Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Video shows the new Brighton Mayor being greeted with garlands.
Fact
Video actually features an Islamic cleric, and not the new Brighton Mayor.
A video showing a Muslim man being greeted with garlands is going viral on social media platforms, with multiple users identifying him as the new Mayor of Brighton. Brighton and Hove is a part of East Sussex county in England. Newschecker, however, found that that video does not feature Mohammed Asaduzzaman, the new Mayor of Brighton and Hove. In fact it shows an Islamic cleric, Muhammad Asghar.
The 30-second-long-footage is being widely circulated on Facebook, X and YouTube claiming to show the new Brighton mayor.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here, here and here.
Also Read: No, Christians Did Not Convert Tamil Nadu Temple Into Church, Viral Claim Is False
Fact Check/Verification
A Google lens search on the keyframes of the viral clip led us to a YouTube channel of Aslamiya01, the “official channel of Hazrat Shaykh Sufi Muhammad Asghar Sahib (Gulshan-e-Aslamiya Sharif, Pakistan).”
On skimming through the channel, we found multiple videos featuring the man seen in the viral footage. Such videos can be seen here, here and here.
The official Facebook page of Shaykh Sufi Muhammad Asghar also featured multiple photographs of gatherings helmed by him. In some of these images, he can be seen wearing the same turban as in the viral clip, and attendees can also be seen in the same attire.
Furthermore, we found that the viral clip was uploaded on TikTok by @aslamiyafoundation on June 11, 2024. “Students welcome teacher to Muslim community event in Mosque Centre in Bedford (sic),” the post was captioned.
Hence, we could conclude that the man seen in the viral is an Islamic cleric Muhammad Asghar.
Also Read: Old Video From Mathura Shared As Recent Stampede In Hathras
But Is He The New Brighton Mayor?
A keyword search for “Brighton Mayor” on Google led us to a report by the BBC, dated May 17, 2024. “Brighton and Hove has elected its first ever South Asian Muslim mayor. Councillors unanimously voted for Mohammed Asaduzzaman, who was elected to Brighton & Hove City Council in the Hollingdean and Fiveways ward last May,” it stated.
Carrying his photograph, the report elaborated, “ Asaduzzaman who has lived in the city for 30 years, previously worked with the state minister for irrigation and water development in Bangladesh, and has a degree in political science.”
A government website also identified Mohammed Asaduzzaman as the current Mayor of Brighton & Hove.
A comparison between the photographs of Brighton Mayor Asaduzzaman and Muhammad Asghar can be seen below
Conclusion
We could thus conclude that an Islamic cleric has been misidentified as the new Brighton Mayor, Mohammed Asaduzzaman.
Result: False
Sources
YouTube Channel Of @Aslamiya01
Facebook Profile Of @Aslamiya01
TikTok Video By @aslamiyafoundation, Dated June 11, 2024
Report By BBC, Dated May 17, 2024
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
