Thread by @zoo_bear

News agencies and News portals have reported that Pakistani parents are locking graves of their daughters to avoid rape. Thse articles are based on a tweet by an Ex Muslim atheist Harris Sultan, An author of a book 'The curse of God, Why I left Islam'.

Did News Agencies & News Channels try to find if this 'News' was reported by local channels, Any authentic source? Where exactly is the incident from, Did they speak to the parents? No.
Their articles was based on a tweet by Harris Sultan who had tweeted on Wednesday, April 26th

With keyword search in Urdu, I found a few more Facebook posts from Tuesday 25th April. None of them had mentioned about the rape. The narrative of 'rape' started much later.

The earliest* Twitter and a Facebook post I found was from Monday 24th and early Tuesday 25th April. None of them had mentioned about the rape claim as mentioned by News Channels.

I spoke to one of the guy who shared the image. Here's what he had to say.
Trying to find who clicked the image or shared it first, will update the thread when I have more info. Why are Indian News Agencies & Outlets sharing unverified claims just because it's viral on twitter.

This unverified news based on a tweet is covered by almost all the news channels.

Update: The grave is from India. More details soon.

The cemetery is located opposite Masjid E Salar Mulk, a mosque in Darab Jung Colony, Madannapet, Hyderabad, Telangana.
Link : maps.app.goo.gl/xrPmXwzwdNKDuQ…

Alt News contacted a social worker named Abdul Jaleel who is a resident of Hyderabad. On being requested by us, he visited the spot and provided us with photographs of the grave in question.

Jaleel spoke to Muqtar Sahab, the Muazzin of the Masjid. Mr. Muqtar said that the padlocked grave, which was approximately 1.5 to 2-year old which is located right in front of the entrance thus blocking the pathway.

This issue was discussed among the Masjid committee members for eight days. Explaining the reason behind the grille, he added, “A lot of people come here and bury bodies over the old graves without permission....

“The people who already have their close ones resting here have had complaints since they come here to read Fateha. In order to prevent others from burying any bodies further, the families have put the grille there.”

On being informed about the image of this grave being circulated with the claim that it is from Pakistan, Muqtar Sahab refuted it and added that the grille was constructed also with a view to preventing people from stamping on the grave since it was right in front of the entrance

Alt News also spoke to a local resident whose house is near the mosque. He informed us that the grave belonged to an aged woman who had passed away in her seventies. Her son constructed the grille over the grave about 40 days after she had been buried.

Media outlets including ANI shared the photo of a padlocked grave with the claim that parents in Pakistan were locking daughters' graves to avoid rape. The photo is from Hyderabad, India and the grave is reportedly of an aged woman.

altnews.in/media-misrepor…