With Nupur Shrama’s controversial remarks on the Prophet Muhammad continuing to dictate social media trends in India and abroad, religion was the topic of the week on social media. From misinformation over vandalism of a Hindu temple of Karachi to fake tweet by Moeen Ali on boycotting the IPL and a fabricated story of a stillborn being resurrected after mother’s prayers to Jesus, here are our top 5 fact checks from the past week:
Moeen Ali’s Viral Tweet On Boycotting IPL “Fake”, Confirms ECB
With the ongoing controversy over now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s remarks on the Prophet Muhammad triggering a spate of trends and counter trends online, misinformation is getting a free reign on social media. One such post that is being widely shared in this context is the screengrab of an alleged tweet by England cricketer Moeen Ali in which he purportedly threatened to boycott IPL unless a public apology is issued over Sharma’s blasphemous remarks. Newschecker has found that the claim is false. Read more here.
Amidst #BoycottQatar Twitter Trend, Fake Posts Go Viral
The suspension of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal almost 10 days after the remarks were made was hardly the quick fix that BJP government hoped it would be- the hue and cry over the incident continued on social media, with several handles calling for the boycott of Indian goods, while supporters of Sharma and the ruling dispensation sought to counter it with another trend, calling for the boycott of Qatar and Qatari products. And as hashtags trend, misinformation gets a free pass. Newschecker scourged through the various trends surrounding the incident to bring you a few instances of misinformation that is being widely shared. Read more here.
Old Images Linked To Recent Vandalism Of Karachi Hindu Temple
Soon after reports of a Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Karachi being vandalised by a group of unidentified men on June 8, several social media users shared videos and images claiming to show the shrine that came under attack. Many users shared images showing photos and idols of Hindu deities placed alongside rubble, linking them to the recent attack. However, Newschecker found that the images were old and unrelated to the incident. Read more here.
Newborn Declared Dead Resurrected After Mother’s Prayers To Jesus? Viral Claim Is False
A video of a mother clutching an immobile newborn infant close to her chest, while praying fervently, is going viral on social media. Users claimed that the baby, declared dead by the doctors, was brought back to life again after the mother’s prayers to Jesus Christ. Newschecker’s investigation revealed that the video of a still born baby allegedly brought back to life by the mother’s prayers is false. The baby was not stillborn and was crying after the mother started reciting prayers while holding the baby. Read more here.
Canada Has Not Banned Straight Marriages During Pride Month, Viral Claim Is A Satire
A screengrab of a 2019 article titled ‘Canada to ban straight marriage during pride month’ is doing the rounds on social media platforms amid the ongoing pride month celebrations across several countries. It further states that Justin Trudeau announced ‘the month-long straight marriage ban yesterday in Halifax to a teary-eyed crowd’. Newschecker found that a screenshot of a satire article published in 2019 is being shared to claim that Canada has announced a ban on straight marriages during the pride month. Read more here.
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