New Jersey’s First Muslim Mayor Vows to “Glorify Allah” in Every Decision-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
Reports that “New Jersey’s first Muslim mayor” said he would “glorify Allah” in every decision surfaced after Ravi Bhalla was elected mayor of Hoboken in November 2017.
The Truth:
Ravi Bhalla became the first Sikh to be elected mayor of an American city in November 2017. False reports that Bhalla vowed to “glorify Allah” after his election overlook that Sikhism and Islam are different religions.
The report first appeared at the website Reagan Was Right, which identifies its content as “satirical.” In a story appearing under the headline, “New Jersey’s First Muslim Mayor Vows ‘To Glorify Allah In Every Decision,’” the website quoted Bhalla as saying, “Allah and his great prophet Mohammad have blessed us and we will not let them down.”
The false report was widely circulated on social media. And many readers who didn’t click through read the original source’s disclaimer — or who read versions that were re-reported by websites not clearly identified as satire — mistook it for a factual report.
In reality, Sikhism and Islam are different religions all together. The Sikh Coalition explains that there’s a common misconception that Sikhism is a combination of Islam and Hinduism:
Sikhism is not a blend of Hinduism and Islam. It has its own scriptures, gurus, and houses of worship. Sikhism is a separate faith, and is not a branch of any other religion.
Given that Sikhs do not worship or follow Allah, the claim that Ravi Bhalla vowed to “glorify Allah” in his every decision doesn’t make sense.
Reagan Was Right was behind another report that was based on the false premise that Bhalla is a Muslm. In that one, Bhalla abolished Christmas in a show of respect for other religions. That one is also false.