Syrian Girl Not Stoned To Death For Using Facebook*

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burqa woman phone

Patrick Denker / Flickr, CC

A woman in a burqa checks her phone.

CORRECTION: This story is a confirmed fake. Sorry for the confusion.

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Earlier: Iran's FARS news agency is reporting that a Syrian girl was stoned to death by Islamic militants for using Facebook.

However, some observers of Arab media have suggested the report may be fictional propaganda - the Iranian government is at odds with the militant group accused of the killing.

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FARS reported:

The ISIL militants took the Syrian girl, Fatoum Al-Jassem, to Al-Reqqa religious court and the judge ruled that membership in Facebook is tantamount to adultery and sentenced her to death by stoning, the Arabic-language Al-Rai Al-Youm reported.

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ISIL is referred to in other reports as ISIS, the Al-Qaeda group in Iraq known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Syria is currently in a state of civil war, and ISIS has taken over parts of the country, according to Liberty Voice:

Al-Reqqah, where Fatoum lived, has been taken over by ISIS in March 2013 and has caused residents to fear for their lives. Rebels who have spoken about their opposition to ISIS have been arrested and locked up in jail without trial and women are no longer allowed to leave the house without a male relative or see a male doctor.

CNN reports that armed Muslims are enforcing strict Islamic law in the town:

One female activist said: "They are closing hair salons, women can't go out at certain times. They spat on one girl for disobedience. It's like Afghanistan. Now people call Raqqa Tora Bora." The speed of change has overwhelmed many who notice that the city is becoming quieter and more conservative each week.

The death has not been independently confirmed by anyone beyond FARS.

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