While the transitional Syrian government, headed by Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammad al-Julani), intensifies its diplomatic efforts to project an image of a “stable state” with cohesive institutions, realities on the ground shatter this narrative. In a paradox that reflects a deep crisis within the newly established security apparatus, the propaganda activity of the “Islamic State” (ISIS) has resurfaced. This time, it takes an unprecedented operational form through a paper-based campaign bearing a direct slogan that strikes at the heart of the authority: “A Revolution to the Palace.”
Field Expansion of the Campaign: From Daraa to Northern Syria
The organization is no longer content with hiding behind the screens of the virtual space; rather, it has moved its activity into public squares and mosques. According to investigative reports and The Cradle platform, the spark of this campaign ignited in early June 2026 from the Daraa governorate.
June 2 witnessed a massive distribution of the organization’s leaflets across 14 locations and mosques, including the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad, the city of Jasim, and the towns of Ibta, Dael, and Tafas, along with various areas in the southern countryside. This infiltration did not stop at the borders of the south; its footprint expanded in the following days to include mosques in the Idlib and Aleppo governorates.
To prove its capacity for field movement, an entity calling itself the “Al-Ramdha Foundation” claimed responsibility for the campaign. Accounts close to the organization published a video documenting the printing of thousands of publications—which included quotes from the editorials of the organization’s Al-Naba newspaper—and their distribution inside mosques, in a clear and explicit challenge to the security apparatus.
Employing Opposition Political Discourse to Attract New Segments
Choosing Daraa as the launching pad for the campaign was not a random step, as this governorate bears the heavy symbolism of being the “cradle of the Syrian revolution.” From this semantic standpoint, the organization did not limit its campaign to its usual extremist religious literature; instead, it deliberately employed an opposition political discourse. The use of the slogan “A Revolution to the Palace” is a direct attempt to ride the wave of popular anger and address a public that is deeply resentful of al-Sharaa’s government policies.
According to observers, employing this political discourse and passing it through paper leaflets, then moving it from a symbolic point like Daraa to expand towards other governorates like Aleppo and Idlib, reflects a clear strategy by the organization. It aims to invest in traditional propaganda tools to penetrate wider segments of Syrian society and strengthen its field presence.
Security Repercussions and Indicators of Activating Sleeper Cells
Human rights organizations and activists emphasize that treating this infiltration as a mere “media activity” is a fatal strategic flaw. This field display may indicate attempts to activate sleeper cells and recruit new members. Confronting this threat is not limited to security measures alone; it requires a proactive role from state institutions and society in countering extremist ideas and preventing their spread, especially in light of the continued appearance of publications linked to the organization in southern Syria.
In conclusion, the transitional authority stands today before a reckoning that exposes its institutional fragility. The ability to organize a campaign of this magnitude, printing and distributing thousands of anti-government leaflets simultaneously in geographically distant governorates presumed to be secure, thoroughly refutes claims of imposing stability. The events prove that an authority originally born from the womb of extremist factionalism, which today attempts to whitewash its past by appeasing the outside world, cannot genuinely claim to be fighting extremism. Extremist organizations never actually left the Syrian scene to return to it; rather, they are reproducing themselves today by capitalizing on the deep contradictions and internal failures of al-Sharaa’s government, acting as a natural extension of the old “brothers of the methodology” conflict.