Fact Check: Was Furqan Shoaib denied credit for developing flying car because he is Muslim?
Chennai-based Vinata Aeromobility unveiled Asia’s first hybrid flying car prototype at the world’s largest Helitech Expo Excel in London.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 9 Oct 2021 11:08 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Chennai-based Vinata Aeromobility unveiled Asia's first hybrid flying car prototype at the world's largest Helitech Expo Excel in London.
A website named `India tomorrow' claimed that Mohammad Furqan Shoaib developed Asia's first hybrid flying car and Indian media ignored him because he is a Muslim.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia praised the company for its innovation.
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Fact Check:
The claim is misleading.
NewsMeter, with the help of the internet and keyword search, looked for the concept of hybrid flying cars. The team found that Waldo Dean Waterman created the model of a simple flying car in 1937.
Subsequently, SD-03, a manned flying car, successfully took a test flight in Japan in August 2020.
https://en-academic.com/dic.
Meanwhile, Bell-US-based Aircraft Company is also developing a hybrid flying car which will be seen at an exhibition 'Futures' in November. Therefore, the concept of flying cars is old.
https://mashable.com/article/
We found the LinkedIn profile of Shoaib, where he has mentioned that he is working as Chief Technology Officer at Vinata Aeromobility. Also, he has shared a post thanking the Civil Aviation minister for supporting his startup company and providing him with an opportunity to share his idea. This clearly indicates that he is been an active part of it the team.
According to the information available with LinkedIn, he has joined the company in February and it has been 9 months since he joined.
Next, the team found the India Today Fact check report, in which the CEO of Vinata Aeromobility has been quoted: "Mohammad Furqan Shoaib is indeed a part of the team developing the hybrid flying car."
He also mentioned that the role of other team members is equally important and said that it would be technically wrong to say that he created or invented the hybrid flying car. He also told India Today that Shoaib completed his probation period in the company in August this year. Shoaib also told India Today that the matter has been given a communal twist.
Hence, the claim that Shoaib was denied credit because he is a Muslim, is misleading.
