A claim circulating on Facebook since September 19, 2022, alleged that several mosques in Souk Al-Juma, Tripoli, were closed due to a bed bug infestation. The claim gained around 5.7 thousand interactions and 868 comments. The post included a photo showing a mosque closure. Some pages speculated that the infestation was caused by new furniture and carpets, the presence of foreign workers, poor hygiene, or a lack of action from state security agencies.
Investigations by Annir found that the claim originated from a post on a Facebook page on September 19, 2022, at 1:54 PM Libya time. The post quickly went viral, accompanied by a photo of a closed mosque. Several pages repeated the claim, adding their own speculations about the cause of the infestation. However, official pages provided different information, stating that only one mosque, Anas bin Malik, was closed due to bed bugs, while other mosques in the area remained open.
According to the official page of Anas bin Malik mosque, the mosque's supervisory committee announced on September 16, 2022, that it would close the mosque on September 17, 2022, for urgent and intensive health spraying. On September 19, 2022, the Environmental Health Affairs Department of Souk Al-Juma municipality responded to the circulating claim, forming a team of inspectors to verify the information.
The Environmental Health Affairs Department conducted a field tour and confirmed that only one mosque in Souk Al-Juma was closed due to bed bugs, which was Anas bin Malik mosque. The department found that the infestation was widespread among worshippers and was causing harm to children at the Quranic school. The department stated that the remaining four mosques in the area were not closed.
The official page of Anas bin Malik mosque reposted the statement from the Environmental Health Affairs Department, confirming the accuracy of the information. The mosque announced that it would reopen its doors on September 22, 2022, after the necessary measures were taken. The mosque also thanked the Souk Al-Juma Awqaf unit for its support during the pest control process.
The misleading claim was spread across multiple Facebook pages, causing unnecessary concern among the public. The fact-checking by Annir revealed that the claim was exaggerated and not entirely accurate. The incident highlights the importance of verifying information before sharing it on social media to avoid spreading misinformation.
This incident is not an isolated case of misinformation in Libya. Several other claims have been found to be false or misleading, including claims about the number of AIDS cases in Tripoli and statistics on marriage and divorce rates in the country. These incidents emphasize the need for fact-checking and responsible sharing of information on social media.
Key points
- Only one mosque in Souk Al-Juma, Anas bin Malik, was closed due to bed bug infestation, not multiple mosques as claimed.
