Viral image of an Anti- Sharia signboard put up at the India-Pakistan border is fake.

July 22, 2021 Suramya Sunilraj

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An image of a signboard alledged erected by the Indian Army at the India- Pakistan border with the text “You are entering a Sharia-free zone. Please set your watches forward 1,400 years” has gone viral on social media.

With this viral picture, 1400 years later, a world sans Sharia Law is attempted to be shown.

TWITTER

#NewIndia💓🙏 pic.twitter.com/spI2CKfRsO

— Ram Venkataraman🇮🇳 (@JumbuTweeple) July 20, 2021

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भाई भारतवर्ष में पधार रहे हो, ये शरिया फ्री जोन है, कृपया अपना समय 1400 वर्ष आगे बढ़ा लीजिए। It's as simple as this. pic.twitter.com/pqNhmD8dfL

— Gautam Mahajan (@Gautamm11854143) July 15, 2021

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More than 1000 retweets

#UCC pic.twitter.com/5xmmtThJY5

— MayaB.🇮🇳 (@ignisfatuus1110) July 20, 2021

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Another statement be made at DBO & other crossings across other borders. pic.twitter.com/WptETgfgtP

— Cdr Hrushikesh (@Hrushik06039597) July 19, 2021

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These images caused quite a buzz on the internet in the past with minor changes to the header. The text on the board was identical to the viral pictures, however the header and country name of the previously viral images were inscribed with the US border.

Year 2014

"You are entering a sharia-free zone. Please set your watches forward 1400 years"
(via @TarekFatah) pic.twitter.com/Yjzpyq3s8a

— Saif Rahman (@SaifRRahman) May 27, 2014

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Year 2016

Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, and activist who directed The Tashkent Files, has also previously tweeted this picture on July 3, 2016, claiming it was from the Texas Border.

What an appropriate yet witty poster at Texas border. They have permanently banned Sharia Law. pic.twitter.com/zcR1cO7IXV

— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) July 3, 2016

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TRUTH

There is no signboard with such text at the Indian or US border. The image is edited digitally.

The text on the original signboard at the United States-Mexico border has been altered from a warning against carrying weapons and ammunition into Mexico to an anti-Sharia statement.

ORIGINAL IMAGE

VIRAL IMAGES

We used a reverse image search to uncover the truth behind the viral image, which led us to numerous versions of the same signboard as well as the original image. The original photograph was captured by reporter Molly O’Toole in San Luis, Arizona, and was included in a September 15, 2010 photo essay on the Southwest border.

InSight Crime, a non-profit think-tank and media organization, used the original image in an article headlined “Obama Speaks on Gun Laws, But Mute on Mexico” published on March 14, 2011.