Jihadist Soccer: Contrary Visions of a Future Syria
By James M. Dorsey
The contrast could hardly be starker. A soccer star-turned-protest leader-turned-jihadist encourages peaceful anti-Bashir al-Assad protests in Syrian rebel-held territory. Nearby, in Islamic State (IS)-controlled territory young boys play soccer with decapitated heads.
The contrast is rife with symbolism. It potentially offers alternati…