Old Pictures from India Shared as Yoga Sessions in Saudi Arabia
The Claim
A picture depicts Muslims in Saudia Arabia practicing yoga.
News posted on
Emerging story
Following the International Day of Yoga on June 21, pictures widely shared on social media claim that the two images show Muslims in Saudia Arabia are practicing yoga. Both images are shared with a claim in Hindi, which states that yoga does not belong to any community.
Misbar’s Analysis
MENA: Using TinEye, Misbar's team found both images were not related to Saudia Arabia. The first image was published in a report by Gulf News in June 2017. The headline of the pictures read, “Bohra community organizes yoga session.” According to the report, 500 members from the Bohra Muslim community organized a yoga event at their community cultural center in Abu Dhabi. The event took place on the occasion of the third International Yoga Day in 2017.
The second picture was published in a report on Voice of America back in June 2015.
The image description read, “Indian Muslim students practice yoga at a school ahead of first International Yoga Day in Ahmadabad, India, Wednesday, June 17, 2015. The United Nations has declared that June 21 will be observed as the International Day of Yoga.”
The photo shows children in Ahmedabad practicing yoga before the first International Yoga Day celebrations in 2015, also reported by Zee News.
Pictures circulating are not related to Saudia Arabia.
