This image has been edited – the original shows an Indonesian gas station offering free fuel to customers who can recite the Koran

This article is more than one year old.
Published on December 1, 2020 at 04:00
4 min read
By AFP Indonesia

A photo appearing to show an Indonesian-language banner at a gas station stating that non-Muslim customers who recite shahadah, the Muslim profession of faith, will receive 2 litres of free fuel has been shared in multiple Facebook posts. The claim is false; the image has been doctored. The original photo shows a banner stating that the gas station will give free petrol to customers who can recite two juz’ of the Koran.

The image was posted on Facebook here on November 22, 2020.

Screenshot of the image in the misleading post, taken on November 30, 2020

The photo shows gas station workers installing a banner with Indonesian-language text that translates to English as: “[Special to Non-Muslims] FREE 2 litres of FUEL for those who recite the shahadah.”

Shahadah is the Muslim profession of faith and is recited by those who convert to Islam.

The image was also published with a similar claim on Facebook here, here and here.

The claim, however, is false.

A reverse image search on Google found that the image was doctored. The original photo was published here on an Instagram account called @newdramaojol.id on July 2, 2019.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NEWDRAMAOJOL.ID (@newdramaojol.id)

The banner seen in the photo says: “EVERY FRIDAY FREE 2 L OF FUEL FOR CUSTOMERS WHO READ TWO JUZ’ OF THE KORAN.”

The post’s Indonesian-language caption states “Every Friday. Free 2 litres of fuel at Kampir-Bulu gas station in Temanggung.”

Juz’, or juz-un in Arabic, is one of the 30 equal parts of the Koran.

Temanggung is a district in Indonesia’s Central Java province.

The gas station’s location on Google Map can be seen here and its Instagram account here.

Gas station supervisor Jerri Utomo confirmed to AFP via WhatsApp on November 25, 2020, that the original photo was taken at his station.

He said the banner showed a promotional programme in the past that “was launched in 2019 and was only available for some days”.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the photo in the misleading post (L) and the genuine photo on Instagram (R):

Screenshot comparison of the photo in the misleading post (L) and the genuine photo on Instagram (R)

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