Unrelated image passing off as Malabar Gold Directors celebrating Pakistan Independence day

Malabar Gold is an exceptional brand in the gold market. False propaganda against Malabar Gold has been started by anti-Muslim groups, even though the owners are Muslim. There is a viral campaign on social media that Malabar Gold management is celebrating the Independence Day of Pakistan by cutting a cake in the color of the Pakistan flag. And the description reads like: “That is Malabar Gold & Diamonds folks celebrating Pakistan Independence Day in India Bharath! Please boycott Malabar Gold!”

Facebook Post

Fact Check-

After performing a reverse image search on the image, we found that it has been circulating since 2016. 'Malabar Gold and Diamonds' made a clarification on the photo on a Facebook post after it went viral. The post says it is a hate campaign against Malabar Gold and Diamonds. Malabar Gold clarifies: “MALICIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST MALABAR GOLD AND DIAMONDS

Last couple of days a photograph of a cake cutting event, the image shown below, has been circulating in the social media and WhatsApp alleging that it belongs to Malabar Gold and Diamonds. This CAKE CUTTING EVENT is NOT CONNECTED with MALABAR GOLD AND DIAMONDS. The image is that of a celebration event done by UAE EXCHANGE another Indian company based out of Middle East and has NO RELATION with MALABAR GOLD AND DIAMONDS.”

Facebook Post 

The cake cutting event is not associated with Malabar gold and diamond. UAE Exchange, another Indian company from the Middle East, hosted a celebratory event depicted in the image, which has no relation to Malabar Gold and Diamonds. Malabar Gold provided a collage as proof that the men cutting the cake were employees of UAE Exchange in its images. In the collage, the UAE Exchange logo is visible. We found Newspaper articles reporting on this topic can be found here.

ANI News 

Moreover there is a clarification of the fake content has been furnished in the official website of Malabar Gold. In short, a photo of UAE exchange staff cutting a cake emblazoned with the Pakistan flag is being mistakenly shared as a photo of 'Malabar Gold Directors celebrating Pakistan Independence Day'.

An additional image is attached to the Malabar Gold Independence Day Celebrations, claiming that the company distributing scholarship only for Muslim students. A caption in Malayalam language reads like, “Malabar Gold Awarded Scholarship for Students. All students belong to the same community. Isn't it better that only the same people buy gold from there? Then we "secular" people can look for a new shop, can't we," says the post.

Malabar Gold 

When we made a search using the keywords 'Malabar Gold Scholarships' a video found posted by 'Malabar Gold and Diamonds' on their YouTube channel on January 21, 2023. The viral image can be seen in the video. The scholarship distribution function is held at Mangaluru and the number of students is mentioned in the video as 630. Another picture displayed alongside the viral picture shows a group of girls not wearing hijab. Both images come at 1.03 minutes of the 3.11 minute video. At 0.16 minutes of the same video, it says that the beneficiaries include families from all sections of society and "irrespective of caste or community."

 When Fact Crescendo spoke to the office of the Malabar Charitable Trust, the General Secretary informed that the viral message circulating was false. We provide scholarships to deserving students irrespective of their caste and religion.

Conclusion-

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be False. The viral image shows that employees of UAE Exchange group are cutting the cake, not the directors of Malabar Gold group. There is no connection between the image and the Malabar Gold and Diamonds group. The second image of Hijab girl students with the description that Malabar Gold only distributes scholarships to Muslim students is also false. All girls are eligible for scholarships from Malabar Gold Group, regardless of caste or religion.