Fact Check

Are Muslims in California Asking People Not to Decorate for Easter or Christmas Out of Respect?

The claim is a variation on an old anti-Muslim theme.

Published March 27, 2019

 (Duncan Andison / Shutterstock)
Image Via Duncan Andison / Shutterstock
Claim:
Muslims in California are asking people not to decorate for Easter or Christmas this year out of respect.

In late March 2019, some Facebook users shared a meme containing text that stated, without providing any evidence, that "Muslims in California are asking people to not decorate for Easter or Christmas this year out of respect”:

This meme was created using a Facebook tool that allows users to make their own memes in seconds by writing statuses with large, bold text and loud backgrounds. And the fact it offers no evidence for what is alleged is important, because claims involving offended Muslims somehow wrecking the Christian holidays (particularly Christmas) are a commonly-employed but misleading trope. The Facebook meme's maker likely threw Easter into the mix because the 21 April 2019 holiday was approaching as of this writing.

We found no evidence that "Muslims in California" have requested that people stop decorating for Christmas and Easter, and memes reporting this have offered no sources to support their claims. The notion appears to be nothing more than a social media-fueled rumor.

Bethania Palma is a journalist from the Los Angeles area who has been working in the news industry since 2006.