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Fact Check
Video shows the newly appointed Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, Mohamed Muneer Mulaffar during the Aragalaya protest.
This claim is false. The person in this video is Dr Ash-Sheikh Ismath Moulavi, and not Mohamed Muneer Mulaffar.
On October 13, 2025, parliamentarian Mohamed Muneer Mulaffar took oath as the Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka. Since then, a video showing a man in traditional Islamic attire criticising Gotabaya Rajapaksa purportedly during the Aragalaya protests, is being widely shared on TikTok with the caption, “Newly appointed Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka.”
Similar TikToks can be found here and here.
The claim was however found to be false.
We also found more videos from his participation in the Aragalaya movement on his YouTube channel:
4. A comparison of the man seen in the viral footage with available media of Muneer from his verified social media profiles also confirms that they are two different individuals.
Media articles about him with clear images of him can be found here and here.
A side-by-side comparison of the two men can be seen below, which further confirms that they are two different people.
The viral claim is false. The person in the video is Dr Ash-Sheikh Ismath Moulavi, not Mohamed Muneer Mulaffer. The video was originally posted on April 10, 2022, during the Aragalaya protests.
FAQs
Q1. Who is Mohamed Muneer Mulaffer?
He is a politician belonging to the National People’s Power government and recently assumed duties as the Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs.
Q2. Who is the actual person in the video?
He is a civilian by the name of Dr Ash-Sheikh Ismath Moulavi.
Q3. What does the video show?
The video shows Dr Ismath Moulavi at the Gotagogama site in Galle Face Green during the Aragalaya protests in 2022.
Our Sources
YouTube short of Dr Ash-Sheikh Ismath Moulavi, posted on April 10, 2022
YouTube video by Dr Ash-Sheikh Ismath Moulavi, posted on May 27, 2022
‘Muneer Mulaffar assumes duties as Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs’, published in NewsWire LK, October 13, 2025
‘Chemmani Mass Grave: Int’l tech assistance needed: Govt.’, published in The Morning, August 26, 2025
Facebook profile of Muneer Mulaffar
False
