In Bangladesh, football isn’t just a sport—it’s a fever that splits the nation into two camps: Brazil and Argentina. With FIFA’s latest rankings listing 210 football-playing nations, these two Latin American giants dominate not just the pitch but also the hearts of Bangladeshi fans. From tea stalls to social media, any match involving either team ignites a storm of passion, dividing friends and families. But amid the frenzy surrounding football, a troubling narrative has surfaced on Facebook, claiming that Bangladeshi Muslims are blindly supporting countries where Islam is suppressed—specifically, that Brazil bans the call to prayer (azan) and Argentina forbids mentioning Allah in public.
Spoiler alert: the truth is less spicy than the rumors. Here’s what we found, backed by a healthy dose of skepticism.
The Social Media Storm: Unpacking the Claims
Facebook in Bangladesh is a battlefield of opinions, especially during football season. Posts on personal accounts, pages, and groups have been buzzing with accusations that Brazil and Argentina—countries adored by millions of Bangladeshi Muslims—are hostile to Islam. The two main claims are:
- Brazil bans the azan, the Islamic call to prayer.
- Argentina prohibits saying Allah’s name in public.
These allegations, if true, would raise serious questions about the cultural disconnect in Bangladesh’s football fandom. But as someone who’s fallen for online hoaxes before (remember the “free iPhone” scams?), I knew better than to take these at face value. So, I rolled up my sleeves and turned to verified sources to separate fact from fiction.
Claim 1: Does Brazil Ban the Azan?
Let’s start with Brazil, the land of samba, Pelé, and five World Cup titles. The claim that Brazil bans the azan seems jarring, given the country’s reputation for cultural diversity. To check this, I first looked into the state of Islam in Brazil.
According to the Harvard Divinity School, Brazil is home to roughly 200,000 Muslims, the largest Muslim population in Latin America. Most are of Arab descent, primarily from Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, with roots tracing back to West African slaves and later Arab immigrants. A smaller number are local Brazilians who’ve converted to Islam. The Pew Research Center projects Brazil’s Muslim population will grow to 227,000 by 2030, though that’s still just 0.1% of the country’s total population.
Most Brazilian Muslims live in São Paulo, where they run Islamic community centers and mosques. However, the Pew Research Center notes that Muslim women in Brazil sometimes face harassment for wearing Islamic attire, hinting at pockets of intolerance. But what about the azan? A keyword search across credible sources like Reuters, BBC, and Al Jazeera turned up no evidence of a nationwide ban on the call to prayer.
Digging deeper, I found a Facebook page for Liga da Juventude Islâmica/Mesquita do Pari, a religious organization in São Paulo’s Pari neighborhood, founded in 1995. On June 17, 2022, they livestreamed the azan before Friday prayers at the Pari Mosque. Hardly the stuff of a banned practice.
Then there’s a 2015 report from AP Archive on YouTube, showcasing São Paulo’s historic “Brazil Mosque.” The footage shows the azan being called, Qur’an recitations, and prayers—business as usual for a Muslim community. Another AP report from May 24, 2018, highlights Brazilian Muslims observing Ramadan, complete with the azan during iftar.
The verdict? The claim that Brazil bans the azan is false. If anything, Brazil’s Muslim community, though small, practices their faith openly, even if they face occasional prejudice.
“Social media loves a good outrage, but the facts don’t always play along.”
Claim 2: Can’t Say Allah in Argentina?
Next up is Argentina, home of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. The claim here is that nobody can mention Allah’s name in public. As a fan who’s screamed “Messi!” in public more times than I care to admit, I wondered if Argentina’s religious landscape was as restrictive.
The Pew Research Center estimates Argentina had about 1 million Muslims in 2010, roughly 2.5% of the population. Back in the 1990s, that number was around 444,000, and by 2030, it’s expected to hit 1.2 million, or 2.6% of the population. Most Argentine Muslims live in Buenos Aires and are descendants of Arab immigrants, mainly from Syria, who began arriving in the mid-19th century. Official records from Argentina’s government confirm the first Muslim immigrants came between 1850 and 1860, seeking better lives.
So, does Argentina clamp down on saying Allah’s name? A 2021 AP Archive report shows Muslims in Buenos Aires praying and worshiping in a mosque, with no hint of restrictions. Another AP video from August 3, 2015, features France’s then-ambassador visiting a Buenos Aires mosque for Friday prayers and discussing efforts against religiously motivated violence.
Then there’s a YouTube channel, Al Kalamo, run by the Islamic Center of the Argentine Republic. One video shows a mass iftar at the Al Ahmad Mosque, complete with the azan and other religious rituals. Argentine Muslims are clearly practicing their faith in public, loud and proud.
The verdict? The claim that Argentina bans mentioning Allah’s name is false. Muslims in Argentina have been openly practicing their religion for over a century.
“Nothing kills a juicy rumor faster than a boring old fact.”
Why the Disconnect?
So, why are these false claims gaining traction in Bangladesh? It’s tempting to blame the usual suspects: misinformation spreads faster than truth, especially on social media. A 2018 MIT study found that false information spreads six times faster than accurate news, thanks to its emotional pull. In Bangladesh, where football rivalries run deeper than politics, it’s easy to see how divisive claims about Brazil and Argentina could spark outrage and shares.
But there’s a deeper issue here. Bangladeshi fans’ love for Brazil and Argentina is less about geopolitics and more about the magic of the game—think Neymar’s dribbles or Messi’s free kicks. The average fan isn’t checking Pew Research reports before picking a team. They’re swayed by history, star players, and the thrill of victory. These false narratives exploit that passion, sowing division where none needs to exist.
The Bigger Picture
This investigation started with a simple question: are Bangladeshi football fans cheering for countries that suppress Islam? The answer is a resounding no. Both Brazil and Argentina have vibrant, if small, Muslim communities who practice their faith openly. The azan echoes in São Paulo’s mosques, and Buenos Aires hosts public iftars. The claims circulating on Facebook are baseless, designed to stir up trouble rather than inform.
As someone who’s spent too much time scrolling through football memes, I get it—passion can cloud judgment. But let’s not let fake news score goals against us. Next time you’re at a tea stall, arguing over Brazil versus Argentina, remind your friends: the real enemy isn’t the other team’s fans. It’s the misinformation that tries to divide us.
