{"id":23555,"date":"2018-12-04T22:03:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T16:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=23555"},"modified":"2019-03-18T19:58:28","modified_gmt":"2019-03-18T14:28:28","slug":"pakistans-flag-in-west-bengal-no-it-is-a-widely-used-religious-flag-by-indian-muslims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/pakistans-flag-in-west-bengal-no-it-is-a-widely-used-religious-flag-by-indian-muslims\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan&#8217;s flag in West Bengal? No, it is a widely used religious flag by Indian Muslims"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A collection of photos of streets adorning purported Pakistani national flags were circulated on WhatsApp. It was claimed that these flags were hoisted in West Bengal&#8217;s Kolkata in celebration of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnaindia.com\/india\/photo-gallery-juggling-work-and-life-kolkata-s-to-be-mayor-firhad-hakim-shows-off-his-football-skills-2691601\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">newly elected<\/a> mayor, Firhad Hakim.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23560\" src=\"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_434.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"856\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_434.jpg 856w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_434-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_434-768x1009.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_434-779x1024.jpg 779w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_434-696x915.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_434-320x420.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One Facebook user, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=380406242725838&amp;set=a.146697396096725&amp;type=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dilip Singh<\/a>, posted the images with an alarming message, <em>&#8220;Firhad Hakim&#8217;s election as the new mayor celebrated in Kolkata with Paksitani flags. This is an alarm bell for Hindus (translated)&#8221;. <\/em>At the time of writing this article, his post garnered close to 900 shares.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23575\" src=\"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_436.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1028\" height=\"1010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_436.jpg 1028w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_436-300x295.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_436-768x755.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_436-1024x1006.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_436-696x684.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_436-427x420.jpg 427w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1028px) 100vw, 1028px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A similar claim along with the identical images was also tweeted by individual users on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?f=tweets&amp;q=%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%80%20%E0%A4%9D%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A1%E0%A5%87&amp;src=typd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twitter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/search\/posts\/?q=%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%80%20%E0%A4%9D%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A1%E0%A5%87&amp;epa=SERP_TAB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook<\/a>. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23561\" src=\"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_433.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1178\" height=\"1175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_433.jpg 1178w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_433-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_433-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_433-768x766.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_433-1024x1021.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_433-696x694.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_433-1068x1065.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_433-421x420.jpg 421w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1178px) 100vw, 1178px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>NOT Pakistani flag<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As seen in the comparison of the two images given below, social media users confused a generic religious flag with Pakistan&#8217;s national flag. In the photo on the right, which is the Pakistani flag, there is a white patch on the left side with a crescent moon and a star on the dark green coloured portion of the flag.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23618\" src=\"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-8hV00NtQ8lcaH.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1665\" height=\"885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-8hV00NtQ8lcaH.jpg 1665w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-8hV00NtQ8lcaH-300x159.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-8hV00NtQ8lcaH-768x408.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-8hV00NtQ8lcaH-1024x544.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-8hV00NtQ8lcaH-696x370.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-8hV00NtQ8lcaH-1068x568.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-8hV00NtQ8lcaH-790x420.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1665px) 100vw, 1665px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>A repetitive error<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Alt News has chronicled several instances in the past (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/viral-fake-news-of-pakistan-flag-waved-at-congress-rally-in-karnataka\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/did-bus-full-of-muslims-from-west-bengal-hoist-pakistani-flag\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/fake-news-of-pakistani-flag-at-congress-rally-recirculates-widely-on-social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">3<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/pakistani-flags-raised-dalit-protest-rally-aftermath-bhima-koregaon-incident\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">4<\/a>) when this generic flag, popularly used as a religious symbol by the Muslim community, was passed off as Pakistan&#8217;s national flag on social media.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, a video of Congress leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/no-ashok-gehlot-was-not-waving-pakistans-flag-as-claimed-on-social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ashok Gehlot<\/a> giving a speech was viral after many falsely claimed to spot Pakistan&#8217;s flag in the background.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-23581\" src=\"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_423.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1464\" height=\"733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_423.jpg 1464w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_423-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_423-768x385.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_423-1024x513.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_423-696x348.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_423-1068x535.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/Selection_423-839x420.jpg 839w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1464px) 100vw, 1464px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A collection of photos of streets adorning purported Pakistani national flags were circulated on WhatsApp. It was claimed that these flags were hoisted in West Bengal&#8217;s Kolkata in celebration of the newly elected mayor, Firhad Hakim. One Facebook user, Dilip Singh, posted the images with an alarming message, &#8220;Firhad Hakim&#8217;s election as the new mayor [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":23634,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"an_content_type":[739],"coauthors":[152],"class_list":["post-23555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","fact_checks_claim_type-viral-photos","an_content_type-fact-check"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/12\/islam.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23555"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30918,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23555\/revisions\/30918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23555"},{"taxonomy":"an_content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/an_content_type?post=23555"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=23555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}