A video of a man being welcomed by a group of men wearing skull caps is being shared on social media (here, here, and here). It is claimed that they are welcoming the newly elected mayor of Brighton in the United Kingdom, Mohammad Asaduzzaman, who is a Muslim of Bangladeshi origin. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The video shows a group of people welcoming the newly elected mayor of Brighton (United Kingdom), Mohammad Asaduzzaman, who is a Muslim of Bangladeshi origin.
Fact: The person shown in the video is Sheikh Sufi Muhammad Asghar, an Islamic cleric being welcomed by his followers in Bedford, UK. He is not Mohammed Asaduzzaman, the newly elected mayor of Brighton and Hove. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On performing a reverse image search using the keyframes of the viral video, we found similar videos featuring the individual shown in the viral video on a YouTube channel named Aslamia Foundation (here and here). In one of these videos posted on the same channel, we identified the two individuals from the viral video. This video was posted on 11 June 2024, titled “Brother taking bayah with Shaykh | Bedford U.K. June 2024.” The man being welcomed can be seen in the same attire as in the viral video. Also, the man wearing spectacles and a green scarf and the man wearing a blue shawl in the viral video can be seen in the YouTube video. Below is the comparison between the viral video and the YouTube video.
Further research on the YouTube channel revealed that the About section states: “Promoting Peace, Love & Guidance to Excellence. Naqashbandiya Aslamiya – Shadpur Sharif & Gulshan E Aslamiya Sharif, Jhelum, Pakistan & England U.K.” From the titles of the videos posted on the channel, we identified the person shown in the viral video as Sheikh Sufi Muhammad Asghar. The channel also provided links to various social media platforms, where we found the viral video on TikTok. This video, uploaded on 6 June 2024, mentions that this is a Muslim community event that took place at the community centre in Bedford.
Further, we discovered Sufi Muhammad’s official Facebook page (archived) where he is shown participating in various religious gatherings in the U.K. Moreover, as per the Brighton & Hove City Council website, Mohammed Asaduzzaman was elected as the new Mayor of Brighton City in May 2024. Before this, he served as the city’s Deputy Mayor. Born in Bangladesh, he moved to the U.K. in 1995 and has resided in Brighton for 30 years. News reports were also published about him (here and here). Below is a comparison of the photos of Sufi Muhammad and the newly elected mayor, Mohammed Asaduzzaman.
To sum up, the man being welcomed by people in this video is not the newly elected mayor of Brighton and Hove.
