Xenophobia

Politicians

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 5
Jondi Bagaturia, Georgian Troupe: “[The government] makes our people leave and instead encourages the Arabs, Mongols, Indians and Chinese to arrive. Why do they need it? Those people do not hold protest rallies. So, Mongols will live here for 10, 15 or 20 years, as they feel satisfied here. They arrive together with their communities. They need some time to adapt to the country and settle down here. Then, they will begin, but only after 15 years. They have no sense of homeland!”

Media

Civil society organizations

Georgia and World, December 4
Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, Rights’ Defenders Union: “Spy agencies are operating in Batumi and throughout the region, where everyone knows the scales of economic and not only economic expansion carried out by Turkey, but nobody even utters a word. Second, does not it pose any threat when they sold half of Kakheti to Iranians, Arabs and Indians, when they settled down the Chinese on the territory adjacent to Tbilisi Sea and no Georgian speech is heard on Plekhanov Avenue [in Tbilisi]?”

Alia, December 9-15
Ramaz Gagnidze, Georgian March: “If people do not go out and drive them out, nothing will prevent Georgian Dream and National Movement from fulfilling their plan – Georgia without Georgians. They will drive people out abroad. [Bidzina] Ivanishvili has already announced about it in his interview, promising people legal jobs abroad instead of creating jobs in Georgia. They will take possession of the country, turn Georgians into secondary citizens, bring foreigners, sell property to them and in 2024 they will make people elect a certain Shah Abbas as the leader…”

Society

Georgia and World, December 4
Mariam Gelashvili, emigrant: “I am crazy about this man! Bidzina’s [Ivanishvili] program implies as many emigrants as possible to save Georgia. He sends us by cheap flights, employs us in Sweden and Germany. This man made it clear that there will be no progress here and I really wonder how you, Georgian Dream’s representatives, can explain his speech. Do not worry, until we are out of our homeland, Arabs, Chinese and others will take care of the country.”

Turkophobia

Politicians

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 6
Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, Alliance of Patriots: “We should make it clear to Turkey that we will never cede Adjara. We should expel those Turkish propagandists, almost 4,000 people gathered in Adjara, who carry out open propaganda aimed at Turkification of Adjara. We should return them to Turkey.”

Media

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 25
Bondo Mdzinarashvili, host: “The relationship has been settled with Turkey, regardless of its occupation 100 years ago?! We have not very short-term memory and remember that 33% of Georgian territories are now controlled by Turkey. The relations with Russia should be settled immediately and we should somehow manage to de-occupy the occupied territories, because these territories – Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia stay occupied for already 10-11 years and after 90 years we will appear in the situation, like we are with Turkey today, when there is a zero chance of returning those territories from Turkey… Maybe, public opinion is ripe for normalizing the relations and regaining control over these territories, while there still is time?!”

Asaval-Dasavali, December 23-29
Dito Chubinidze, journalist: “Occupier Turkey has seized Georgia the greatest part of historical Zemo Kartli, or Meskheti – 24,800 square kilometers - through killing, raping, burning down the villages and cities, torturing youngsters and adults, eradicating Christianity… Samtskhe, Javakheti, Tmogvi, Erusheti, Artaani, Kola, Tao, Klarjeti, Adjara, Machakhela, Nigali, Shavsheti, Chaneti and Guria – this huge territory with a total area of 34,200 square kilometers constituted one third of feudal Georgia and today its greatest part has been grabbed by Turkey! Georgia ceded this territory only as a result of genocide, mass killings and terrible disasters on ethnic grounds.”

Civil society organizations

Georgia and World, December 4
Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, Rights’ Defenders Union: “By the way, they have hushed up the issue of David Gareji as if nothing has happened at all and I doubt that nothing good is happening behind this silence. However, David Gareji is not the only painful issue, needing attention. A lot of our sanctities remain in a deplorable condition on Georgian lands seized by Turkey, to say nothing about the fact that simultaneously, talks are underway on the construction of new mosques here.”

Georgia and World, December 18
Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, Rights’ Defenders Union: “Turkey already pursues its imperialistic policy at the level of declared policy that was clearly outlined in its time by [Ahmet] Davutoğlu, former Foreign Minister of Turkey and the author of Great Turan theory. He said in one of his interviews that he would restore the Ottoman Empire without weapons, struggle and confrontation. As for the Meskhetian Turks and the idea of their return to Georgia, first, they are no Meskhetians at all and they are no Georgians, but rather Turks; and second, if this happens, I can tell you that it will be the shortest and simplest way for Turkey to invade western Georgia.”

Society

Asaval-Dasavali, December 2-8
Tamaz Bakuradze, human rights defender: “Adjara economically falls under the influence of Turkey. Just remember my words: we will yield terrible results in a very short period. If we have lost Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region through the war and use of force, Adjara is being grabbed economically!”  
Akhali Taoba

Armenophobia

Media

Georgia and World, December 25
Editorial board: “Armenians keep an eye on the Batumi port. However, they do not confirm it officially so far.”

Homophobia

Politicians

Asaval-Dasavali, December 9-15
Elizbar Javelidze, People’s Assembly: “I have seen the photos how these Soros-backed witches burned the books on Rustaveli Avenue to stay warm, among them “Torment of Heroes” by Levan Gotua and “The Spiritual Mission of Georgia” by Zviad Gamsakhurdia… What else could the children of Davit Berdzenishvili and Nanuka Zhorzholiani have done?! They have been brought up as zombies having no spirituality, as church enemies and followers of the ideology of homosexuality?!    

Alia, December 23-29
Avto Rtskhiladze, member of the Supreme Council of Georgia: “The rule of [Eduard] Shevardnadze and [Mikheil] Saakashvili has caused huge harm to Georgia and Georgian people. Now, [Bidzina] Ivanishvili continues the same course. Do you know what he responded to the journalist during one of his recent interviews, when asked about same-sex marriage? He said people would gradually get used to everything. He plans to legalize same-sex marriage.”

Media

Georgian Public Broadcaster, Moambe, December 12
Nika Mukbaniani, journalist: “Guram Palavandishvili accuses the Education Ministry, together with the CoE office of openly propagandizing homosexuality. He states that the schools are holding training courses in support of LGBT community…”

Asaval-Dasavali, December 2-8
Giorgi Gigauri, journalist: “Can anyone explain me whether lesbo activism and propaganda of Sodomy by an actor of Rustaveli State Drama Theatre is normal?.. And one more important moment: film director Tamar Shavgulidze shot this terrible lesbian film with the help and finances of Georgian National Film Center! Thus, the agency subordinated to the Ministry of Culture – Georgian National Film Center – has consciously financed a lesbo-Sodomy film!”

Georgia and World, December 25
Jaba Zhvania, journalist: “Nikoloz Mzhavanadze: Quite soon, Georgia may have a homosexual president, parliament speaker, mayor, ministers, prime minister, etc. “People may keep patience, but after a certain moment, there will be a civil flood.”

Civil society organizations

Clerics

Interpressnews, December 26
Metropolitan Shio Mujiri, the Georgian Patriarch's locum tenens: “The number of suicides has increased almost ten-fold over the past 10 years. We are thinking of this problem and we feel a great pain. It may be natural because the human spirit becomes ill and it dies as a result of propaganda carried out in the world and in our country, including propaganda of materialism, immorality, depravity, godlessness, false ideals, gambling and homosexuality. The human spirit cannot endure all these and falls into depression, sorrow, melancholy and many people end their lives by suicide.”

Society

Asaval-Dasavali, December 2-8
Tamar Skhirtladze, actress: “What can be more disgusting than homosexuality? Whenever I hear something about them, it makes me shiver in disgust. Let those homosexuals not touch us, people; they can do whatever they want. God save us from seeing the men in tights on Rustaveli Avenue!.. They may call me old-fashioned, but I will never accept and applaud to this immorality!”

Anti-Western sentiments

Politicians

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 28
Vazha Otarashvili, Alliance of Patriots: “They bring some [people] from the Soros Foundation, those people, who work there and who promote LGBT values, those liberal values, anti-Georgian values, anti-Georgian consciousness among educational institutions and children, who are Georgians genetically… whose ancestors fought in the Battle of Krtsanisi, whose ancestors won the Battles of Basiani and Shamkori – now you are telling them that LGBT is good, that using marijuana should not be punished and anti-discrimination law…”

Georgia and World, December 11
Valeri Kvaratskhelia, Neutral/Social Georgia: “Is not it the fact that to increase the rights of sexual minorities in Georgia, the West is demanding large-scale legislative amendments? Is not it the fact that the West is demanding the legalization of same-sex marriage and that a lot of foreign-funded organizations are working on it? Generally, is there anything that may be attractive for anyone (including the Abkhaz and Ossetians) in modern Georgia?”

Media

Georgia and World, December 25
Editorial board: “Yet another Georgian shame – one more step has been taken towards stupefying and changing sexual orientation of Georgian population with the help of foreign “friends;” one more Georgian name has been discredited. But Georgian people are gradually losing a sense of shame… “Aunt Tabula” reports: ‘The French Foreign Ministry named Giorgi Tabagari, head of Tbilisi Pride, as Person of Future. Tabagari’s nominee was offered to the Ministry by the Embassy of France to Georgia’… Noteworthy that under conditions of Soviet “occupation,” workers were named as Persons of Future – those who ploughed and sowed more, worked heroically in a mine; and now, those people are promoted who better sell their bodies or spirits.” 

Georgia and World, December 11
Nika Korinteli, journalist: “Such a massive propaganda of homosexuality triggers the degradation of present Europe. A question may be asked – what do Georgia and other Orthodox countries, including Russia have to do with it? These Europeans can do whatever they want in their respective countries, to lie in bed with whoever they want. At this point, Russia has a strongly negative attitude towards homosexuality, whereas the western-funded forces operating under the cover of human rights defenders have significantly intensified their efforts in Georgia recently. They have attacked the Georgian Orthodox Church and those values that helped the Georgian nation survive. When a tendency becomes apparent, it can have an impact on everyone, including adolescents, who listen to western music, watch TV series, familiarize themselves with western culture and simultaneously doubtful modern values.”

Civil society organizations

Alia, December 9-15
Sandro Bregadze, Georgian March: “Time has come for the national forces to act and save the country from liberast betrayers!!! Do not yield to these shows; there are no Natsis or Kotsis [referring to the opposition National Movement party and the ruling Georgian Dream party]; it is a struggle between two ideologies – national and liberast-Soros ideologies and this is just where we should win a victory!!! Next week, Georgian March will strike a deadly blow at the main ‘citadel’ of liberasts!!!”

Georgia and World, December 25
Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, Rights’ Defenders Union: “Earlier, when the issue of legislative amendments was being raised and discussions being launched, the heads of liberal elite were unanimously noting that it was untimely, public self-consciousness and awareness were not ready for it… Today, they no longer say it. They simply receive directives and start amending the constitution. They do not care whether this amendment is acceptable for people or not. This is how they acted when adopting the Code on the Rights of the Child; this is how they acted when developing the law on domestic violence, which, I would say bluntly, contains a lot of doubtful and controversial nuances; and this is how they acted when approving the anti-discrimination law years ago. As for the consequences and perspectives of all these, I think, quite soon Georgia may have homosexual president, parliament speaker, mayor, ministers, prime minister and so on. However, their number is not small right now and we all know about it quite well. Georgia is a small country and Tbilisi is a small city as well.”