ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the emergence of Salafism in the current Syrian context. From the 1980s, the Salafis, in particular jihadi Salafism, and the Muslim Brotherhood disappeared in Syria and no longer had a noticeable influence on the masses. This was assisted by the fact that traditionally the Syrian people embrace moderate interpretations of Islam that refuse political violence. From the beginning of Syrian revolution in March of 2011 up until December of 2011, the Syrian people had hopes of a peaceful change of the regime that would result in the establishment of a civil state based on democracy and citizenship. Although most Syrian Salafi groups share the above features since early 2012, they differ from each other in certain ways. Syrian Salafism began to crystallize, became attractive to individuals and groups and also began to form into a military entity that paralleled the Free Syrian Army yet differed from it in terms of structure and resources.
