A video is doing rounds on social media platforms with the claim that people are vandalizing solar panels because a Hindu cleric has released a religious order for it.
Further, sharing the video, Syrian writer and journalist, Ahmed Mowaffaq Zaidan wrote, “في إحدى مناطق #الهند تم تركيب الواح الطاقة الشمسية لتوفير الكهرباء للمناطق الفقيرة، لكن” احد رجال الدين الهندوس أفتى بحرمتها لانها تمتص الشمس، فقام الفقراء بتكسير ها… حين يلعب الدين دوراً في الهدم وليس البناء… الحمد لله على دين #الإسلام.”
{“In one region of India, solar panels were installed to provide electricity to poor areas, but “one of the Hindu clerics issued a religious order that it is forbidden because it absorbs the sun, so the poor broke it… When religion plays a role in demolishing and not building… Praise be to God for the religion of Islam.” – English Translation}
Moreover, Ahmed Mowaffaq Zaidan is also linked with hate peddling account, @SupportProphetM and its members @drassagheer, @Ali_AlQaradaghi and @melhamy.
Similarly, many social media users have shared this video with a similar claim.
Fact Check
To check the reality of the viral video, the DFRAC team divided the video into different keyframes and then applying reverse image search on keyframes, we got a video on the website of Climate Samurai. The story was uploaded on February 15, 2018 with the title, “Watch: Solar panels at 100 Mw solar plant in Maharashtra vandalized due to non-payment of wages.”
Comparison of viral video and the video uploaded by Climate Samurai
Viral Video Climate Samurai’s Video
On comparing both the video, it became clear that both the videos are same.
Conclusion
From this DFRAC fact check, it is clear that the viral video is old and spread by social media users in a wrong context to defame Hindus and India. The reason behind the workers vandalizing the solar panels was non- payment of wages. However, there was no such religious order issued by any Hindu cleric as claimed by Syrian journalist.
| Claim Review: solar panels were vandalized because Hindu cleric issued a religious order that it is forbidden because it absorbs the sun. Claim by: Ahmed Mowaffaq Zaidan and other social media users Fact Check: False |
