Hamas & Islamist Radicalism: The Problem of Hamas/ISIS Comparisons

After the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 comparisons between Hamas and ISIS were often part of political rhetoric. This paper examines similarities and differences between the versions of Islamist radicalism that inform the ideology and praxis of Hamas and ISIS in order to provide sound empirical reasons to be skeptical the rhetorical equivalency between the two groups. By examining core elements of radical Islamist political ideologies including jihad, takfir, and anti-colonialism, as well as conducting analysis of the ways in which Hamas and ISIS publicly represented violence, we highlight important ways the Islamist practices of Hamas and ISIS differ. In the end, this analysis points to more productive ways for studying Islamist political ideologies.