Relationship
The question of whether extremist elements exist within state structures requires careful distinction. There is no credible evidence of institutionalized extremist organizations operating within the Syrian state. However, this does not negate the presence of deeper structural problems.
Over years of conflict, informal security networks and armed groups emerged, often operating with minimal oversight. Some adopted practices rooted in coercion, exclusion, and unchecked violence—methods that, while not ideologically extremist, closely resemble the logic of radical groups.
More critically, certain manifestations of extremism have at times been tolerated or indirectly instrumentalized for political purposes—either to intimidate society, to justify securitization, or to convey to external actors that the alternative to the current order is chaos.
This does not amount to ideological alignment, but rather to what can be described as “functional extremism”: the strategic use or toleration of radical elements to serve short-term political calculations.
When Extremism Enters Public Space
One of the most alarming recent developments has been the visible emergence of extremist symbolism in public spaces. Videos circulating from Damascus and other areas show religiously radical slogans, militarized rhetoric, and even children being exposed to or trained in ideological messaging.
These scenes are alarming not because of their scale, but because of what they represent. Their presence in public life signals a weakening of state authority and a normalization of radical discourse. When such images circulate without clear condemnation or intervention, they gradually become part of the social landscape.
The danger lies not in isolated incidents, but in repetition. Over time, what was once shocking becomes ordinary, and extremism transforms from an anomaly into a cultural undercurrent.
Extremism as a Regional Instrument
Syria’s crisis cannot be detached from broader regional dynamics. Persistent instability serves the interests of multiple actors—whether by justifying military presence, influencing negotiations, or preventing the emergence of a stable political order.
Within this framework, extremism becomes a tool rather than a threat. It can be contained, released, or tolerated depending on shifting strategic calculations. This instrumentalization of chaos ensures that Syria remains trapped in a cycle of insecurity, unable to transition toward sustainable stability.
The Strategic Impasse: Where Is Syria Headed?
The greatest danger Syria faces today is not the return of ISIS as an organization, but the normalization of extremism as a social reality. When radicalization becomes embedded in daily life, it no longer requires recruitment networks or propaganda campaigns—it reproduces itself organically.
Security-based responses alone cannot address this challenge. In fact, excessive reliance on repression risks reinforcing the very conditions that give rise to radicalism.
A sustainable solution requires rebuilding the social contract, restoring political participation, addressing economic collapse, and reestablishing education and civic culture as foundations of stability.
Without these measures, Syria risks remaining locked in a perpetual cycle where extremism is not defeated, but endlessly recycled under new names and forms.
Conclusion
Syria’s crisis today is not merely a security dilemma, but a profound structural breakdown. Extremism is not the cause of this breakdown—it is its most visible symptom.
Unless the roots of exclusion, poverty, political stagnation, and institutional decay are addressed, radicalization will continue to resurface, regardless of military victories or security campaigns.
The real challenge, therefore, is not how to eliminate extremist groups, but how to rebuild a state and society in which extremism can no longer thrive.
