FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show People In New Zealand Singing The Names Of God In Islam During The COVID-19 Pandemic?

Trevor Schakohl | Legal Reporter

A video shared on Facebook purportedly shows people of various religions singing the names of God in Arabic in New Zealand during the coronavirus pandemic.

Verdict: False

The video shows portions of a concert in Turkey in 2011.

Fact Check:

In the video, people of various religious backgrounds can be seen and heard singing in Arabic the 99 names used to describe God’s attributes in Islam. Multiple Facebook users have shared the video, claiming it shows a performance in New Zealand during the coronavirus pandemic.

The logo for the Turkish media outlet TRT Avaz appears in the top-left corner of the footage, making the post’s claim immediately suspect. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show Tom Hanks Quarantined In Australia With Wilson The Volleyball?)

The footage actually comes from a longer video of a concert that took place in Istanbul, Turkey, in May 2011. The choir, which comprised of Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian students, sang chats in Arabic and other languages at the concert, according to Turkish media outlet Haberler.

Then-Turkish President Abdullah Gul attended the event and posted about it on his personal blog. Other Turkish media outlets also published articles about the concert in late May and early June 2011.

As of press time, the new coronavirus has sickened more than 3.5 million people and killed some 250,000 others worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Center.

Trevor Schakohl

Legal Reporter
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