On August 11-13, Georgian-language Facebook users (1, 2) shared a video, which, according to them, was filmed in Iraq and shows a protest organized by locals against the Olympics. In the video, a procession is seen, led by people carrying Christian symbols, such as crosses and icons. The participants are also wearing T-shirts with cross symbols. Facebook user claims that “as a protest against what happened in France,” Iraqi Muslims are showing solidarity with Christians by marching with Christian icons. The video is captioned “March for Christ in Iraq.”
Facebook users are spreading a videomanipulation, as the claim that Iraqi Muslims organized a protest against the Olympics in solidarity with Christians is false. The video in question dates back to 2022 and was filmed during a military parade of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq. The footage shows members of the 50th Brigade, Kataib Babiliyoun, the “Christian component.”
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Where was the video filmed and what does it show?
The video circulating on social media does not show a protest by locals in Iraq against the Paris Olympics. There is no information in open sources that locals protested the Olympics in such a manner. The only reports found are that religious leaders joined international religious organizations in condemning a scene they considered an imitation of the Last Supper.
The earliest instance of the video’s appearance dates back to 2022. According to the description by a local Facebook user, the video shows the participation of the “Brigade of Christ” in a parade. The same video was circulated in 2023 and 2024 (1;2;3) referred to as the “March for Christ.”
In the background of the procession, banners with images of a man can be seen, as well as a small structure in white, red, and black colors. In 2022, a similar military parade of the PMF was held in Iraq, in the same location and with similar banners. The details captured in the video match the official footage from the military parade in Iraq.
The man shown on the banners is Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the PMF, who was killed in 2020 alongside Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Iran’s Quds Force, in a U.S. airstrike.
In the video, participants of the march are seen wearing black T-shirts with cross symbols, holding crosses and icons. In the official footage of the parade, a similar group can be seen participating, wearing the same clothing and holding crosses, though they were not leading the procession with icons. It is likely that the video shows the preparation for the main procession.
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Who can be seen on the circulated video?
In the parade footage, it can be seen that the brigade members wearing T-shirts with crosses are led by a person carrying a flag. The flag bears a symbol and inscription that translates to “Kurdos, the 50th Brigade.”
A similar video, filmed from a different angle, was published on Facebook in 2022 by the leader of the 50th Brigade, Osama al-Kaldani, who wrote: “The heroes of the 50th Brigade’s ‘Christian component’ at the Popular Mobilization parade.”
The military group Kataib Babiliyoun (50th Brigade) was formed in 2017 by Chaldean Christians. The group presented itself as a local Christian force, though it was mostly composed of Shia Muslims. In its first year, the group’s members were expelled from one of Iraq’s regions by the Prime Minister’s decision due to looting and monastery theft. The group was founded by Rayan al-Kildani, also known as Rayan the Chaldean, who is sanctioned by the U.S. In 2019, he was replaced by his brother, Osama al-Kildani, though Rayan still retains significant influence over both the brigade and his brother. Rayan al-Kildani also has a political party, the “Babylon Movement,” and is connected to pro-Iranian forces. The group has been involved in attacks on Turkish and American forces and is one of the least controlled groups in Iraq.
Multiple misleading claims have been spread regarding the Paris Olympics. *Myth Detector* has already fact-checked manipulative information related to the Olympics’ artistic design, athletes, and organizers.
- DID A TRANSGENDER BOXER CONFRONT AN ITALIAN ATHLETE AT THE PARIS OLYMPICS, AND WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT IMANE KHELIF?
- DISINFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE OLYMPICS, THOMAS JOLLY, DISSEMINATED USING A FAKE SCREENSHOT FROM AP NEWS
- THE LAST SUPPER OR GREEK MYTHOLOGY – WHAT DOES THE SCENE AT THE PARIS OLYMPICS DEPICT AND WHY DID THE ORGANIZERS APOLOGIZE?
About the Source:
The Facebook account “Fan Tina” operates with four different profiles (1, 2, 3, 4) and regularly spreads false information. False claims shared by this account have been debunked multiple times by Myth Detector.
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