On Wednesday, a video went viral over social media platforms showing a priest of a Hindu temple being helped by a Muslim couple after he fainted on the street in Uttar Pradesh. The video was posted by a Muslim user named Mohammad Sher Ali who claimed that the video portrayed true humanity as the Muslim couple didn’t see the religion of the ill man before offering help.
“The priest of the temple was crossing the road with his son in his arms, when suddenly he fell down due to ill health, no one from the neighborhood came, but the hijab-clad sister and her husband saw the priest while on the bike, and immediately stopped. They helped and saved the life of the priest. This is humanity,” the user tweeted.
मंदिर के पुजारी अपने बेटे को गोद में लेकर रोड पार कर रहा थे, तभी अचानक तबीयत खराब होने के कारण गिर गए,आसपास के रहने वाले कोई न आया, परंतु हिजाब पहनी बहन और उसके पति ने जाते वक्त पुजारी को देखा,और तुरंत रुक गए और मदद कर पुजारी कि जान बचा ली.
— Mohammad Sher Ali (@SpeakMdAli) May 17, 2023
ये इंसानियत हैं। @vinodkapri @_sayema pic.twitter.com/NDDY7QQcnB
The said video is from May 2022, dramatized and scripted
However, team OpIndia checked on the video and discovered that this video is a year old, from May, 2022 and is actually scripted. The dramatized video was widely shared last year with captions suggesting it to be a real incident. It was shared by several Muslim social media users who claimed that the incident was true and that it needed to be lauded.
Reports back then meanwhile mentioned that the viral video had been scripted and created by a YouTube channel named 3RD EYE, which is known for making such ‘public awareness’ videos to garner millions of views.
In the trending video, a man carrying a baby while posing as a priest is seen moving along a byway. After some time, he abruptly drops the infant to the ground, lies down, and begins to tremble as though having an epileptic fit. Soon after, a Muslim couple on a motorbike passing by stops and assists the man. They offer to give him a lift home on the motorbike and some water.
The video was also shared last year by several Muslim users on Facebook who captioned the video saying, “Live CCTV Recording from UP, India a Hindu Pandit Fell in Ground due to Epilepsy Attack Lying in Road with Child No Body is Stopping to Help Him A Muslim Couple Stopped and Help Her This is Real India and Humanity which no body can destroy India and its Culture, Love, Brotherhood, Unity in Diversity, National integration… Share maximum and make it viral if you are true Indian.”
Similar other claims were made by several other Muslim users who stated that Islam taught its followers to help people without seeing the religion of the needy.
3RD EYE YouTube channel created the video last year for entertainment purpose and garnered 14 million views
However, it was known that the video was scripted and created for entertainment purposes. The YouTube channel named ‘3RD EYE‘ shared the video in May last year and garnered 14 million views. It also declared that it was a social awareness video and created for entertainment purposes only. The channel has till date created hundreds of such videos for ‘raising social awareness’ in society.
“Thank you for watching! Please be aware that this Channel features scripted dramas and parodies to Aware People in Differnet Situations. This Channel Brings Social Awareness Videos. These short films are for entertainment purposes only!” the channel mentioned in the description box of the said video.
Similar old video went viral on WhatsApp today
Earlier in the day, similar video made rounds on WhatsApp saying, “Watch! A beautiful example of our great secularism. How a Muslim couple is helping a old Hindu man survive.” The Muslim woman and her husband in the video could be seen helping a old man posed as Hindu priest and offering medicine.
The said video is also old and was posted on a YouTube channel named ‘Spy On’ a year ago. The channel also mentioned in the description of the video that the video was created for entertainment purpose.
“Please be aware that this Channel features scripted dramas and parodies, CCTV captures as well. These short films are for entertainment & educational and awareness purposes only!” it said.
