Caliphate

A young Muslim woman from Sweden living in Raqqa, Pervin grows increasingly disillusioned with life under ISIS. She is determined, resourceful, and fiercely protective of her baby daughter Latifa, navigating dangerous networks to seek a safer path home. Her choices propel the plot and test the limits of loyalty, truth, and survival.

A Swedish Security Service agent who is at odds with her leadership after a previous incident. She relentlessly pursues information from Pervin, balancing professional duty with personal risk. Fatima orchestrates and participates in efforts to thwart the planned attack, ultimately risking herself to save lives.

A 15-year-old Palestine activist who becomes entangled in Ibbe's recruitment. She is impressionable, seeking belonging and significance, and she ultimately shows resolve by cooperating with authorities to protect her sister. Her trajectory highlights the vulnerability of youth and the impact of radicalization on family.

Sulle's younger sister, a vulnerable girl drawn into extremist rhetoric. She travels with her sister and is at high risk of radicalization; her fate becomes a focal point of the effort to prevent further harm. Her arc underscores how family dynamics can accelerate or avert extremism.

The central recruiter, Ibrahim Haddad, who cultivates followers by exploiting insecurity and promising belonging. He manipulates Sulle and Kerima, orchestrates plans, and proves willing to sacrifice others for larger aims. Ibbe's calculated ruthlessness culminates in a deadly bombing and a catastrophic pursuit.

Pervin's husband and an ISIS member who becomes a pivotal obstacle and, later, a reluctant participant in protective decisions. He is positioned as a loyalist within the movement, yet his choices are shaped by fear, family duty, and the pressure of escaping the system. His arc intersects with Pervin's attempts to retreat and start anew.

A colleague in the Swedish Security Service who threads together information and coordinates responses. He remains a steady, pragmatic ally to Fatima, guiding investigations and helping to assemble a plan to rescue those at risk. Calle represents the methodical, procedural side of counterterrorism.

An anti-radicalization activist who provides crucial information and contacts to Fatima. Dolores becomes a casualty in the struggle against extremist recruitment, dying after a stabbing at an anti-radicalization meeting. Her character embodies the personal risks faced by activists on the front lines.

A 15-year-old girl who is drawn into Ibbe's circle and used to further his plan. She Endures abuse at home and is recruited through manipulation and promises of belonging. Kerima's arc includes a suicide-vest plot, a desperate moment of agency, and a final, tragic demise.

Sulle and Lisha's father, a man who voices disdain for religion and upholds a secular, cautious stance. He actively participates in protecting his family when the danger becomes imminent, and his perspective adds a parental counterpoint to the rise of extremism. Suleiman embodies the tension between skepticism and parental responsibility.