A FAKE AD has been shared on social media which purports to show Sinn Féin selling “burkas” featuring its logo via the party’s online shop.

The burka, also spelled burqa, is the name given to a style of dress worn by some Muslim women that usually covers the body, the hair, and the face with a veil.

The fake ad features an edited image of a woman wearing a burka with the Sinn Féin logo on it, with a banner image stating “Sinn Féin online shop” above it. It proclaims that a “new batch of burkas” is “selling out fast” and implies that they are for sale via the party’s shop.

However, the ad was not released by Sinn Féin and their online shop shows no such item of clothing for sale.

The fake ad

One version of the fake ad shared on TikTok on 17 June was viewed more than 14,200 times and a screenshot of that post has recently been shared again, including a version posted to Facebook on 1 September.

The Journal has noted a trend involving photos of politicians being edited to make them appear to be wearing burkas.

The photos are shared in anti-immigration groups with comments and captions that make it clear that they are intended to mock Islam, the politicians featured, and any stances on immigration that they consider too soft.

Similarly, some far-right activists have condemned any fellowship with with Muslims, such as a National Party candidate who called for  TD Michael Healy-Rae to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church for meeting with members of the local Muslim community at a Killarney mosque.

Comments under the fake Sinn Féin ad have attracted similar criticism of the party, immigration and Muslims.

While Sinn Féin does have an online shop that sells clothing, such as t-shirts emblazoned with phrases like “Free Palestine” and “Come Out Ye Black & Tans”, it does not sell burkas.

“The ad is fake,” a Sinn Féin spokesperson confirmed to The Journal.

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