A video has been circulating, showing a man dressed in Arabic attire removing the hijab and traditional clothing (Thobe) from two women before heading to the gym. It has been falsely claimed that Sheikhs in the Middle East are removing their wives’ hijabs. In reality, these claims are baseless, the video is from Brazil and features a Brazilian social media influencer known as ‘Sheikh do Tocantins.’ He often creates such content and refers to himself as Brazil’s first Sheikh.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter) serial fake news peddler and propagandist account @RealBababanaras wrote. Sheikh was asked, why are you removing the hijab of your wives? Sheikh Saheb replied- I am not a Convert, I am an Original Sheikh and This is My Personal Choice.
Another propaganda account @FrontalForce has also disseminated the video and wrote. “A new trend has started in the Middle East where Sheikhs have started removing the hijab of their wives. Good move, shud be implemented in India too”.
Several other users, influencers and propagandists have also shared the video and made similar claims. Their posts can be seen here, @TolasariaA2111, @_Muffin_Men
The truth about the viral video of a man removing the Hijab, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the video and claims came to our notice. Subsequently, we conducted research and analysis of the video and found that the video was not a real-life situation but a scripted video from Brazil.
To verify the claims made by the users. We performed a reverse image search of some key frames from the viral video on Google Lens. This led us to a Facebook post containing the same video uploaded in March 2024. The video was uploaded on the Facebook account of Sheikhtocantinese who is a Brazilian social media influencer and public figure. He calls himself the first Sheikh in Brazil.
Upon visiting his Instagram account, we found multiple videos (1, 2) depicting the same individuals. The two women in the video are models and influencers, Leticia Mattos and Paula Sousa. The video filmed at ‘Skyfit Academias,’ a gym and fitness center in Brazil.
Therefore, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the viral video was not a real-life situation in the Middle East. But a scripted video from Brazil.
Intent
Social media users, influencers and propagandists are circulating scripted videos from Brazil with misleading claims to set their narrative based on religion.
Conclusion
Claim– The video depicts a Sheikh in the Middle East removing the Hijab of his two wives at a fitness center.
Fact– The video is not a real-life situation but a scripted video from Brazil.
Related Article: Fact Check: Switzerland banned the Hijab and no longer recognizes Islam as an official religion? – D-Intent Data
