The place where men can be whipped by pictures of women on mobile

Raqqa, Syria, declared capital of the Islamic State, uses brutality and violence to impose their rules to citizens

Raqqa was little known to the group calling itself the Islamic State to declare it the capital in 2014.

Semi-deserted town of less than 200,000 people in northeastern Syria, did not have much importance in recent centuries. That changed with the rise of extremist group and now its brutality and violence are known worldwide.

Women are not allowed to walk alone in the streets, and face the constant surveillance of female police. Salons or football matches of views were banned. Even those who are caught with a picture of a woman on the phone can be sentenced to lashes.


But it was not always so.



Life before the EI

The major transformation of Raqqa in the last century occurred in the 1970s, when a large hydroelectric plant was built nearby, the river Euphrates.


Large agricultural projects in the area have attracted tens of thousands of new residents from other parts of Syria in search of opportunities, which changed the demography of the region.


Before that, it was merely a remote station to police the trade routes between the major Syrian cities in the west and the most western cities of Iraq, from Mosul to Baghdad.

Raqqa is in an area that gives access to all parts of Syria, and also to Iraq, through a large semidesert region east of the city. Perhaps this is the reason why the Islamic State has chosen as its capital.


There was a private university and some technical schools in the city government. Raqqa was full of cafes and its residents used to stay up late on the streets during the summer in parks and restaurants where young men and women were talking together.



In fact, they were also together in protests against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad. This, of course, before the EI take the city.

There were no industries in the province of Raqqa, Syria's third largest, and most of the people working on farms or for the government. Tribal customs are strong in the city and its region.

The city is populated by Sunni Arabs, linked to Sunni tribes in western Iraq. There was a Kurdish minority in the city, and also in other cities of mixed ethnic groups in the province, as Ain Issa. But the Kurds were expelled by EI, who questioned his loyalty after fighting between the Islamic State and Kurdish forces in other parts of Syria.


The new routine: violence and brutality

To take the city and the province, driving out other rebel groups, the EI established a style of government that focuses on good relationship with local professionals and former government officials.

Strict Islamic law, or sharia, were imposed and special courts, led by EI judges were created.


The commander of Raqqa is called "wali". He is supported by various emirs, each responsible for a service department.

Punishments and harsh penalties introduced by EI have made it impossible to protest or resist the policies and practices of the group. Public beheadings are common, as punishment for the long list of acts considered crimes under its rules.

The EI depends basically brute force and violence to rule, and this policy is generally reinforced by foreign jihadists.

Residents who initially were in the city, have adapted their lives to the group regime. At that time, there was security, some law, services and access to food.

But with the increase in recent air bombers from Russia and France and the destruction of electricity and water systems, life became difficult for civilians. There is now a lack of fuel, since most refineries were attacked.

Women and girls can not leave their homes unless they are accompanied by an adult male relative - usually the father, brother or husband - and (veil) niqab is a must for them, top covering the body from head to ankle.

There is also a special police force patrolling the streets to reinforce the application of sharia, including rules on how men should dress.

Smoking is forbidden and who is caught by the police "Al-hisba" can be whipped. All men should go to mosques for prayers during the day.

Among the laws imposed by EI, there is a punishment of 30 lashes for anyone caught with a picture of a woman recorded on the phone.

Watch football matches is also illegal, and cafés can be closed if caught displaying matches.

A female police force, the battalion "Al-Khansaa" patrol the streets to arrest women who are not dressed according to the group law. Members of this force are mostly fighters EI wives. They are responsible for punishing those who are not dressed properly and torturing prisoners.

Beauty salons were banned and most women avoid the streets to prevent surveillance of female police or be chosen to marry one jihadist if they are single or widowed.

The wives of fallen fighters are forced to marry other fighters. There incentive to have no children, because marriages do not last long: most young husbands are in combat and many are killed.

Syrians in Raqqa believe the EI domain will end sooner or later. Until then, repression and violence must continue.