Q: Is Sharia law now in effect in Utah and other U.S. states?
A: No. Two stories circulating online falsely claim that various American courts have instituted Sharia.
Sham Sharia Stories
Debunking Viral Claims
These articles debunk misinformation shared on social media. We also provide resources for readers: an article and a video on how to combat misinformation.
From late 2016 to early 2025, FactCheck.org was one of several organizations working with Meta to debunk misinformation shared on Meta’s social media platforms.
False Caption on Dead Elephant Photo
Q: Was Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke photographed with a dead elephant?
A: No. He was falsely identified in a photo that was widely shared on Facebook.
No Child Euthanasia in Canada
Q: Has Canada passed a law that would allow parents to euthanize disabled children?
A: No. Canada’s physician-assisted death law applies only to adults if they are mentally capable of making such a decision.
Debunking False Vaccine Claim
Q: Has the Food and Drug Administration announced that vaccines cause autism?
A: No. FDA statements are grounded in scientific evidence. There is no evidence that vaccination is linked to autism.
Trump Didn’t Cut Canine Program
Q: Did President Donald Trump shut down a service dog training program for veterans?
A: No. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ended its contract with the program and told us that the president was not a factor.
Hoboken Christmas Hoax
Q: Is the newly elected mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, a Muslim and did he cancel “government involvement” in Christmas?
A: No. Ravinder Bhalla is a Sikh, not a Muslim, and he hasn’t instituted such a ban. He won’t even take office until Jan. 1, 2018.
Bench Warrant Story Is Supreme Fiction
Q: Has the U.S. Supreme Court issued a warrant for the arrest of one of Barack Obama’s treasury secretaries?
A: No. The person named in a fictional story doesn’t even exist.
Texas Shooting Unrelated to Antifa
Q: Was the man who killed more than two dozen people in a rural Texas church trying to start a civil war as a member of antifa?
A: No. Law enforcement officials believe the mass shooting was motivated by a family dispute, and they are not investigating it as an act of terrorism.
No Muslim Child Marriage in Montana
Q: Did a judge in Montana rule that a “Muslim man can marry 9-year-old girl”?
A: No. The couple in the “wedding” photo are actually actors who were part of an advocacy group’s campaign to fight child marriage in Lebanon.
Blackout or Ham Radio Drill?
Q: Is the Department of Defense planning a drill that will cause a nationwide blackout? Is antifa involved?
A: No and no. The Army is conducting a drill with ham radio operators, and it has nothing to do with antifa.