Baby Born with “Allah” Birthmark in Refugee Camp-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
A baby was born with a birthmark on his forehead that spelled “Allah” in Arabic characters.
The Truth:
A fake news website is behind false reports of a baby born with an “Allah” birthmark.
World News Daily Report published a (fictional) story about Syrian refugees named Hussein and Amira Qabbani who gave birth to a boy with an “Allah” birthmark on his forehead:
The birth of Mohammad as rapidly become a symbol of hope for the refugees, who have welcomed him as a message from the All-Mighty.
“This young boy is the living proof that Allah hasn’t abandoned us,” says Farid al-Nouri, another refugee. “It shows that despite all the horrors surrounding us, Allah is still watching over us.”
Other refugees from the camp, however, have criticized the media for giving so much attention to the Mohammad’s story while ignoring the misery of the other refugees.
Within days, the story had been shared more than 20,000 times on social media sites. Some people commenting suggested that the parents had used a lighter and a paper clip to brand the letters onto the baby’s forehead for attention. Others believed it was a sign that Syrian refugees were being watched “by the almighty.”
Both were wrong. World News Daily Report publishes fake news stories that appear to be real when they’re taken out of context on social media sites. The disclaimer for says the website assumes “all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and for the fictional nature of their content.”