Fact-Check: Viral message falsely accuses 'Islamic Afghans' of killing 229 Christian Missionaries
In a false claim that has garnered significant attention across social media platforms including WhatsApp, it is being alleged that the ‘Islamic Afghans’ have executed 229 Christian Missionaries and have taken over Qargosh, the largest Christian city in Iraq.
The text claims that the incident occurred in Qargosh, the largest Christian city in Iraq. However, a thorough fact-check conducted by Vartha Bharati has revealed that this claim is entirely false.
The identical text message, with varying numbers of missionaries, has been circulating online since 2009. Initially, the message suggested that the Islamic Afghans had sentenced 229 Christian missionaries to death, a claim that resurfaced multiple times over the years. After the recent Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the same message gained traction once again, this time with a new twist - asserting that the 229 missionaries had already been executed.
Earlier, the message was being largely shared stating that the Islamic Afghans have sentenced 229 Christian Missionaries to death “tomorrow”. The message is doing rounds since 2009. The same message was once again widely shared after the Taliban took over Afghanistan.
The message, urging urgent prayers for the alleged victims, also falsely stated that the information was confirmed through news sources. It further requested recipients to forward the message for wider prayer participation. The message mentions an individual named Judith Carmona, described as a Chihuahua missionary in Africa, as the source of this information.
The message calls for urgent prayers and states “Today, unfortunately, they have confirmed this terrible news at this time. You can confirm this in the news. How sad!! Please pray for the 229th Christian missionaries, who were executed yesterday afternoon by Islamic Afghans. Please spread this message as soon as possible so that as many people can pray. This message was sent by JUDITH CARMONA, a Chihuahua missionary in Africa. The whole earth was united in prayer. If you can forward it, please let us join in the urgent prayer, also because the radical Islamic group has taken over Qargosh, the largest Christian city in Iraq. Where there are hundreds. Christian men, women and children being beheaded. Prayer cover is requested. Please take a minute and pray for them. Convey the message to whoever you can. They have taken Qaraghosh many times before. They have asked us to pray, please pass it on to others,” it adds.
Despite the emotional urgency of the message and the disturbing video accompanying it, our fact-check has conclusively proven that the claim is baseless. No official records or credible sources have verified any mass execution of missionaries by 'Islamic Afghans' or any other group. The origin of the video remains unclear, adding to the misinformation surrounding the incident.
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Speaker UT Khader attends local cricket tournament during Bhatkal visit
Bhatkal: Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly U. T. Khader visited Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district on Saturday and attended a local cricket match being played as part of a tournament organised by the Cosmos Sports Centre of Bhatkal.
After attending a programme at Anjuman Hami-E-Muslimeen, Khader proceeded to the Bhatkal Taluka Stadium, where the tournament is underway. He was accompanied by office-bearers of the Cosmos Sports Centre and several local community leaders.
Those present during the visit included President of Majlis-e-Islah Wa Tanzeem and former JD(S) leader Inayathullah Shabandri, Vice President of Tanzeem Atiqur Rahman Muniri, General Secretary Abdul Raqeeb MJ, President of Cosmos Sports Centre Ismail Anjum, Managing Director of Mohtisham Complexes S. M. Arshad, former president of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation Imtiyaz Udyawar, among others.
Addressing players and organisers, Khader extended his best wishes to the participating teams and urged the players to uphold the spirit of sportsmanship. He said such tournaments help promote unity and brotherhood among the youth.
The cricket tournament began on November 21 and will conclude with the final match on December 21. It is being organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Cosmos Sports Centre.
Cosmos Sports Centre is one of the member clubs of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation and is known for its active role in promoting sports in the town. Apart from sporting activities, the centre is also involved in various social and community initiatives, including efforts to promote education among students.
