AI, Clerical Disinformation, and the Threat to Social Cohesion

Fabricated content circulated after Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has exposed how AI driven disinformation can become a dangerous social weapon, especially when amplified by religious figures with millions of followers.

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Following Israel’s recognition of the Republic of Somaliland, social media platforms were rapidly flooded with a wave of disinformation and digitally manipulated content. Some of these narratives went beyond political debate and directly targeted the values, faith, and social dignity of Somaliland society. The most inflammatory case involved images claiming to show Israeli journalists forcibly removing the hijab from Somali women in order to interview them. The images sparked immediate outrage, fear, and religious mobilization.

The images were entirely false. They were AI generated fabrications, professionally produced and deliberately designed to provoke anger, sectarian hatred, and social division. Even after the images were investigated and publicly exposed as fake, the damage had already been done. These false claims were widely circulated and discussed in sermons and on social platforms by prominent clerics, including Sheikh Umal, Sheikh Xaliike, and Sheikh Cabdiraxmaan Bashiir. These figures command millions of followers and exert enormous influence over public opinion.

Opposing Somaliland’s recognition, these clerics used the fabricated images as supposed evidence of what they described as Jewish hostility toward Islam. In doing so, they indirectly insulted and harmed Somali women whose dignity and reputation were violated through the false imagery. Even after it was clearly established that the images were AI generated fabrications, no formal retractions or apologies were issued, nor were the statements corrected in the same public forums where they were originally disseminated.

This is not a matter of individual error. It represents a broader societal danger. When artificial intelligence is used to generate false images, audio, or video, the risk multiplies when such content is amplified by individuals who enjoy deep religious trust and mass followings. An ordinary citizen may approach sensational content with skepticism. But when a respected religious figure presents visual material during a sermon as proof, doubt disappears. Belief takes hold.

The danger is compounded by the reality that some religious figures belong to older generations who are not fully familiar with modern digital manipulation technologies. Contemporary AI is capable of producing images so realistic that even experts struggle to distinguish them from reality. When technological illiteracy intersects with religious authority, disinformation transforms into something that appears verified and unquestionable.

The consequences extend far beyond reputational harm or theological debate. Disinformation of this kind undermines social stability, inflames religious hatred, and damages communal coexistence. The women targeted in the fabricated images have yet to receive any form of moral redress or apology. This sends a deeply troubling signal that disinformation can spread without consequence.

It is therefore essential that Somaliland society, particularly religious leaders, recognize that the responsibility of speech today is greater than ever before. Artificial intelligence is not inherently an enemy. It is a tool. But when misunderstood or misused, it becomes a weapon. Clerics with large platforms must be equipped with basic technological literacy and trained in verifying information before presenting it in mosques or public forums.

Ultimately, this episode serves as a warning not only to Somaliland but to Muslim societies more broadly. Today’s conflict is no longer limited to politics or theology. It is an information war. Anyone who spreads unverified content, even with good intentions, risks becoming an instrument in the destruction of the very community they believe they are defending.