Nasrallah's killing splits the Muslim world, some mourn his death others rejoice it

The death of Hezbollah’s 37-year-long chief Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli strikes in Beirut had two kinds of reactions in the Muslim world. While one section of the community was “outraged” by the killing, taking to the streets to express their anger, there was another side which celebrated the whole ordeal.

The shockwaves of the death of the Hezbollah leader even reached India. During the weekend, massive protests erupted in Kashmir following the death of Nasrallah in Lebanon. Amid the demonstration, the former Chief Minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti and senior National Conference leader Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi called off their election campaign to condole the killing of the Hezbollah leader.

The skies of the heavenly region of Kashmir were engulfed with anti-Israeli and anti-American chants as the protesters marched on the streets with the photograph of the Hezbollah supremo. Similar protests were also held in Iran as the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced a day of mourning.

However, there was one section of the Muslim society which celebrated the death of the Hezbollah chief.  Acknowledging the atrocities Nasrallah and the Lebanese militant group committed over the years, many celebrated his death by singing dancing and just taking to the street. So why is the Muslim world so divided? What is at the root of this division?

Why was Kashmir ‘outraged’ by the death of Nasrallah?

It is pertinent to note that Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for over three decades, was a revered figure among the Shia community around the world. Even in Kashmir, the Shia community considered him as a “symbol of resistance”. Shortly after Nasrallah’s death was confirmed by Hezbollah, Mehdi–a member of the Srinagar Parliament called off his campaigning.

Mufti also announced that she would end her election campaign. “Cancelling my campaign tomorrow in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon & Gaza, especially Hassan Nasrallah. We stand with the people of Palestine & Lebanon in this hour of immense grief & exemplary resistance,” Mufti wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It is important to note that Sunday was the last day of election campaigning for the 16 seats of north Kashmir that will go to the polls in the third and last phase on October 1.

Meanwhile, Iran which is predominantly Shia, also saw protests and mourning over the death of the Hezbollah leader. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel that its assassination of Nasrallah would “not go unavenged”. Khamenei also announced five days of mourning in Iran and called for an emergency meeting of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Not only this, Tehran also called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

But is the Shia-Sunni divide really the case? Because demonstrations were also taking over Pakistan, which is predominantly Sunni. The clashes in Pakistan, especially in the city of Karachi even turned violent as protesters pelted stones and police struggled to stop them from reaching the US consulate in the city.

The country’s police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters marching towards the consulate. Senior Police official Asad Reza said that police intervened to maintain law and order after the protesters turned violent. ”When stopped by the police and reminded of their agreed route to peacefully protest, some of them turned violent and started pelting stones at the police in which some policemen were injured,” Raza said as per the report by Dawn.

So who exactly was celebrating Nasrallah’s death?

Pockets of revelry erupted across the Middle East, be it Sunni-dominated Syria or Shia-dominated Iran. Some people living in areas outside government control in Syria celebrated the killing of Nasrallah, including the jihadist-run rebel bastion of Idlib. In the videos circulated online, people were seen waving Syrian flags and handing out sweets on Saturday morning.

Many Syrian opposition supporters and activists despise Hezbollah since the Lebanese group fought rebel forces in a number of areas in the country during the civil war. This not only led to heavy losses among opposition factions but also forced tens of thousands to flee the country.

There were also celebrations in some parts of Iran, Hezbollah’s prime sponsor. But the nature of the protests was a bit different. As per the videos circulating on social media, several Iranian women were seen toasting the news.

In the video, the speakers blasted, “The children of Iran, send a congratulatory message to everyone for the death of Hassan Nasrallah and congratulate the Iranian nation,” adding a thank you to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Not only this, pro-shah Iranians also gathered outside the Israeli embassy in London to celebrate the death of the Hezbollah leader. Some notable figures in Saudi Arabia also posted on social media celebrating what they called “the end of an era” and the “death of one of the biggest threats to Arabs, Islam, and the world.”

More than just a Shia-Sunni divide: A divide between the majority and the minority

There is one trend in common if we look at the section of society celebrating Nasrallah’s death in the Middle East, i.e. the minorities and the oppressed groups in the Middle East are rejoicing Hezbollah’s chief’s death. In the case of Syria, the section of society which opposes the government took to the streets to celebrate Nasrallah’s demise.

A similar trend can be seen in Iran where some of the women were seen in merry spirits. Now the important thing to note is that Iran is still scarred by the nationwide anti-government protests that erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini a couple of years back.

Hence, it can be safe to say that the women in Iran saw the Hezbollah chief’s death as a defeat for the Iranian regime that has been actively supporting the Lebanese militant group. Not only this, minorities, especially the non-muslim minorities in Lebanon were also seen happy with the death of the veteran chief, looking at it as a hope for regime change in the country which has been in the clutches of the militant group for over three decades.