Popular Hashtag in Arab World Names Iran, Islamic State as Partners

arab social media
YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty
Ali Waked

TEL AVIV – In an attempt to fight the idea that Iran is part of the war on terror, particularly the Islamic State group, social media users in the Arab world have rallied behind the hashtag #ISIS_and_Iran_are_one, claiming that the two have mutual interests and are serving one another.

Some of the comments attempted to connect Iran’s Shiite ideology with IS’s Sunni extremism.

Ali Odeh, a history professor specializing in the Crusades, wrote, “Since the appearance of Khomeini-ism, it’s killed millions of Sunnis and they’ve spread their false ideology. ISIS, on the other hand, has never harmed Iran as it has the Sunnis.”

In another post, Odeh added, “ISIS’s mission is to cause destruction and anarchy in Sunni nations to make it easier for Iran to consume them, proving that ISIS is an Iranian creation!!”

Another social media user, Issa Alzahrani, said, “Al-Qaida and ISIS were born from Iran’s womb: Both are lethal organizations operating with Iranian funding and … with the purpose of implementing the Iranian agenda in the region.”

Abou Houssein wrote, “ISIS and Iran are two sides of the same corruption with the goal of destroying the Islamic faith in the name of religion. They are both a product of the West.”

Another Twitter user stated, “ISIS is a product of Iran whose goal is to harm Islam and propagate anarchy and destruction in Muslim countries. Iran is the only one ISIS has not attacked yet.”

https://twitter.com/45015Salah/status/851517710794190848

Saad Alkhoudari said, “Iran manages ISIS and funds the group. The proof is the desertion of the Iraqi Army from its positions so ISIS would take over in its place. This is an Iranian-ISIS plot.”

Abou Moaz Alkuwaiti wrote, “Iran and ISIS are the source of evil in the Islamic world and unfortunately they are part of Islam even when they are the farthest thing from Islam.”

https://twitter.com/Kuwait_okk/status/851495247255306246

Jawan Mulahassan gave his opinion as well, writing, “The proof is that all of ISIS’s attacks are directed against the Sunnis in order to realize Iran’s ambitions. Every time the Sunnis mark a victory somewhere, ISIS shows up to defile that victory.”

Another Twitter user wrote, “This is a familiar show. ISIS captures a Sunni city, Iran arrives with a promise of safe passage for ISIS’s withdrawal and brings in a Shia militia and kills the Sunnis.”

Rahim Alrshede wrote, “If we don’t strike at the head of the snake, the ayatollahs of Tehran at the center of their homes and carry out a coup against them, the terror won’t stop and whoever thinks otherwise is a fool who lives in illusions.”

https://twitter.com/rhemalrshede1/status/851959935416115200

Another Twitter user posted, “Iran’s groups must be eliminated everywhere. The Houthis, ISIS, Al-Qaida and other groups. These are murderers without humanity.”

Zahrat Alrabie wrote, “ISIS is Iran’s way of occupying Arab and Muslim countries, killing the inhabitants, driving them from their homes and stealing the resources of those countries.”

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.