A video has been doing round since the Nizamuddin incident has come to light, that the members of Muslim community in a specific area are licking utensils so that others can be infected with the Coronavirus.
The clip has also been shared on WhatsApp and other Social Media platforms with a message claiming that the incident took place in Nizamuddin. “Stay aware, stay safe. Coronavirus is not spreading in India but it is being spread in the country. An example of this is Nizamuddin. (सतर्क रहें सुरक्षित रहें भारत में कोरोना फैल नहीं रहा बल्कि फैलाया जा रहा है। इसका ताजा उदाहरण निजामुद्दीन से मिले.)”
The video reached News Sense Fact Check Team started its investigation and found from Bohora community that it is a custom in Bohara community, where not even a single grain of food is wasted and children are taught about this rituals.
To add to our findings we also came across a video from July 31st, 2018 with the same claim. According to the description, these are Dawoodi Bohras licking leftover food from utensils to not waste even a morsel. The description also says that the men were following orders of “Syedna”. Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin is the 53rd and current Da’i al-Mutlaq (highest authority in the faith) of the Dawoodi Bohras. Below is the video.
We also found that the video shared on Twitter from a verified account on July 30, 2018, where the user wrote, “Bohras eat together in a big “thaal”. This one is from a jamatkhana where on several occasions there is food served. What’s happening here is taking not wasting food at an extreme level.”
Moreover, a Fact check video by Lallantop clears most of the doubts related to the licking of plates rituals of Bohoras.
Therefore, therefore our findings come to conclusion that a video of Bohra Muslims community licking plates and spoons rituals not to waste leftover food has been shared as people from the Muslim community spreading coronavirus infection.
Nizamuddin has been identified as a coronavirus epicenter after several preachers of Tablighi Jamaat tested positive. The organisation led a congregation at its headquarters (Markaz) Banglewali Masjid in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area in mid-March, for which the Delhi government has now filed an FIR against a mosque preacher.
However, Tablighi Jamaat maintains that its gathering was not illegal because it was held before Prime Minister Modi announced the first lockdown (Janata curfew) on March 22. However, the Delhi government claims that the congregation breached its order banning large gathering on March 13th. If reports are to be believed, the congregation was held between March 13 to 15.
Claim: Muslims licking utensils to spread Coronavirus
Conclusion: Old, unrelated video used to mislead people
NB: Don’t share or forward any misleading information on your social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, by doing so you are also becoming someone, who is creating panic and confusion among the larger mass and this is a punishable offense.
