Fact Check: Video Accurately Depicts Bagpipes Being Played in Israel

In a case of digital misinformation, a viral video purportedly showing Scottish citizens playing bagpipes to disrupt the Islamic call to prayer has been debunked, revealing a significant disconnect between the post’s claims and reality.

The widely circulated post, which appeared on multiple social media platforms, alleged that Scottish people had begun playing bagpipes during the Muslim call to prayer as a way to “combat the Islamisation of their country.” The video showed an individual playing bagpipes while the Islamic call to prayer could be heard in the background, implying a deliberate act of cultural resistance taking place in Scotland.

However, fact-checking efforts have conclusively proven the video was not filmed in Scotland at all, but rather in Tel Aviv, Israel. A reverse image search revealed the video had been shared multiple times online, including an Instagram post with the caption “Such a beautiful sound in our beautiful TLV” – TLV being a common abbreviation for Tel Aviv.

Further investigation traced the video to its original source – a bagpiper who posted it to Instagram on December 12, 2023, with the caption “some consider this a Muslim country,” and subsequently uploaded it to TikTok the following day. The bagpiper’s personal website indicates they are originally from rural Scotland but have performed in numerous countries around the world.

Geographical verification using Google Maps confirmed the precise location as Abrasha Park in Tel Aviv. Images from the park clearly match the video’s backdrop, showing the distinctive Tiroche Amphitheatre with the same views of the city skyline and beach that appear in the footage.

This incident highlights the ease with which visual content can be repurposed and presented out of context to support divisive narratives. The post attempted to frame the video as evidence of cultural tension in Scotland, when in fact it showed a Scottish bagpiper performing in Israel, a country where approximately 18% of the population identifies as Muslim, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics’ 2023 data.

The Islamic call to prayer, or adhan, is recited five times daily before each mandatory prayer. It is typically performed by a muezzin, who often uses loudspeakers to project the call across communities with significant Muslim populations.

This case demonstrates the importance of critical media literacy in an age where visual content can easily be stripped of its original context and repurposed to support misleading narratives. Cultural and religious practices are frequently misrepresented in such content, potentially fueling misunderstanding and division.

Social media platforms continue to struggle with the rapid spread of such misinformation, which often gains significant traction before fact-checking efforts can catch up. This particular video had already been widely shared across multiple platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok, before its true origin was identified.

Media experts recommend that users approach viral content making divisive claims with healthy skepticism and seek verification from multiple reliable sources before accepting or sharing such material.