Governance of Resistance in North and East Syria - (Kurdish Studies) by Zeynep Kaya & Robert Lowe (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

How does a resistant- armed group govern and implement an alternative political programme during war?Governance of Resistance in North and East Syria examines the momentous development of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration since 2012. The creation of this unprecedented, ideologically radical entity is of immense significance in Kurdish, Syrian and Middle Eastern history and for discourses of nationalism and identity. Rojava has been transformational for the local population, the course of the Syrian war, and for regional geopolitics. The movement's commitment to an accommodation within Syria and to a new form of inclusive politics makes it an essential component of the post-Assad settlement.

This book presents new research from the expanding scholarship to interrogate Rojava as a political and social idea and explain the resistance narrative that underpins the ideology and governance structures. The contributions examine key aspects of the condition of the autonomous government, its successes, failures and impact, including the theory and nature of the political structures, their application in Arab areas, identity, education, gender and foreign relations. The findings demonstrate that North and East Syria has been revolutionary, that resistance there is resilient, and that there are constant and dynamic tensions between ideology and pragmatism in the evolution of this remarkable political and social project.

Review Quotes

"This is a comprehensive, scholarly, and accessible account of Kurds in Syria and their attempt at radical democracy amid the chaos of the Syrian civil war. Must read for anyone interested in Kurds, Syria, and
beyond." --Mehmet Gurses, Professor, Florida Atlantic University, USA

"The rapidly changing conditions in North and East Syria make this a hotspot that is likely to be of grave
concern both to European and American policy makers and to the wider public... The book promises to cover many other aspects than are covered in the Allsopp/van Wilgenburg book, which will be its major competitor. The fieldwork-based chapters will be especially valuable in offering more realistic insights...A must-read for anyone interested in Kurdish politics, in the Syrian conflict, in Turkey's role in the Middle East." --Martin van Bruinessen, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

"This timely book does not only insist on the weakness and strengths of the Kurdish "Rojava" region in Syria, the threats it has faced for more than a decade, and the symbolic role that it plays in the broader Kurdish region; it also highlights the importance of the Kurdish led AANES for the future of post-Assad Syria as a whole." --Hamit Bozarslan, Professor, L'École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, France

"Whatever the future holds for Syria's Kurds, this volume will offer vital insights into a unique and profoundly revolutionary political and social experiment not only for Kurds, but potentially influential for Syria and for the whole region." --David McDowall, author of A Modern History of the Kurds (2021), UK

About the Author

Zeynep Kaya is a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sheffield, UK. She is the author of Mapping Kurdistan: Territory, Self-Determination and Nationalism (2020). Zeynep is co-editor of I.B. Tauris's Kurdish Studies Series and an Academic Associate at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, UK.

Robert Lowe is Deputy Director of the LSE Middle East Centre, UK and co-editor of I.B. Tauris's Kurdish Studies Series. He was formerly a Research Fellow at Chatham House and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Exeter.