| dc.description.abstract | On June 13, 2014, the highest clerical authority in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a defensive jihad fatwa, calling on all capable Iraqi citizens to take up arms and fight ISIS in defense of “their country, their people, and their holy city” following ISIS’ takeover of one third of the country, including Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul. Sistani’s fatwa led to an unprecedented scale of mass mobilization of hundreds of thousands of people who organized under the banner of what has become known as the People’s Mobilization Units. Although PMU’s role in the defeat of ISIS has been recognized by critics and opponents alike, the organization’s role post ISIS has raised a number of questions amongst researchers and political analysts. Through interviews with key members in the PMU as well as the examination more than 200 videos documenting PMU’s social service work, I attempt to investigate PMU's motivation for the provision of social services. My data shows that PMC’s welfare activities are motivated by both material as well as non-material (ideological) objectives, and they strive to cater to all groups across the sectarian spectrum in Iraq. Whilst all informants cite altruistic motives, there are clear strategic provision patterns that co-exist. Consequently, this contributes to the group’s image-building as a ‘protector’ for all Iraqis, and promotes an image of its organization as a popular national movement. | eng |