Indonesia grave demolition footage falsely shared as bulldozing of Muslim graves in India
Multiple photos have circulated on Facebook claiming to show Muslim graves being demolished with bulldozers in India. However, a fact-check by Dismislab found that the images are not from India but from Bali, Indonesia. Reports by several international news outlets indicate that authorities in Bali have begun removing old graves because of a shortage of burial space. The circulated photos were taken from video footage showing the demolition of an old grave as part of that process.
On May 31, a Facebook page named “Balal Nomani” posted two photos with the caption: “#Where has humanity come to stand! In India, even the graves of Muslims are being demolished with bulldozers. This scene is truly heartbreaking.” As of the writing of this report, the post had received more than 2,200 reactions and been shared at least 415 times. The photos show a bulldozer uprooting a grave covered with light blue tiles.
The same photos were also shared by multiple personal Facebook profiles (1, 2, 3, 4) with identical claims. The claim was further found circulating on Instagram.
To verify the claim, a reverse image search led to a report published by Indonesia-based entertainment news outlet Lambe Turah on May 28. Titled “Burial Ground Crisis in Bali: Old Graves Being Demolished to Make Room for New Bodies,” the report featured photos matching those circulated on social media. According to the report, a shortage of burial space in Bali has become an increasingly serious problem. It noted that a video showing the demolition of several old graves in a cemetery had recently gone viral, drawing widespread public attention. The report stated that local authorities had begun removing old graves because the existing cemetery no longer had sufficient capacity to accommodate new burials.
On June 1, the verified X account of Indonesia-based media outlet Haluan Media posted a video with the caption: “A video of the demolition of old graves in an area of Bali has attracted widespread attention on social media. The footage shows several residents working together to dismantle a grave that had been in use for a long time.” The scenes shown in the video match the circulated photos exactly. The footage was also identified as originating from Indonesia in social media posts published by multiple (1, 2, 3, 4) international media outlets.
In other words, footage showing the demolition of old graves in Bali, Indonesia, is being falsely circulated as showing Muslim graves being demolished in India.
