FACT CHECK: No, This Clip Does Not Show Muslims Praying In The Streets Of Paris

A video shared on Twitter purportedly shows a massive crowd adhering to Muslim prayer in the streets of Paris.

Believe it or not, this is Paris. Yes, the fashion city Paris in SECULAR France. pic.twitter.com/XkM1cE81Cr

— Mini Razdan (@mini_razdan10) May 7, 2022

Verdict: False

The footage was filmed in Moscow, not Paris.

Fact Check:

The annual three-day Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr was observed in early May to mark the end of the Ramadan fasting month, according to Al-Jazeera. A widely shared May 7 tweet claims to show hundreds of Muslims praying in the streets of Paris near a golden-domed mosque, perhaps in recognition of the holiday.

“Believe it or not, this is Paris,” reads the tweet. “Yes, the fashion city Paris in SECULAR France.” A Facebook post showing the tweet associates the scene with Eid al-Fitr in that country. (RELATED: Image Claims To Show Cleaner Praying At Mecca’s Kaaba During The Coronavirus Pandemic)

The video was not filmed in Paris. An internet search revealed the same footage was published by the Turkish Islamist newspaper Yeni Şafak on May 4 with a caption that explains it shows Muslims praying in Moscow. “Thousands of Muslims who could not fit into mosques in Moscow, the capital of Russia, performed their Ramadan Feast prayers on the streets,” reads a translated version of part of the video’s caption.

The golden-domed building visible in the video appears to be the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, which can be found on Google Maps. Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw its ceremonial opening in 2015, according to CNN. Large-scale Eid al-Fitr prayers have been held on the streets close to the mosque before, as can be seen in photos found on Getty Images.

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