Politicising Jihad

Abstract The final chapter explores how the institutionalisation of the armed opposition informed its politicisation. It traces Jihadi ideological revisionism from pre-2011 prisoner debates to the impact of the configuration of the conflict—including the domestic nature of the uprising and factional competition—to explain how new ideas emerged and consolidated in the armed opposition, especially in Ahrar al-Sham. The chapter then focuses on Ahrar al-Sham’s institutional trajectory, examining the group’s struggle to fully embrace the Syrian armed opposition’s revolutionary agenda. Despite being one of the most successful armed groups in Syria, Ahrar al-Sham faced numerous institutional impediments that hindered its ability to fully realise its political aspirations. The final part of the chapter analyses the challenges posed by the rise of Jabhat al-Nusra (as it transformed into HTS), as well as the external subjugation of the armed opposition by Russia and Turkey.