In a recent wave of misinformation, an old video from Saudi Arabia is being falsely shared on social media, with claims that it depicts the arrest of an Imam calling for war against Israel. India TV's Fact Check team revealed that the viral video dates back to March 2018 and is unrelated to the current Israel-Hamas conflict. The video, lasting 21 seconds, shows an individual on a pulpit while others attempt to bring him down. Social media captions erroneously allege the arrest is recent, linking it to anti-Israel sentiments in Saudi Arabia. However, India TV traced the video's origin to Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, in 2018.
A reverse image search of keyframes led to a March 4, 2018 report by Indonesian outlet Viva, titled 'Exciting Video: Moments of Cleric Arrested by Police During Lecture.' The report clarified that the video circulated falsely, claiming a cleric was forcibly removed for speaking against Israel. Additional reports from Moslem Today and Al-Quds Al-Arabi confirmed the incident's context.
The arrested man was accused of impersonating an Imam by Saudi officials. Allegations of him being "psychologically challenged" emerged, and earlier claims that he spoke against the Saudi Crown Prince were debunked. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Saudi Arabia stated that the man was prevented from delivering the sermon due to impersonation.
This incident, unrelated to recent geopolitical events, highlights the importance of verifying information before sharing it on social media.
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