There is a massive problem with this anti-Islam meme

You might want to take a closer look

A racist meme using the hashtag '#BanIslam' which was widely shared on social media begs closer attention.

The meme claimed to show two pictures of Beirut, one from before the civil war of 1975-1990 that left 250,000 people dead, and one of the destruction after.



The arresting visual contrast between both pictures is what caught most people's attention. And this is precisely where one is tempted to point out that the 'misleading' war zone picture is not from Lebanon's civil war or from any skirmishes with Israel.

Unfortunately for those who posted this meme, it is a 2014 picture from the city of Aleppo in Syria showing the devastation caused by regime barrel bombs, taken by a Reuters photographer.

PHOTO: REUTERS



The post claims that Muslims were let into Lebanon under 'multiculturalism' and implies the ensuing war was Islam's fault. What it has conveniently overlooked is the fact that the majority Muslim population and Christian and Druze minorities have co-existed in the area for more than 1,000 years.

Lebanon used to be the 'Paris of the Middle East' until Muslims were let in under 'multiculturalism'. #BanIslam pic.twitter.com/2S59HcmKB5

— Cristina Laila (@cristinalaila1) May 30, 2016

This article originally appeared on The Independent.