Fact Check: Social media users from India fake claimed and starts a dirty campaign that Hassan Ali was being trolled by fans in Pakistan because of his Shia sect.
Hassan Ali is not Shia.
Following Pakistan’s semi-final match against Australia on Thursday night, various Indian accounts on Twitter initiated a series of propaganda tweets about Pakistani fans abusing Hassan Ali for dropping a catch and hating on him for being Shia. Multiple social media users from across the border claimed that Hassan was being trolled by fans in Pakistan because he belongs to the Shia sect and his wife is an Indian.
However, the claim was entirely false as Hassan Ali does not belong to the Shia sect. Moreover, the few tweets that were attacking Hassan Ali did not have sectarian hatred. But the Indian accounts shared old videos from anti-Shia rallies in Pakistan where hateful slogans were being chanted, falsely claiming that the slogans were against Hassan Ali.
Twitter user Shah Tweets: ‘Until yesterday, no one in Pakistan knew that Hassan Ali is Shia. Only Indians knew.’
Twitter user Sohail Khan Tweets: “Being a Shia we condemn this Indian trend Asif Ali, Ramiz Raja and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was also shia stop this nonsense and there is nothing like Sunni Shia we are United proud to be Pakistani, just stop this bloody Indians.
Fellow cricketers, including Pakistan’s women cricket teams captain Bismah Maroof and Shadab Khan, also came out to appreciate and commend the fast bowler
CricTroll Tweets:”I requested to all Pakistanis to make a trend that #Hassanaliisnotshia because all the Indians were spreading fake news that Pakistan criticized Hassan Ali because he is a Shia Muslim..Pakistani Pakistan Fans”
Akrum66 Tweets: “India as per their Chanakya tactics tries to create hatred & conflict between father against son, brother VS brother, promote the Sunni Shia divide, Balouchi-Afghani divide, Cricket Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, UAE.”
Awais Ashiq Tweets:”A gift from Hasssn Ali to indians who are playing shia card and fazool rumors”
Senior Journalist Mehr Tarar Tweets:”RW Indians abused Mohammad Shami, attacking his religion, after India lost to Pakistan. RW Indians, thinking Pakistanis would be mad at Hassan Ali, used his name to instigate Shia Pakistanis to think it’s a faith related thing. Pakistanis didn’t bite. Hassan Ali was & is our hero”
Yasif Tweets:”Reality check for these frustrated Indians after #PAKvAUS -Hassan Ali is not Shia -Majority of Pakistanis dont even know if he is Shia/Sunni -Pakistanis never ever targeted any cricketer on basis of sectarianism & never gave threat to families like u did in Shami & Kohli case”
Akbar Rizvi Tweets:”i’m #Shia and proud to be a Pakistani. Stop this nonsense trend against Hassan Ali Bloody Indian. #PAKVSAUS“
