A video purporting to show a man from a specific community leading religious prayer at a centuries-old, dilapidated structure has gone viral It was claimed that the man goes by the name Umar Qureshi and was detained for performing the Azan at a mosque in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh.
Verified accounts on twitter, including The Muslim (“@TheMuslim786“) tweeted “Location: Shamli, UP Muslim youth arrested for giving Azaan in the mosque. #Islamophobia at its peak. Omar Qureshi, a Muslim man, was arrested on charges of ‘promoting enmity’ as he gave ‘Azaan’ in a dilapidated 250-year-old mosque.” on Jan 7, 2024. The tweet became popular and has received an about 69.5k views on X.
लोकेशन : शामली, यूपी
— The Muslim (@TheMuslim786) January 7, 2024
मस्जिद में अजान देने पर मुस्लिम युवक गिरफ्तार।
#Islamophobia अपने चरम पर।
एक मुस्लिम व्यक्ति उमर कुरेशी को 'शत्रुता को बढ़ावा देने' के आरोप में गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया क्योंकि उसने 250 साल पुरानी एक जर्जर मस्जिद में 'अज़ान' दी थी। pic.twitter.com/YK48VnZ9fc
@HateDetectors tweeted “In #UttarPradesh‘s #Shamli, a #Muslim man #UmarQureshi was arrested on Saturday for ‘promoting enmity’ because he offered ‘Azan’ at a 250-year-old dilapidated Masjid. #Hindus claimed that this Masjid was a fort belonging to #ManaharRajas.”
In #UttarPradesh's #Shamli, a #Muslim man #UmarQureshi was arrested on Saturday for 'promoting enmity' because he offered 'Azan' at a 250-year-old dilapidated Masjid. #Hindus claimed that this Masjid was a fort belonging to #ManaharRajas. pic.twitter.com/AWMBwBxACi
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) January 7, 2024
Several other accounts, including Crime Reports India (“@AsianDigest“), Md Asif Khan (“@imMAK02“), @s_afreen7, Waqar Hasan (“@WaqarHasan1231“), Saba Khan (“@ItsKhan_Saba“), Gabbar (“@Gabbar0099“), Ashraf Hussain (“@AshrafFem“), TRUE STORY (“@TrueStoryUP“), @Tanvirpost, @faizan0008 also made the same claim that A Muslim man was arrested after he performed Azan in a dilapidated, 250-year-old mosque in Uttar Pradesh. The archive can be read from above.
What is the Actual Truth About this Incident? : Fact
It is a fact that religious activities are prohibited in this disputed location for members of any community. A segment of the majority community connects it to the Manahar rajas. In addition to performing Azan, he broke a 1940 British order, filmed it and shared it on social media.
We visited Times of India, which published an article on this incident on Jan 7, 2024 with the headline “Man held for offering ‘azan’ in 250-year-old ‘mosque’ in UP” and clarified all the details about the incident.
D-Intent’s Fact-Checking Results:
1509
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) January 7, 2024
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video of a man from a particular community performing religious prayer at a centuries-old, dilapidated structure has been shared claiming that his name is Umar Qureshi, & he was arrested because he performed Azan at a mosque in Shamli, UP. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/CBb51mFgVr
Intent:
Propagandists circulate false claims to set their narrative against the administration and safeguard extremist activities. A video of a man from a particular community performing religious prayer at a centuries-old, dilapidated structure has been shared, with the claim that his name is Umar Qureshi, and that he was arrested for performing Azan at a mosque in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh. After proper research, analysis and fact-checking, we have discovered that it is a disputed location, and religious activities are prohibited for members of any community. Some members of the majority community connect it to the Manahar rajas. He not only performed Azan but also had it filmed and shared on social media, in violation of a 1940 British order.
Conclusion:
Claim : A video of a man from a particular community performing religious prayer at a centuries-old, dilapidated structure has been shared claiming that his name is Umar Qureshi, & he was arrested because he performed Azan at a mosque in Shamli, UP.
Fact : People from any community are not permitted to conduct religious activities here because it is a disputed location. Manahar rajas are connected to it by some members of the majority community. He not only did Azan, but he also filmed it and shared it on social media, breaking a British order from 1940.
Also Read : Japan Earthquake — Old Video Of Tsunami From Kamaishi City, Japan Resurfaced With False Claims: Fact-Check
