A collage of two chapters from a textbook printed by a private Islamic school in Kerala that was under the scanner for teaching objectionable and communal content to its students is being shared with the false claim that the textbook was published by the state government in Kerala.
The photo shows a textbook with syllabus that propagates Islamic orthodoxy and teaches students to follow it.
The viral photo was posted by the verified X handle Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_). The caption of the post reads, " MusIim Aslam : Hygienic, we should buy sweets from his shop -Hindu Appan : Unhygienic, nobody should buy his sweets -Muslim Adil : Hygienic & has good habits -Hindu Abhimanyu : Unhygienic, never takes bath, smells bad. This is what Kerala govt is teaching in their schools..... This is how commies brainwash the little kids..."
BOOM has previously debunked misinformation posted by @MrSinha_ on X.
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The same photo is being shared widely on Facebook with communal claims and that it is from a Kerala government school textbook.
FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the same photos went viral in 2016 and a Islamic school was pulled up for teaching communal content to its students.
Taking a hint from the replies stating that the viral photo is old and not from a Kerala government school. We found a news report by The News Minute dated October 12, 2016, stating that photos of a textbook by the school chain - Peace International School had gone viral and Kerala police had registered an FIR against a branch of the school in Kochi for promoting enmity among different groups on the basis of religion. An investigating officer in the case had then told The News Minute that there were lessons on how to deal with non-Muslims in the controversial textbook.
Additionally, on running a reverse image search we also found the same viral photo is being shared on Facebook dating back to April 2021.
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Peace International School came under the scanner in early 2016 when nearly 21 people from across Kerala had fled the country allegedly to join the Islamic terror outfit ISIS. Several of the missing persons had been reported to be associated with the Peace chain of schools in Kasaragod, Palakkad, Malappuram and Ernakulam.
The Kochi city police had arrested three Mumbai-based publishers on December 3, 2016, for printing textbooks with objectionable content that were part of the syllabi taught at the Peace International School in Ernakulam, according to The News Minute.
In January 2018, Kerala government had ordered closure of the controversial Peace School in Ernakulam for teaching communal content reported The News Minute. The report further stated that the students studying in the Ernakulam branch were to be shifted out to other schools.Minister for General Education of Kerala V. Sivankutty posted on X calling out the the viral photo stating that the book is not published by the Kerala Govt’s Education Dept. His post read, "This book is not published by the Kerala Govt’s Education Dept. Merely another endeavor to incite animosity towards the state. Those acquainted with us understand the camaraderie & unity among Keralites. No room for hatred - precisely why communal agenda fails to take root here."
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