Did UNESCO Call Islam Most Peaceful Religion? No, It’s an Old Hoax
UNESCO had issued a clarification in 2016 stating that the organisation had never made any such claim.
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CLAIM
An article published on a website called ‘The Dhaka Post’ mentions that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has declared Islam “the most peaceful religion of the world.”
The article published on 4 March 2018, also talks about a certificate which will allegedly be issued to “interested” Muslim groups by UNESCO, as an official recognition, which can then be displayed at madrasas, Islamic study centres, mosques, halal stores, slaughterhouses, among others.
Several Facebook users are sharing the article making the same claim.
Twitter users are making the same claim by sharing an article published on ‘Fenixx’ on 28 October with the headline ‘UNESCO declares Islam as the most peaceful religion of the world.’
This is not the first time that this claim is being made. In 2016, a website called ‘Junta Ka Reporter’ had published an article on similar lines.
Even the Twitter handle of Radio Pakistan had, in 2016, claimed that UNESCO had declared Islam as the most peaceful religion of the world.
WHAT’S THE TRUTH?
UNESCO had issued a clarification on 11 July 2016 stating that the organisation had never declared “Islam as the most peaceful religion of the world.”
Referring to claims posted on Junta Ka Reporter, the press release mentioned, “Such statement was never made by the Organisation and that the certificate reproduced on this website is a fake one. The website that published this information is a satirical media.”
VIRAL IN 2018 AS WELL
The same claim was viral in 2018 as well.
ANOTHER OLD FAKE CLAIM THAT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO UNESCO
A recurring email/message that had resurfaced in 2018, declared that the UNESCO had recognised India’s national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana', as the world's best anthem.
India Today had in 2008, reached out to UNESCO to verify the news, when Sue Williams, Chief, Editorial, Press Relations and Unesco Courier, Bureau of Public Information, UNESCO, wrote back debunking the 'announcement'.
“We are aware of several blogs in India reporting this story, but can assure you that UNESCO has made no such announcement concerning the anthem of India or any country,” the reply read.
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