Kerala Students Raised ISIS Flags Supporting Terror Outfits: Fact Check

Story:

Kerala Students Raised ISIS Flags in Support of Terror Outfits

Other Versions

1. Students at a College in Kerala Hold Shows Supporting Terror Outfits. SHOCKING!

It seems like the ISIS-Al-Qaeda threats are slowly spreading to Kerala as well. In Varkala C.H Muhammad Koya Memorial College, students held a show in support of the terror outfits, raising their flags. College management too had come out in support of the students. The visuals were revealed by Janam TV. Further writings on the walls of the toilet colleges in support of the terror groups were also part of the visuals.

2. (Hindi)

केरल के एक लोकल टीवी चैनल ‘Janam TV’ ने बीते शुक्रवार को एक विडियो और न्यूज रिपोर्ट दिखाई जिसमें वरकला के सीएच मोहम्मद कोया मेमोरियल कॉलेज (मुस्लिम ट्रस्ट द्वारा चलाया जाने वाला कॉलेज) के छात्र आतंकी संगठन के समर्थन में शो कर रहे हैं और उनके झंडे को लहरा रहे हैं।
जनम टीवी ने दावा किया कि स्टूडेंट्स ने ISIS और इस्लामिक स्टेट जैसे आतंकी संगठन के सपॉर्ट में रोड शो किया और इसमें इनको कॉलेज प्रबंधन का भी साथ मिला।

3. Not Syria | It’s Kerala

Shocking visuals of IS influence in a Jihadi campus

Fact Check:

Various messages along with a video report in heavy circulation online purport to show that Kerala Students Raised ISIS Flags in Support of Terror Outfits. The video shows a group of college students on a road show – dressed in black and waving flags allegedly of terror groups. So, let us examine the claims and find out whether or not the Kerala students raised ISIS flags in support of terror groups.

Origin of Story

The story in question surfaced online and went viral after Janam TV shared the video on 29th December 2018. Showing the video, Janam TV mentioned possible presence of terror outfits like the Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the college managed by Muslim Education Trust for Coastal Area (METCA). The video also showed visuals of Osama bin Laden’s sketch on the walls of college bathroom. The Haji CHMM College for Advanced Studies is located in Varkala municipality of Kerala. The story gained importance due to concerns and reports on Islamic radicalization in Kerala.

Have Kerala Students Raised ISIS Flags to Support Terror Outfits?

The visuals shown by Janam TV are true, but their conclusions are not facts. The video is an old one and shows the college’s annual day event held on 14th March 2018. The final year students choose to dress funnily or follow an odd theme as part college’s annual day celebrations. Malayalam cinema actor Salim Kumar, who was invited to the celebrations, was also told to wear black. After the controversy, the actor also clarified the event had nothing to do with terrorism.

Image of Actor Salim Kumar in Haji CHMM College — Actor Salim Kumar in Haji CHMM College

As per Malayalam Samayam website malayalam.samayam.com, Salim Kumar had played a character of a funny mad-man in a Malayalam movie CID Moosa and the college students were mimicking his role. The students in black dress code came out as terrorists on bikes and jeep waving some team flags. They went to a junction nearby college to greet the actor and bring him to the college campus. Therefore, the video does not actually show that Kerala students raised ISIS flags in support of terror outfits. Such ‘Demo days’ are in fact quite common in some colleges of Kerala.