ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors attempt to answer questions, by reviewing the regional and national responses to the caliphate at the regional level and also its national affiliates. Among the international military alliances that emerged to fight the organization, for example, only one was initiated in the region. Yet, none of the international coalitions created to fight the group provided an inclusive platform for state actors irrespective of their identity features and geopolitical interests. The symposiums have thus far focused on examining and fighting terrorism, promoting intellectual security, and spreading the values of tolerance and acceptance. Abu Dhabi’s Hedayah International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism is a spearhead in the fight against violent extremism and several organized conferences and workshops that specifically addressed the danger of Salafi-jihadi ideology. As highlighted in the analysis of the Islamic State’s discourse, the group devoted growing efforts to fight and delegitimize its fellows instead of focusing on the alliance of the ‘Crusaders’.
