No temple has been converted into mosque in Kerala, viral message is false

A video montage is being widely shared on social media claiming that Muslims have illegally taken over an ancient Hindu temple in Kerala and converted it into a mosque.

By Newsmeter Network  Published on  16 April 2022 5:10 AM GMT
No temple has been converted into mosque in Kerala, viral message is false

HYDERABAD: A video montage is being widely shared on social media claiming that Muslims have illegally taken over an ancient Hindu temple in Kerala and converted it into a mosque.

Users claim that despite opposition from the Hindu community, the left- government of Kerala has decided not to take any action.

"Mosque built by Muslims by illegally occupying a very ancient Hindu temple in Kerala. The Left Communist government of Kerala is not ready to take any action despite the opposition from Hindu society," the claim said.



FACT CHECK:

NewsMeter noticed the watermark in the video that reads "TSOI" which stands for "Thousand Shades of India". The name and the style of shooting suggested that the video was most likely taken for a documentary.


Taking this as a clue, we checked the Instagram page of Thousand Shades of India (TSOI) and found the same video uploaded on December 20, 2021. The caption suggests that the video is of the Zeenat Baksh Mosque located in Bunder, Mangalore. It houses one of India's oldest Muslim communities and is the oldest mosque in Karnataka and the third oldest in India.

According to the bio of Thousand Shades of India on YouTube, the page celebrates India's diverse heritage., "We celebrate India's diversity in life and livelihood, cultures and traditions, heritage and history, art and craft through our stories and documentaries!" it said.

https://www.youtube.com/c/ThousandShadesofIndia/about

NewsMeter checked out the mosque's details on the Karnataka Tourism Department website and found that Masjid Zeenat Baksh is indeed located in Bunder. The mosque portrays the life stories of Prophet Mohamed and is believed to be established by Arab Muslim traders during 644 AD. The website doesn't mention that the mosque used to be a Hindu Temple. It was renovated by Tipu Sultan in the 17th century and named after his daughter, Zeenath Baksh.

https://www.karnatakatourism.org/tour-item/masjid-zeenath-baksh-mangaluru/


Moreover, no news reports on Muslims illegally taking over an ancient Hindu temple in Kerala and converting it into a mosque were found. If this had indeed taken place, it would have been reported.

A video montage of a mosque in Mangalore was falsely shared to claim that Muslims have taken over an ancient temple in Kerala.

Claim Review:Muslims illegally take over an ancient Hindu temple in Kerala and convert it into a mosque
Claimed By:Social Media Users
Claim Reviewed By:Newsmeter
Claim Source:Social Media
Claim Fact Check:False
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