Khaberni - Accounts on the social media platform X shared a video with allegations that it documented a Muslim man attacking a woman inside a bus in the British capital London, because she was eating in front of him while fasting during the current month of Ramadan.
Accounts known for their Islamophobia and hate speech intensified the sharing of the video, attaching comments claiming "Muslims are imposing their rituals on British society, disrespecting Christians, and wanting to cancel Christmas and Easter," along with other claims that were met with widespread criticism.
However, verifying the video showed that it does not document a real incident in the commonly understood sense, but rather comes from a video posted by a content creator in Britain, before being deleted later. A British newspaper had addressed the video as controversial content in the framework of humor, with no indication of an actual assault taking place.
Research also indicated that the video went viral again last Ramadan, almost with the same claim, through right-wing accounts known for attacking Muslims.
In this context, the British "Daily Mail" newspaper clarified that although the dispute may be fabricated, it sparked a wide controversy on the internet, where the public engaged in discussions on the acceptability of eating in public places.
With the arrival of the Ramadan season, social media platforms witness a flow of content that fuels Islamophobic discourse in Europe, through employing truncated or decontextualized clips, or via organizing orchestrated campaigns.