Recently, several posts circulating on Facebook have claimed that Muslims in Greece have received permission to perform prayers after 180 years. However, FactWatch’s investigation reveals that while there was no official mosque in the capital Athens after the formation of modern Greece, mosques did exist in other regions. In November 2020, a government-approved mosque was inaugurated in Athens, allowing Muslims to pray in a mosque with formal recognition for the first time in a long period. Prior to this, Muslims in Greece were already performing prayers in other mosques. Therefore, the incident is specific to Athens, not the entire country, and FactWatch considers the viral posts to be misleading.
FactWatch Investigation:
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim on Facebook, FactWatch began by searching relevant keywords. The search revealed that Athens had mosques from the Ottoman era. After Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832, those mosques were no longer used as places of worship but were repurposed for other uses, such as museums or exhibition halls. Since gaining independence, no Greek government had approved the construction of a mosque in Athens.
Several laws were passed starting in 1890 to construct a government mosque in Athens, but all failed due to repeated delays, political opposition, and ongoing debate. Eventually, in November 2020, the Votanikos Mosque was inaugurated as the first state-sanctioned mosque in Athens. This mosque was built specifically for Muslims to perform regular prayers. Prior to this, Muslims in Athens prayed in makeshift or unofficial mosques.
It is worth noting that outside Athens, in regions like Komotini, Thessaloniki, and Thrace, some mosques remained functional, and Muslims continued to perform prayers. Historically, Athens had been the only European capital without a formal mosque until 2020.
The investigation shows that long before the official inauguration of the Votanikos Mosque in Athens, Muslims in Greece had the right to perform prayers and were doing so. Therefore, taking all information into account, FactWatch has identified the viral posts as misleading.
Original News Source: https://www.fact-watch.org/greek-muslims/
Clickbait chaos: The viral loop of fake news in the age of algorithms
Filtering out the truth from a sea of misinformation
Fact-checking: A pressing necessity in Bangladesh
From rumors to real-world consequences: The perils of misinformation
Separating fact from fiction
Misinformation and disinformation: A threat to democracy in Bangladesh
Fact-Check Alert
Please be aware of misleading information about Bangladesh politics on social media and verify sources before sharing.
Before sharing any photocard, always verify it by checking the original media source.
Sharing religious misinformation and disinformation can cause harm. Always verify before sharing.
Before sharing any photocard, always verify it by checking the original media source.
Sharing religious misinformation and disinformation can cause harm. Always verify before sharing.