Fact Check: Viral Video Purports to Show Hundreds of Protesting UCLA Students Converting to Islam. Here's a Closer Look

Nikki Dobrin
·5 min read
64
Anthony Cabassa/X
Anthony Cabassa/X

Claim:

Video purportedly shows hundreds of students converting en masse to Islam during pro-Palestine protests at UCLA in April/May 2024.

Rating:

Rating: Miscaptioned
Rating: Miscaptioned

Context:

While the clip does show a large gathering of protesters at UCLA participating in Islamic prayer, contrary to what has been claimed online it does not depict hundreds of students converting to Islam.

 

In May 2024, a video circulating on social media purported to show hundreds of students converting to Islam and participating in Islamic prayer during pro-Palestine protests at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). However, a closer examination reveals that the claim is misleading.

Several social media accounts linked to the video clip and provided a description of what they believed was taking place in it. One tweet, which had been viewed a staggering 5.3 million times at the time of writing, claimed the students were converting to Islam, writing, "Hundreds of American students convert to Islam and participate in an Islamic call to prayer at UCLA."

Did UCLA protesters convert en masse to Islam?
Did UCLA protesters convert en masse to Islam?

(@OliLondonTV / X)

However, the video itself does not support this claim.

The clip in question was first shared to X on May 1, 2024, by user Anthony Cabassa, who described what it depicted as a "group of Pro Palestine protestors praying as the sun sets on campus." The original source of the video remains unclear.

Tweets from X accounts ChazzP12 and Mario Nawfal shared the same video, writing that "protesters of all faiths were welcomed to join in solidarity."

The clip does indeed show a large gathering of protesters at UCLA participating in prayer, but contrary to what has been claimed online, it does not depict hundreds of students converting to Islam. This distinction is crucial, as participating in prayer does not equate to conversion to Islam. Rather, the clip reportedly captured a moment when a group of people were seen participating in Islamic prayer as the sun set. Hours later, police swept in to dismantle the protest camp and arrest more than 200 protesters, according to multiple reports.

Converting to Islam involves a personal declaration of faith known as the Shahada, which can be made privately or publicly, often in the presence of witnesses or within the Muslim community. An English translation of the Shahada is: "I bear witness that there is no God but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God."

Additionally, conversion may involve learning about the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam, including the Five Pillars (Shahada, Salah, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj), and embracing them in your daily life.

The protests on the UCLA campus, along with protests that have taken place at several other universities across the country since mid-April, were part of a broader movement of students supporting Palestine amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The protests were fueled by concerns over the Israeli government's military response in Gaza and the subsequent displacement of Palestinian families there. Demonstrators were calling for an end to the war, justice for Palestinian people, and for their universities to cease doing business with Israel and companies that support the conflict in Gaza.

The claim that the video shows hundreds of students converting to Islam during the UCLA protests is misleading. While the video captured a large gathering of protesters participating in Islamic prayer, there is no evidence to suggest that mass conversions took place.

Snopes has been covering the ongoing Israel-Hamas war since it exploded on Oct. 7, 2023. For more coverage, read our posts about George Soros funding pro-Palestine demonstrations at U.S. universities, and snipers spotted on roofs at universities during protests.

Sources:

"At Least 2,000 People Arrested in pro-Palestinian Protests on US Campuses, AP Tally Shows." AP News, 2 May 2024, https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-campus-student-protests-war-ec3f62c51c08599f8fcecd99f7cf9e33.

"Campus Protests Live Updates: Supporters of UCLA Arrestees Applaud as Students Are Released from Jail." NBC News, 2 May 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/campus-protests-live-updates-police-ucla-encampment-rcna150340.

"Https://Twitter.Com/AlessandroMe848/Status/1785906844038500735?t=KWoxYy7I6Ntj3YdLo_Ff5g&s=19." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/AlessandroMe848/status/1785906844038500735?t=KWoxYy7I6Ntj3YdLo_Ff5g&s=19. Accessed 2 May 2024.

"Https://Twitter.Com/AnthonyCabassa_/Status/1785877170625323130." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/AnthonyCabassa_/status/1785877170625323130. Accessed 2 May 2024.

"Https://Twitter.Com/ChazzP12/Status/1785907875606409386." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/ChazzP12/status/1785907875606409386. Accessed 2 May 2024.

"Https://Twitter.Com/MarioNawfal/Status/1785902641647849957." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1785902641647849957. Accessed 2 May 2024.

"Https://Twitter.Com/OliLondonTV/Status/1785891276228895152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1785891276228895152%7Ctwgr%5E8fc9cd0ee71fb2eda80cc59c0a6d378333e54600%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcanadafreepress.com%2Farticle%2Fhundreds-of-American-Students-Convert-to-Islam-and-Participate-in-an-Islamic-Call-to-Prayer-at-Ucla." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1785891276228895152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1785891276228895152%7Ctwgr%5E8fc9cd0ee71fb2eda80cc59c0a6d378333e54600%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcanadafreepress.com%2Farticle%2Fhundreds-of-american-students-convert-to-islam-and-participate-in-an-islamic-call-to-prayer-at-ucla. Accessed 2 May 2024.

Islam Guide: How Does Someone Become a Muslim? https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~msa/tour/ch3-6.htm. Accessed 2 May 2024.

Ortiz, John Bacon, Will Carless and Jorge L. "Police Sweep onto UCLA Campus, Remove pro-Palestinian Encampment: Live Updates." USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/05/02/ucla-columbia-college-protests-live-updates/73538023007/. Accessed 2 May 2024.

"Protesters Arrested at UCLA Speak out after Being Released from Custody." ABC7 Los Angeles, 2 May 2024, https://abc7.com/protesters-arrested-at-ucla-speak-out-after-being-released-from-custody/14756445/.

Richwine, Lisa, and Omar Younis. "California Police Move in to Dismantle Pro-Palestinian Protest Camp at UCLA." Reuters, 2 May 2024. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/police-move-quell-clashes-los-angeles-pro-palestinian-campus-protest-2024-05-01/.

"Shahada - A Profession of Faith." Islamic Relief, Islamic Relief, 5 Apr. 2023, https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/resources/knowledge-base/five-pillars-of-islam/shahada/#:~:text=Translation%3A%20%E2%80%9CI%20bear%20witness%20that,and%20mindfulness%20of%20it's%20meaning.

"The Five Pillars of Islam." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, https://www3.metmuseum.org/learn/educators/curriculum-resources/art-of-the-islamic-world/unit-one/the-five-pillars-of-islam. Accessed 2 May 2024.