On July 17, 2024, the Muslim community observed Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, in remembrance of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Imam Hussain, who was martyred on this day in Karbala. Recently, a video surfaced on social media depicting a Horse paraded with injury all over its body. Many users, influencers, and propagandists shared the video, alleging that the injury marks were real. However, D-Intent Data discovered that the horse was actually painted and the injury marks were not real.
Video of Horse paraded with injury disseminated with misleading claims
Several users, influencers, propagandists and political workers have shared the video showing a horse with injury marks being paraded.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter), US-based investigative journalist Amy Mek (@AmyMek) wrote. Ashura in India. This year, in the streets of Mumbai, Muslims take a terrified, innocent horse, repeatedly slash it with a knife. And parade the bloodied, injured animal around to commemorate the death of the Prophet’s grandson. These psychopaths have grown tired of slashing and beating themselves and have instead decided to target an innocent animal. How is this allowed? The video has received 1.8 Million views and 24.5k likes so far.
Another user @GeorgeO53769524 on X has also shared the video and said, This is heartbreaking. In Mumbai Muslims uses knives to torture & cut open a horse when celebrating Ashura.
Several other users have also disseminated the video and made similar claims, their posts can be seen here. AmitLeliSlayer, @HamasAtrocities, @AshleaSimonBF, @CapitanBitcoin, @changu311
Truth about the viral video, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the video in question came to our notice, we conducted research and found that the horse was painted.
During research, we found that the video was initially uploaded by Mumbai-based animal welfare charity @Streetdogsofbombay. Later, they deleted the post and released a statement that reads. “We posted a video of a horse that appeared to have injury/cut marks on its body. We have deleted the video as we have learned that what seemed like blood and cut marks were actually body paint. It goes without saying that we do not support the use of animals in the name of culture, tradition, procession or any purpose, irrespective of religion, as animal use results in animal abuse.”
Additionally, we found multiple videos of the same event where horses are being painted during the procession. Video1, Video2
Moreover, PETA India’s cruelty case division legal advisor and manager Meet Ashar replied to the posts and said, “We object to the use of any animal during processions. In this case, the Dongri police tell us the horse was painted. This is also highly objectionable, but the horse is not lacerated. PETA India offered a mechanical elephant for a Muharram procession this year but our offer was not taken up, but we persist.”
Hence, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the claims made by influencers are not true as the horse was painted. The video is from Mumbai’s Dongri.
Intent
Social media users, influencers, propagandists, journalists and political workers are circulating videos from the Muharram procession with misleading claims to set their narrative based on religion.
Conclusion
Claim- In Mumbai, Muslims take a terrified, innocent horse, repeatedly slash it with a knife. And parade the bloodied, injured animal around to celebrate Ashura.
Fact- The horse was painted, nothing to do with injury/cut marks.
