CNN Report on Afghan Child Brides Did Not Mention Prophet Muhammed
The Claim
CNN had referred to the life of Prophet Muhammed while broadcasting the story of Afghan Child brides.
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Emerging story
Social media users are circulating a video from a CNN report on underage marriage in Afghanistan. The claims purport that the CNN report made a reference to Prophet Muhammed in relation to underage marriage.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and found it to be misleading.
CNN Witnesses 9-Year-old Being Sold for Marriage to 55-Year-old Man
Misbar's team found the original CNN report using the keywords "CNN," "Underage Marriage," and "Afghanistan."
On November 2, 2021, the report was uploaded to YouTube with the title "CNN witnesses 9-year-old being sold for marriage to 55-year-old man."
According to the video's description, "CNN's Anna Coren reports on the humanitarian crisis engulfing Afghanistan, where desperate families say they're being forced to sell their young daughters to survive."
While the report did, in fact, investigate underage marriage in Afghanistan, it made no comparison with the life of Prophet Muhammed.
Moreover, Misbar noticed that the Chyron in the circulating video is different from the one usually used by CNN. The original Chyron reads: “CNN WITNESSES DESPERATE AFGHAN PARENTS SELLING DAUGHTERS Families say they are forced to sell their young daughters to survive.” The difference between the original video and the one being circulated can be seen below.
Child Marriage in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, the dire economic crisis is forcing Afghan families to take desperate decisions. Several news reports focused on Afghan families selling their daughters, others selling their organs, in order to survive.
According to a UNICEF report, “The COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing food crisis, and the onset of winter have further exacerbated the situation for families. In 2020, almost half of Afghanistan’s population was so poor that they lacked necessities such as basic nutrition or clean water.”
The economic consequences of the drought, Covid-19, and the economic sanctions imposed after the Taliban seized power in August 2021 have been catastrophic. Prices of food have also rocketed due to dramatic increases in inflation.
Two Bjp Spokespersons Made Offensive Remarks About the Prophet Muhammad
The circulating claim is being shared after two spokespersons of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, made offensive remarks about the prophet Muhammad.
Many Muslim countries were outraged by the remarks, leaving New Delhi scrambling to contain the crisis.
Following social media calls for a boycott of Indian goods, several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar, lodged official protests against India.
Misbar has investigated several claims following the controversial remarks.
