“무슬림이 대피소 돼지고기국에 불만”…일본서 또 재난 틈탄 ‘외국인 공격’

A Facebook post spread a false story that Muslim refugees in Kumamoto prefecture were unhappy with the pork-based beef-noodle soup they were served as part of Japan's earthquake relief meals. The post claimed that the Muslim refugees were offended and that Japan's culture was not being respected. This led to discriminatory remarks against foreigners who refused to eat the soup.

X and Facebook were flooded with posts about this alleged incident, which garnered over 1.6 million views. However, Kumamoto prefectural authorities denied that such complaints had been made and stated that there were no major issues. The Kumamoto Islamic Center expressed disappointment in the spread of false news, but recognized the need to ignore it.

Similar incidents have occurred in the past, including during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake when false stories were circulated about foreigners stealing resources and setting up checkpoints. The Japanese government warns that spreading such false information during disasters can interfere with rescue efforts and may be illegal.