Conservative media claims this picture shows Syrian refugees with ISIS flags (They’re lying to you)

A viral picture that several right wing websites claim shows Syrian refugees carrying ISIS flags has turned out to be a fraud.

One site, the Conservative Post, claimed that the “new leaked picture” was proof of their reporting that ISIS was planting militants among refugees, allowing them to enter Europe.

From the Independent:

The picture appears to have come from protests in Bonn in May 2012. The protest began as one by a then ascendant far-right political party in the country, and the Muslims in the picture were part of a counter-protest.

Other uploads were around at the same time, confirming that the picture is just over three years old.

Video of what appears to be the same protest — at an anti-Islam rally in Bonn — can be seen on YouTube. The footage was uploaded on 2012, and appear to come from the same year — long before the flag took off as a widely-understood symbol of Isis.

isis
Via the Conservative Post

The ISIS flag is actually an adaptation of an already well-established emblem in Islam, called the Prophet’s Seal.

“So, by co-opting words which have nothing to do with jihadism, they [ISIS] broaden themselves and try to claim ideological territory that they wouldn’t be able to if they had something specific,” says Charlie Winter, a head researcher at the Quilliam Foundation.

Watch the original 2012 footage below. The flag can be seen at about 0:03:

[The Independent] Featured image via the Conservative Post

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.

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