AAP FACTCHECK – A university poll has not found that “Allahu Akbar” has replaced “Cheerio, mate!” as the most popular UK greeting, despite social media claims.
The story was initially published by a satirical website but has since been shared as genuine news.
The article was posted online after new data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed Muhammad is the most popular name for boys for the first time.
Some Facebook posts have reposted a screenshot of the article’s headline – featuring an image of Muslim men praying in London – without indicating it is satire.
“‘Allahu Akbar’ Replaces ‘Cheerio, Mate!’ As Most Popular UK Greeting,” the text in the image reads.
Another Facebook post is captioned: “Unfortunately, the UK is turning into another sh*t hole Muslim country.”
The same headline was first published by satirical website The Babylon Bee, which bills itself as “the definitive source of fake news you can trust”.
The joke article stated the poll had been conducted by the University of Oxford.
“Allahu Akbar” is not generally used as a greeting; it is a religious exclamation in Islam known as “takbir” and translates into English as “God is greater” or “God is the greatest”.
The full Babylon Bee article also stated that British pollsters had found “Oi, wot-wot old cheese” to be the third most popular greeting in the country.
AAP FactCheck did not find any Oxford University polls on the most popular UK greeting.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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