This Image Of A Scarred Woman Is Not From The Recent Suicide Bombing In Kabul; Viral Image Is From 2016

An image showing a woman with a scarred face has been circulating across social media with the claim that she is a victim of a suicide bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan.

On September 30, 2022, a suicide bomber killed 19 people and injuring 27 education centre in Dashti Barchi, a Shiite neighbourhood of Kabul. The United Nations condemned the attack, where they noted that violence in or around educational establishments is never acceptable.

Claim:

The viral image shows a heavily scarred woman wearing a burqa. The image is viral with the caption, "This is the face of Hazara Shia persecution. This young lady survived bombing of an educational center in Kabul, but lost most of her friends and classmates. Her face won't make it to magazine covers in the West because she is not Malala."

It is being widely shared on Facebook and Twitter with a similar claim.

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian fact check team verified the viral claim and found it to be misleading. The viral image dates back to 2016 which shows Razia Noorizada Didar, who was one of the seriously wounded when Tolo TV's company's bus was rammed by the car of a Taliban suicide bomber.

The Hazaras are one of the most targeted ethnic groups in Afghanistan. As per details on the website Minority Rights, they have been displaced due to forced migration, land grabbing and persecution.

The Taliban directed attacks towards the country's minority population, most of whom are ethnic Hazaras. As per a Times of India article, the targeting of houses of worship, schools, and public places of the Hazara community has amplified since the Taliban took over last year.

We conducted a reverse image search on the viral image and came across a result on Getty Images. The image on Getty Images was uploaded on April 9, 2016. The description of the image reads as, "Razia Noorizada Didar, 30, was one of the seriously wounded victims that worked with Tolo for a decade. Razia has lost sight in her left eye, and has several fractured bones, her face is scarred from burns and shrapnel."

The caption states that she was an employee at Tolo TV, one of Afghanistan largest entertainment channels, when they boarded a company bus in Kabul. However, the bus was rammed by a car driven by a Taliban suicide bomber. In the incident, seven people were killed and at least 25 wounded in the attack.

The caption reads, "From a 2015 UN Assistance Mission To Afghanistan (UNAMA) report, the number of Afghan civilians killed and wounded surpassed 11,000, which was the deadliest on record for civilians in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion more than 14 years ago."

We conducted a keyword search with the terms 'Razia Noorizada Didar', and came across an article by Pulitzer Center published on September 23, 2016. The report by Pulitzer Center is titled "Paula Bronstein on the Silent Victims of Afghanistan's War". The caption noted, "Razia Noorizada Dhar was working at Tolo TV…when the company's bus was rammed by the car of a Taliban suicide bomber. Seven people were killed and at least 25 wounded in the attack."

In our Fact Check, we also came across a report by TIME published on June 29, 2016. The TIME report carried an image of Didar as well. The caption stated, "Razia Noorizada Didar, 30, was one of the seriously wounded victims that worked with Tolo TV for a decade. Razia has a lost sight in her left eye, and has several fractured bones."

The caption noted that her face is scarred from burns and shrapnel. She was a part of Tolo TV employees who boarded a company bus in Kabul on April 9, 2016. The bus was rammed by a car driven by a Taliban suicide bomber. In the attack, seven people were killed and at least 25 wounded.

In our Fact Check, we came across a report by TOLO TV which noted that seven of its employees were killed on 20 January 2016. The Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack. The news outlet had tweeted that seven of its employees had lost their lives in a terrorist attack.

Conclusion:

We found that the viral image dates back to 2016 which shows Razia Noorizada Didar, who was one of the seriously wounded victims that worked with Tolo TV for a decade. She was one of the victims who was severely injured when Tolo TV's company's bus was rammed by the car of a Taliban suicide bomber. Thus, we found that the viral image was circulated with a misleading claim.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

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