Twitter is the biggest platform of information warfare where many groups are involved in propaganda and misinformation where DFRAC has exposed many networks in the past, who were part of a particular network and working on a particular project and design. Today, in this exclusive report we will analyze another such account (ن في هند وكشمير @MuslimsinIndia7).
In this report, we will be covering the following points-
1. Analysis of misleading and fake news spread by the account
2. Analysis of the biased narrative on the Kashmir issue
3. Tweet pattern and its analysis
4. Connection with other groups and accounts active on Twitter
المسلمون في هند وكشمي @MuslimsinIndia7
The المسلمون في هند وكشمير (Indian and Kashmiri Muslims) account has more than 8000 followers on Twitter. This account is operated in the Arabic language and according to the bio, the user claims that “He is a moderate Muslim with an interest in issues related to Indian and Kashmiri Muslims”
Fake and misleading content:
1. False news about India closing mosques in Kashmir on Eid al-Adha
@MuslimsinIndia7 tweeted claiming that mosques in Kashmir were closed on Eid al-Adha and Muslims were not allowed to celebrate Eid.
In his tweet, he wrote in Arabic – الإحتلال هندي إخلاد المساجد بل كل #كشمير_المحتلة يوم #عيد_الأضحى (On Eid al-Adha, India closed the mosques and occupied the whole of Kashmir)
Fact Check:
To verify this claim, DFRAC searched Google for news related to Eid al-Adha in Kashmir. During this, we received reports from the leading newspapers of Kashmir, The Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Observer, in which it was said that except the historic Jamia Masjid in the old city, Eid al-Adha was celebrated at all Muslim places of worship across the valley. More than 45,000 people offered prayers at Hazratbal Dargah.
Conclusion:
@MuslimsinIndia7’s claim of India keeping mosques closed on Eid al-Adha in Kashmir is completely FAKE.
2. Gurjar and Bakarwal’s protest called out Indian government’s attempt to change Kashmiri identity and demography.
@MuslimsinIndia7 shared a video of a rally claiming that protests are continuing in the Valley of India over the change in Kashmir’s identity and demographics.
@MuslimsinIndia7 wrote in his tweet in Arabic – آرسته المظاهيرات في #كشمير_المحتلة منذ ستة آيما زده حرب نظام الهندي على الهوية الكشميرية ومذائته التحقيق الديموغرافي. #كشمير_تباد #أنقتوا_مسلمي_كشمير (Protests continue in Kashmir for three days against the Indian regime’s war on Kashmiri identity and its attempt to change its demography)
Fact Check:
To verify @MuslimsinIndia7’s claim, DFRAC team keyframed the video using InVID tool. A reverse search of the keyframes led us to reports by NDTV and TwoCirclesNet. It was told that a protest march was taken out from Kupwara to Jammu by the members of the Gujjar Bakarwal community in Jammu and Kashmir against the Indian government’s proposal to include hill people in the ST category.
People of the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities are against the Indian government’s decision to include upper-caste people in the ST category in Jammu and Kashmir.
Conclusion:
Hence DFRAC’s fact check clearly states that @MuslimsinIndia7’s claim of Gujjars and Bakarwals protesting as the Indian government’s attempt to change Kashmir’s identity and demography is misleading.
3. Six Kashmiri youths were killed by the Indian army in Kashmir
@MuslimsinIndia7 posted a video on Twitter claiming that six Kashmiri youths were killed by the Indian Army in Kashmir. The bodies of some youths are visible at the beginning of the video. Later, a man is seen carrying the body of a young man in his lap.
@MuslimsinIndia7 wrote in Arabic in his tweet – #عاجلا: سيتة من الشباب الكشميريين قتلهم الجيش حندي بوابل من الرصاص في #كشمير_المحتلة. I hope you don’t look at #Pakistan when you find an opportunity to look politically and from the Arab countries if you find an opportunity to build an Islamic religion and fight Islam. #أنقدوا_مسلمي_كشمير #كشمير_تباد (#Urgent: Indian army in occupied #Kashmir killed six Kashmiri youths in a barrage of bullets. I hope #Pakistan will stop political rivalry and Arab countries from building Hindu temples and Islamic people if given the opportunity will consider fighting for it. #SaveKashmirMuslims #KashmirTabad)
Fact Check:
To verify @MuslimsinIndia7’s claim, DFRAC first keyframed the video using the InVID tool. Then on reverse searching the keyframes, we found a similar video on YouTube, in which it was reported that a civilian died in misfiring at the exit hall of Pulwama.
In a Hindustan Times report, the police said that 25-year-old Asif Ahmed was injured at a check post in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district at around 10 am by mistake from the rifle of security personnel. Station House Officer Zafar Ahmed said, “It was a ‘misfire’ in which the person was killed.” An FIR has been registered in the matter. Ahmed was rushed to a nearby hospital and then to Sri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital, a tertiary care institution, in Srinagar where he succumbed to his injuries.
Conclusion:
Hence, DFRAC’s fact check confirms that @MuslimsinIndia7’s claim that six Kashmiri youths were killed in Kashmir by the Indian Army in a barrage of bullets is Fake.
4. Insult of Indian Army in support of terrorists:
@MuslimsinIndia7 is not only a supporter of terrorists in Kashmir. In fact, he insults the Indian Army for the same. In one of its tweets, this account also falsely accused the Indian Army of entering the homes of Kashmiris without permission, abducting and killing them.
@MuslimsinIndia7 posted a video and wrote in Arabic in his tweet that كذا يخرج الجيش الهندي من معسكراته في #كشمير_المحتلة ويقتحم الأحياء ثم يختطف منهم ويقتل ما شاء دون أن يأخذ الإذن من أحد أو يقدم التبريرات إلى أحد،والسوال الذي دائما أسأله نفسي:إلى متى وهذا الصمت المجرم على المستوى الحكومي والشعبي يبقى مخيّما علينا؟ #كشمير_تباد #أنقذوا_مسلمي_كشمير (This is how the Indian Army comes out of its camps in occupied Kashmir, storms neighborhoods, then kidnaps them and kills whomever they want without asking for permission or offering justification to anyone #KashmirTabad #SaveKashmirMuslims)
Fact Check:
DFRAC converted the video into keyframes using the InVID tool to verify @MuslimsinIndia7’s claim. On reverse searching the keyframes, we found one such video posted on Facebook by Kashmir Scan. Also it was informed that Baramulla encounter- 2 Jaish militants killed, the search continues: ADGP Kashmir
Also on further investigation, we found another report from The Hindu. In the report Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla Rais Mohammad Bhat said, “Intelligence agencies shared a tip-off about the presence of terrorists in Yedipora area of Baramulla on Friday morning. The area was cordoned off and the hiding terrorist’s shots were fired. Two terrorists were killed in the encounter.”
Bhat further said that the terrorists were planning to disrupt the Army’s Agniveer rally in the district. “The terrorists were tasked to disrupt the army rally and discourage youths from joining. However, the designs of the terrorists were foiled.” A rifle and a pistol were recovered from the encounter site.
Supporters of Salafi and Zakir Naik’s ideology:
Zakir Naik is a staunch Wahhabi preacher. He is banned in many countries including India for his fiery and controversial statements which came on the radar of the investigative agencies in India at that time. After a bomb blast in Bangladesh, the accused said that he was influenced by the statements of Zakir Naik. Zakir Naik’s organization Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and his Peace TV network are banned in India. He has also been declared a proclaimed offender for non-cooperation in the investigation and for leaving India and fleeing to Malaysia.
The tweet below makes it clear that @MuslimsinIndia7 is a prominent supporter of Zakir Naik. At the same time, he can be seen instigating people in support of Zakir Naik against the Government of India as well.
@MuslimsinIndia7 data analysis:
Followers:
The collage below shows that @MuslimsinIndia7 is followed by 120 accounts on Twitter, including members of @SupportProphetM, including @melhamy, @ShaikhDadow, @Drassagheer, @Ali_AlQaradaghi and @IAMCouncil.
- Mentioned accounts
The graph below shows that @MuslimsinIndia7 mentioned @AJArabic the maximum number of times, 252 times. It is followed by @TRTArabi 166 times and @SupportProphetM more than 130 times.
It is worth mentioning that a special report has already been done by DFRAC on @SupportProphetM with the title ‘International campaign of anti-India agenda in the garb of Prophet Muhammad’. In this report, we had exposed the anti-India campaign of @SupportProphetM after the controversial statement given by former spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party, Nupur Sharma, on Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Conclusion:
Therefore, @MuslimsinIndia7 has been found spreading fake and misleading information about India’s atrocity on Kashmiri Muslims. @MuslimsinIndia7 is part of that international group who is involved in the anti-India campaign in the Arab world. They keep running anti-India propaganda campaigns from time to time, so that the international image of India can be harmed.
