Even after years of tyranny and war, the Syrian regime still clings to power. But who and what is this regime, really? What forces and narratives hold it together from within? Journalist and Orientalist Daniel Gerlach unravels the background of a logic of violence and manipulation to which the rulers have also subjected themselves. What began in 2011 as a rebellion against a politically and morally bankrupt system has escalated further, accelerated by the excesses of the Islamic State. The world watches helplessly, unable or unwilling to help - the lines of conflict seem too tangled, and the fear of supporting the wrong side is too great. Daniel Gerlach sheds light on the schizophrenic relationship between religions and sects in Syria, as well as the influence of visible and invisible powers that make this conflict so relentless.