Hamas and Hezbollah Get Backlash for Mourning Pope

Expressions of regret after the death of Pope Francis from Hamas, Hezbollah and other Islamist groups and Islamic leaders have drawn an online backlash from those who take an even harder line.

Why It Matters

The backlash shows the divisions among Islamists as they are caught in global ideological battles and conflicts that have dimensions beyond the religious.

Pope Francis had been an outspoken critic of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza since the Hamas attack of October 2023 and had often voiced sympathy for the territory's people, winning him praise from Palestinians. He had also championed interfaith dialogue. But for those taking an even harder Islamist line that was still no reason to honor a Christian.

What To Know

Following the death of Pope Francis, both Hamas and Hezbollah issued statements mourning his passing and praising his legacy. Hamas called him "a man of humanitarian stances who opposed aggression and genocide," while Hezbollah described him as "inspiring," highlighting his support for Lebanon and commitment to interfaith dialogue.

On social media, hardline voices accused Hamas and Hezbollah of theological betrayal masked as political pragmatism.

"Hamas—one day offering condolences for the Rafidi who kills Sunnis, and another day for the Pope—and then they expect victory from God...," wrote one user on X. The term "Rafidi" is a derogatory label used by hardline Sunnis to refer to Shia Muslims.

In a comment on Hezbollah's statement, one user wrote on Facebook: "The Party of Satan mourns the leader of the polytheists out of hypocrisy and flattery toward the Crusaders."

The gestures, echoed by several other Muslim leaders, drew criticism from ultra-conservative Islamists who say mourning a non-Muslim religious figure defies Islamic teachings.

"Praying for mercy for a non-Muslim after their death contradicts many verses of the Holy Quran, which state that the fate of those who disbelieve in Islam is the Hellfire," wrote one Facebook user in response to the mourning message from Iranian-born Iraqi Shia leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Similarly, some hardliners mocked Egypt's Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb for referring to the pope as a "brother in humanity" in his condolence statement. Radical comments also attacked Pope Francis for his support for same-sex marriages.

There also appeared to be mixed feelings over expressions of sympathy for the Pope in Israel. The Israeli government posted and then deleted a tweet mourning the death of Pope Francis, which included an image of the Pope at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The tweet's removal followed backlash over the Pope's criticism of Israel's military actions in Gaza, according to Reuters.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are ultimately committed to destroying Israel, which they see as occupying Muslim land.

What People Are Saying

User by the name of Abdullah on X: "Francis' defense of the oppressed, Muslims, and Palestine will not benefit him. The Pope's polytheism places him among the people of Hell. Enough with the hypocrisy."

Egyptian Gynecologist Rabab Elkady on Facebook: "When the Pope of the Catholics dies, a fight breaks out because some Muslims refuse to pray for him, seeing him as a disbeliever—and offering prayers for the dead is forbidden, since paradise, to them, is reserved for Muslims only. And in the same argument, you'll find some Orthodox Christians who don't consider him a true Christian, viewing his beliefs as corrupt, convinced that only they hold the true faith and that Catholics and Protestants are beyond salvation and won't enter the Kingdom. At that point, you realize that heaven and the kingdom seem off-limits to the narrow-minded, and that the corruption of the heart is a greater crime than flawed theology, and that humanity is the foundation of every sound belief. May God have mercy on the Pope, a man of peace, and forgive him."

What Happens Next

The backlash reveals deep divisions over interfaith gestures within the Muslim world, underscoring how Islamist groups seek to balance doctrine with political concerns.