Arabs On Social Media Express Joy Over Death Of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi: 'He Was A Despicable Mass-Murderer'; 'The Iranian Regime Is The Number One Enemy Of The Arabs'

While the Arab governments, in their official statements, expressed sorrow and condolences over the deaths of Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi, its foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and two other Iranian officials in a May 19, 2024 helicopter crash, videos and pictures circulated on social media showed citizens in the Arab countries celebrating the death of the Iranian officials and even handing out candy in the streets. Likewise, Arab journalists, intellectuals and political activists on social media did not conceal their joy over Raisi's death, calling him a cruel "spiller of blood," "criminal" and "murderer" who represented the Iranian regime, which is "the number one enemy of the Arabs." This regime, they said, is responsible for much bloodshed in Arab countries and has established armed militias in these countries that helped Iran take over their decision-making. Some of the figures slammed the Arab leaders for conveying condolences to Iran, and also blasted the UN Security Council for observing a moment of silence in Raisi's memory. 

Among those who expressed satisfaction over the Iranian president's death were also many Syrian oppositionists, who oppose Iran's presence in Syria and the help it extends to the Bashar Al-Assad regime in fighting its opponents. They encouraged their fellow Syrians to celebrate Raisi's death and wished the same fate on Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and on Assad himself.

This report presents some of the expressions of joy over Raisi's death posted by Arab journalists, intellectuals and activists on social media.

Arab Journalists And Intellectuals: The Iranian Regime Brought Only Disasters Upon The Arab Countries; It Is The Arabs' Number One Enemy

Jordanian filmmaker and scriptwriter Nisreen Al-Sbeihi wrote: "…Iran's proxies, the Houthis, Hamas, Hizbullah and Al-Hashd Al-Sha'bi, as well as its new loyalists in the Left and in the Muslim Brotherhood, feel sad and bereft after the death in a helicopter crash of the Iranian president and foreign minister and their companions. They stress that the Iranian regime and its policy will survive, with the same capabilities and goals, even if the Supreme Leader himself dies. By this they mean that this regime exists to kill more of our sons and to continue destroying our countries economically, culturally and socially… I do not [share] their sense of sorrow and loss. All I feel is great sorrow over the neglect of our land, the murder of our sons, the undermining of our security and the division of our society, and over [the fact that] Iran has been allowed to expand geographically in an attempt to realize [its] dream of restoring the Persian [Empire]…

"As an Arab, I wonder: What has Iran helped our countries to achieve in terms of development? How many hospitals and schools has it built? How many airports has it established or prepared? How many refugees has it taken in? Iran's main achievements – [accomplished] while some of our Arab countries were looking away – are establishing, arming, funding, supporting and training Arab militias to kill us and then take over the political decision-making in our countries in order to turn them into Iranian tools for achieving its goals and nothing more. That is what happened in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria."[1]

Saudi Intellectual Abd Al-Hamid Al-Hakim, formerly the director of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies, shared on X a post by Kuwaiti writer and intellectual Abd Al-Aziz  Bomejdad in which the latter wondered why the response of so many Muslims to Raisi's death was identical to "the position of the Zionists." Al-Hakim answered him: "It is no coincidence. You are ignoring the truth that is known to every honorable Arab, Shi'ite or Sunni, namely that the Iranian regime went far in spilling Arab blood and has destroyed four Arab capitals… The Iranian regime is the number one enemy of the Arabs, [but] the ignorant people who caper around him to the tune of sectarian racism, [dancing] over the dead bodies of their fellow Arabs, do not understand this."[2] 

Abd Al-Hamid Al-Hakim's post

Similarly, Egyptian media figure Hussein Al-Mutawi', a host on the Al-Basira channel, wrote on his X account:  "…Hamas is mourning Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and calling him 'a man of honorable positions'! O Hamas, what honorable positions do Raisi and the Iranians espouse? Do you mean his honorable positions about destroying Iraq and taking it over after turning it into a heap of dead bodies? Or his positions on Syria, on dividing it, destroying it and expelling its people?! Or do you mean his honorable positions on Yemen, on planting the Houthi organizations like a dagger in the back of the Arab Saudi Kingdom? O Hamas, shame on you!"[3]

Algerian Liberal: The Joy Displayed By Gazans Over Raisi's Death Reflects The Discrepancy Between Them And The Hamas Leadership

Algerian intellectual Anwar Malik commented on a video posted on Facebook by Rafah-based Salafi Sheikh Majdi Al-Mughrabi. In the video the sheikh welcomed Raisi's death, calling it "a blessing from Allah," and also showed people on the streets of Gaza handing out sweets in celebration of Raisi's death. In the message accompanying the video,   Al-Mughrabi wrote: "Despite our anguish and wounds here in Gaza, we cannot help rejoicing along with our brothers in Ahwaz, Iraq, Yemen, and Al-Sham [Syria], and with the Muslims over the deaths of the blood-soaked criminal, murderer and death-squad [commander] Raisi and the gang of criminals who were with him."[4]

Algerian intellectual Anwar Malik shared this video, along with pictures of Gazans handing out sweets after the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020, and commented: "What does it mean that the Palestinians, especially in Gaza, are celebrating the death of the Iranian president, while the Hamas leadership is shedding tears and beating its breast[5] over this 'grave disaster'? Doesn't it mean that there is a huge discrepancy between our people and this leadership, which is associated with the Axis of Murder? The same thing happened when Soleimani died!"[6]

The images shared by Anwar Malik: Gazans handing out sweets after Raisi's death (right) and after Soleimani's death (left)

Lebanese Researcher: Will The Security Council Also Observe A Moment Of Silence  In Remembrance Of Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi Or Mussolini?

Lebanese-Iraqi journalist Hussein Abd Al-Hussein, a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies  think tank, posted on X:  "…Tens of millions of citizens of Iran, #Iraq, #Syria, #Lebanon [and] #Yemen celebrated Raisi’s death, mainly on social media." In another post he slammed the UN Security Council for observing a minute of silence for Raisi's death, writing:  " If UN and EU are going to observe a moment of silence for Raisi, why not for Saddam Hussein or Gaddafi or Mussolini? What [are] the criteria here?"[7]

Egyptian Liberal: Shame On The Egyptian Government And The Sheikh Of Al-Azhar For Issuing Statements Lamenting Raisi's Death

U.S.-based Egyptian liberal Dalia Ziada, director of the Center for Middle East and East Mediterranean Studies, shared the statement issued by Egypt's Foreign Ministry after the disappearance of Raisi's helicopter, which expressed concern over Raisi's fate.  Ziada commented: "What a shame, Egypt! The Egyptian government [says], 'We are very worried… We pray to Allah to grant safety to the Iranian president and his companions.' Do you know what? When President Sadat was killed in reprisal for his peace accord with Israel, Iran celebrated and named a main street in Tehran after Sadat’s assassinator! This new love that the Egyptian government is showing to Islamists and their sponsor [in] the Iran-Qatar axis is very disturbing and will eventually cause Egypt a lot of damage."[8]

In another post she shared the statement issued by the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, following Raisi's death, in which he expressed solidarity with the Iranian people. Ziada commented: " And here, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar (the largest religious authority in the Sunni Muslim world) is also showing solidarity to Iran. He wrote it in Persian language."[9]

Syrian Oppositionists: "Congratulations To Damascus And Syria"; "Rejoice At The Misfortune Of Those Who Murdered You!"

Joy Over Raisi's Death Was Also Expressed By Many Syrian Oppositionists who detest Iran, the ally of the Assad regime that helps him fight his opponents. Syrian opposition Ayman Abd Al-Nour posted on X pictures and a video of Syrians in Aleppo and Idlib handing out sweets in celebration of Raisi's death, and wrote: "Syrians in northern Aleppo and Idlib are handing out candy on the streets to celebrate the helicopter  crash that killed the Iranian president along with other senior officials."[10]

The sign held by the man on the right says "In celebration of the death of the Iranian pig [Raaisi], hopefully soon to be joined by the Syrian pig Bashar [Al-Assad]…"

Hassan Al-Daghim, a member of the Istanbul-based Syrian Islamic Council, which serves as an authority for numerous Islamic factions that oppose Assad, shared the following post on his X account: "Congratulations to Baghdad and Iraq, congratulations to Damasus and Syria, congratulations to Beirut and Lebanon, congratulations to Yemen and Sanaa, congratulations to the Arabs and Muslims, congratulations to the freedom-lovers in Iran. The bloody, crude and despicable mass-murderer… Ebrahim Raisi has come to an end along with his Minister of Lies, [Hossein Amir-Abd]ollahian. Let us hope to witness the death of his superior, [Iran's  Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei [and see his body]  torn asunder by bears and hyenas."[11]

Muhammad Jassim (Abu Amsha), commander of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division, a Turkish-backed Syrian opposition faction, wrote, "Congratulations to the free Syrian people on the death of the criminal Zoroastrian president of Iran."[12]

Syrian journalist Alia Mansour, a known opponent of the Assad regime, wrote: "According to leaked documents, Iran spent more than $50 billion to protect [President Basher] Al-Assad in Syria and to fight the Syrians. That same Iran has no rescue teams or rescue equipment and [therefore needed] help from the Turks in order to find the body of its president. If the sanctions were the reason [it can't afford to buy rescue equipment], then it wouldn't have been able to spend all that money in Syria and in other places. [These] are criminal regimes [that act] first of all against their own people."[13]

Syrian broadcaster Siba Madwar, who lives in London and is identified with the opposition, wrote, "Oh dear Syrians, Yemenis and Iraqis, continue with your celebrations and ignore those who disparage them for weak reasons such as [respecting] the sanctity of death, [the prohibition against] gloating over another's misfortune, and [claims that] Iran is powerful. Just as they ignore the number of your martyrs, tragedies and torments, you must ignore them and not ascribe any value or importance to them. Don't [let anyone] taint your joy. May your celebrations continue and may Allah renew them for you."[14]

Abd Al-Jalil Al-Sa'id, a Syrian journalist in exile who writes on the Emirati news site Al-Ain, wrote: "During the Iran-Iraq war Ebrahim Raisi was a judge. He used to punish Iraqi prisoners of war by throwing them to their death from planes.  Thank Allah, he was rewarded in kind."[15]

Syrian opposition activist Omar Madaniah shared a video showing the coffins of President Raisi and the others who died in the crash, and wrote, "First footage showing the preparation of the coffins that will carry the carcass of the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi [and his companions], and some pagan ceremonies. None of these ceremonies will save them from the fires of hell."[16]

Syrian author and poet Maher Sharafeddine, who is identified with the Syrian opposition, wrote, "This is one of those rare moments when schadenfreude is one's natural right. Oh Syrians, rejoice at the misfortune of those who murdered you."[17]