Do Muslims in the United States support Hamas?

Do Muslims in the United States support Hamas? With events in Gaza still unfolding, this is a truly important question. Keep in mind that Hamas is clearly identified as a terrorist organization. One indication of support for Hamas among America’s Muslim population comes from major research released last year. A Pew Research survey of U.S. adults revealed that a significant majority in the United States believe Israel has valid reasons for fighting Hamas. However, the survey also highlighted a concerning level of support for Hamas among U.S. Muslims.

The study, which included 12,693 U.S. adults, found that only 8% of respondents expressed a favorable view of Hamas, while 84% held an unfavorable opinion, with 60% viewing the terrorist organization very unfavorably. This reflects a broad consensus across the U.S. population against Hamas. Unsurprisingly, only 3% of the Jewish community viewed Hamas favorably, while 91% of white evangelical Protestants and 87% of white non-evangelical Protestants expressed unfavorable views of the terrorist group.

But among U.S. Muslims surveyed, the results were notably different: only 58% expressed an unfavorable view of Hamas, while 37% held a favorable opinion. This suggests that, in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict, a significant portion of U.S. Muslims may sympathize with Hamas and Palestinians more broadly. While the survey indicates a divided perspective within the U.S. Muslim community—since sympathy for Palestinians does not fully equate to support for Hamas’s atrocities—the high favorability toward Hamas is alarming. Notably, the survey found that nearly half (49%) of U.S. Muslims believe Hamas has “valid reasons” for fighting Israel, while 21% viewed the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack as acceptable. This means that roughly one in two U.S. Muslims believes Hamas is justified in fighting Israel, and about one in five has no issue with the Oct. 7 attack.

How can we understand this significant favorability toward Hamas among U.S. Muslims? The answer lies in two core Islamic concepts: the Muslim umma and Islam’s hegemony. These concepts are central to explaining Muslim support for Hamas.

The first concept, the umma, is an Arabic term meaning “a unified Muslim community.” Found in the Quran, it reflects Islamic nationalism, suggesting that Islam transcends and supersedes an individual’s national identity. This fosters solidarity with fellow Muslims, particularly against non-Muslim “infidels.” Muslims view themselves not merely as individuals but as part of a religiopolitical community—the umma—which influences their social and cultural choices. The belief is that Muslims are superior to non-Muslims and must support their fellow Muslims, especially in times of conflict. Thus, a Muslim in New York, Gaza, Cairo, or even a remote village in Africa or Asia may proudly identify as part of Muhammad’s umma, emphasizing unparalleled solidarity with Muslims of different ethnicities, languages, and cultures.

While Christians also exhibit a sense of unity that transcends social and cultural boundaries, their solidarity typically centers on doctrinal or pragmatic issues. In contrast, Muslims often openly and emphatically claim that their unity encompasses all aspects of life. However, these claims are often selective and politically motivated. For example, Muslim solidarity with Sudanese or Chinese Muslims is far less pronounced than with Gazan Muslims, largely due to the political focus on the conflict with Israel. Although Muslims may assert the equality of all Muslims within the umma, social and economic disparities persist, and the treatment of lower classes by upper classes is less utopian than claimed. Nevertheless, the concept of the umma drives U.S. Muslims’ political solidarity with Hamas as fellow Muslims viewed as resisting oppression.

The second concept is the Muslim mandate to seek Islamic hegemony. For Muslims, Islam must be seen as superior, particularly over Judaism and Christianity. Devout Muslims find it intolerable for Muslims to be defeated by non-Muslims. The Israel-Hamas conflict is often viewed through a theological lens: Jews are triumphing over Muslims, rather than the State of Israel responding to Hamas’ terrorist attacks. This perspective frames the conflict as a blow to Islam’s dominance, which is unacceptable to Muslims, as the Quran and Muhammad’s teachings explicitly designate Jews as enemies of Islam. Through this lens, Muslims aspire to the era of Muhammad, when he reportedly waged wars against Jewish tribes and Christian villages, defeating and expelling them. In longing for these early days of Islam, many U.S. Muslims view Hamas as a legitimate Islamic resistance against Jewish oppression. The belief is that Jews should be overcome, expelled, or eradicated to establish Allah’s rule through Muslims. This worldview may explain the favorability and strong support for Hamas among U.S. Muslims.

Many non-Muslims in the United States view the Israel-Hamas conflict from a distance, without a direct connection to it, whereas U.S. Muslims engage with the conflict deeply and personally, particularly through a theological lens. These Muslims often sympathize with Hamas, seeing them as fellow Muslims waging jihad against Jews for Allah’s sake. In this worldview, Hamas is largely not viewed as a terrorist organization but as an agent of Allah’s cause, advancing Islam’s hegemony and Muhammad’s umma. Through this Muslim perspective, Hamas’s atrocities—killing 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping hundreds—are downplayed and portrayed as legitimate resistance against the enemy.

The power of theology should never be underestimated. In a secular age, few now recognize that theology can still profoundly influence the masses and shape their perceptions, but it undeniably does. Just ask Hamas.