The Raqqa Diaries

The book is a personal diary written by Samer (pseudonym) about his experiences whilst living in Raqqa, the capital of IS’s self-proclaimed Caliphate in eastern Syria. With the aid of well-thought out illustrations, Samer begins by depicting how the short-lived euphoria surrounding the liberation of Raqqa in 2013 by the Free Syrian Army paved the way for a more sinister and brutal form of oppression to take hold, that of Daesh. Life is punctuated with streams of executions and lashings designed to instill fear and control over the populace. No one dares question them. As their grip gradually takes hold, any sense of freedom, dignity and justice − something, which the rebellion sought to achieve − is quickly suffocated. Samer reminds us of the hypocrisy of IS; whilst banning civilians from smoking, television and enforcing strict dress codes, the Daesh fighters have no qualms about living a comparably more comfortable lifestyle. For Samer, not only is this offence against innocent civilians, but against Islam itself. Samer, being told he is a heretic, is made to attend a Sharia course, where failure to attend usually leads to a death sentence, and is eventually re-entered into Islam after completing the course.