Fox & Friends Suggests Chanting “Allahu Akbar” Shows Refugees May Be Terrorists

Written by Emily Arrowood

Published

Fox & Friends' coverage of the refugee crisis focused on whether the migrants might be terrorists because they're predominantly Muslim and may have chanted “Allahu Akbar.”

Thousands of men, women, and children are increasingly fleeing Iraq to escape violence from the Islamic State, joining more than four million migrants who have left Syria since the start of its civil war. The ensuing global humanitarian crisis is now being called the worst migration crisis since World War II, according to the United Nations. Yet on Fox News, the refugee crisis has been used to push fears about the religion of the refugees.

Fox & Friends hyped a “disturbing” video on September 9 purporting to show refugees chanting “Allahu Akbar” as evidence that most of the refugees are Muslim. Despite adding the caveat that “we're not saying that any of [the refugees] are terrorists,” Fox hosts suggested “Allahu Akbar” chants show why “some are worried” the refugees are “potential terrorists,” while an on-screen graphic blared, “Terrorists Inbound? Taking Refugees Could Open Door To Jihadists.”

KRISTIN FISHER: At the same time that the White House is reconsidering what to do about this refugee crisis, a new video surfaces online showing why some are worried Europe is opening its doors to potential terrorists.

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Those are reportedly Muslim refugees on a train in Europe chanting “Allahu Akbar” or “God is great.” Now, to be clear, we're not saying that any of those people are terrorists or in any way affiliated with a terror group, but it does highlight just how many of these refugees, who are fleeing violence in Iraq and Syria, are Muslim. And when they're flooding into Europe at a rate of thousands a day, it's impossible to check all of them as they cross the border. The White House has been taking some heat from its European allies for not doing more to help, but yesterday a spokesman said the administration is “actively considering other options.”

It appears the video originated on the fringe website InfoWars.com, which links to a YouTube post calling the men in the video “ISIS recruits,” not refugees as Fox & Friends claimed.