Ever since the Syrian civil war broke out over three years ago and the progressive departure of US troops from Iraqi soil, the situation in the Middle East appears to be more uncertain and explosive than ever. The sudden rise of ISIS as a regional power is worrisome not only because they appear to be well organized and well funded, but also because their methods of ruling have turned the most gruesome acts of violence into banal occurrences of the daily life.
Vanity Fair published the story of an anonymous citizen of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the self-proclaimed caliphate. The witness recounts in their words what the daily life in this city has turned into. Molly Crabappaple illustrated the article based on pictures taken with a cell phone.
Na’eem in Arabic means “paradise,” but ISIS changed this beautiful public place into the complete opposite. The square that was a favorite place for boys and girls to have dates, for little kids to play, and for the elders to relive their youths by taking in the activity of the city, is now the awful place of spikes upon which chopped-off heads are placed. The story of this square sums up the dark story of the whole city.
The story and depictions align with what can be seen in the the Vice videos that were released in August and September – these are the only independent video documents that have been published since ISIS asserted power over eastern Syria. They are well worth watching as a first-hand account of what is happening and what is at stake in this region.