Media run with hoax that 1,000 Muslims formed a ‘ring of peace’ around synagogue

The international media ran with a hoax this weekend that claimed 1,000 Muslims formed a “ring of peace” outside a Norwegian synagogue.

The AP, AFP, and Reuters wire services picked up the story from Oslo on Saturday, leading to its wide publication, including Fox News and Israel’s Haaretz.  But the story was false.

The plan was to form a ring around the synagogue, using at least 30 young Muslims, which was reported by Norway’s The Local last Tuesday.  The 17-year-old group leader told Norway state broadcaster NRK, “I’ve said that it only comes to 30, it won’t be good, it may seem counter-productive, but if you fill Bergstien [the street where the synagogue is based], it will be very good.”

A local described the event on Reddit:

Well, I was there, and it wasn’t 1000 muslims. It was 1300 people in total of which almost everyone looked like ethnic Norwegians. The people holding hands are media staged – they had barriers in front with an entry checkpoint with 10 guards or so, and allowed a small number of muslims inside together with the Jewish congregation.

So innermost the synagogue with 50 or so Jews, then this semicircle of 20 or so muslims, then the barriers and guards and police, then a mostly Norwegian crowd.

The 20 Muslims out of 1,300 people quickly became “1,000 Muslims” to the media, which was more than willing to participate in the hoax — and to report a blatant lie.

Even worse, one of the speakers at the event was reported by Daniel Greenfield to have given a 2008 speech that began “I hate Jews, and how they operate and I will furthermore elaborate on why I hold such beliefs.”

Everyone would love to see Europe deal with its anti-Semitism problem.  Staging fake media events and then wildly inflating the number of Muslims who show up is, however, the very definition of counter-productive.

One Twitter use asks: are you sure you got this right?

DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW

Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!

Success! Thank you for donating. Please share BPR content to help combat the lies.
Steve Berman

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

BPR INSIDER COMMENTS

Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!

Comments are closed.

Latest Articles