MDF
# 30, December 1 - January 1, 2017

Discrimination and Anti-Western Sentiments in the Media

96 discriminatory statements and 33 anti-Western comments were disseminated by the media outlets selected for monitoring in December. The typology of discriminatory expressions with homophobic statements prevailing among them is provided in the table below:

Homophobia

Sources: In December, the majority of homophobic statements (15) were made by the following media outlets:

Georgia and the World – 9        Asaval-Dasavali – 3                 Alia – 2              Obieqtivi -1

Homophobic comments were made by the following political parties:

  Georgian           Alliance          Salome Zourabichvili –          Erovnulebi – 1  Left-Wing 
  Dream – 1     of Patriots – 1     independent lawmaker-1                                Alliance – 1

The representatives of civil society organizations made a total of four homophobic statements:

                 The March                   All-Georgia Chokha Society – 1     Georgian Demographic 
             of Georgians – 2                                                                                   Society – 1

 

Homophobic messages

  • Wearing Georgian traditional dress, Chokha, during a wedding ceremony between LGBT community representative, Davit Shubladze, and his parner is insulting for the Georgian society.
  • Assessing homophobic statements as discrimination restricts freedom of speech of the authors of these statements.
  • Linking drug policy decriminalization to depravity
  • Recognizing the rights of LGBT community and adopting the anti-discrimination law by the Georgian government is a step against Georgian society and values.

Political parties

Asaval-Dasavali, December 18-24, Irakli Tripolski, Georgian Dream: “I do not support the introduction of sexual education at schools and striving for legalization of same-sex marriage. I do not like any novelties that are directed against our traditional values!”

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 4, Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, Alliance of Patriots: “We should teach love of humanity, rather than hatred. Love of humanity has been lost and we repeatedly hear some talks about the rights of certain homosexuals and lesbians, about this nonsense and idiotism; nobody talks about Georgian morality, Georgian values that should be a dominant issue.”

Marshalpress, December 1, Salome Zourabichvili, First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Diaspora and Caucasus Issues: “Much more posts were written about the wedding of guys wearing Chokha than about rehabilitation of Mutso (former stronghold of the historic Georgian province of Khevsureti) by [ex-Prime Minister, Bidzina] Ivanishvili… Is it so difficult to say good things? Do we prefer to irritate each other rather than make each other happy? We share what needs to be neglected and keep silent on great deeds… What happened to us who cannot distinguish between good and bad and recollect only bad things?”

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Media

Georgia and the World, December 22, Guguli Koinashvili, author: “These LGBT people or the hell with them have turned homosexuality and depravity into their hobby and are now trying to hold a gay parade in the center of the city. Soon they will probably come out totally naked and demand public demonstration of a sex. Is not such a creature an animal? Of course, it is.” 

Asaval-Dasavali, December 11-17, Dito Chubinidze, journalist: “Would you ever imagine that Georgian football player [Guram Kashia] would be wearing pederasts’ [a rainbow flag] armband during a match and such behavior would have supporters in our society?”

Civil society organizations

Alia, December 18-24, Sandro Bregadze, the March of Georgians: “Let me say bluntly that Lado Sadgobelashvili’s arrest is an act of homosexuals, drug dealers against the March of Georgians. The entire country is against decriminalization of drugs and turning the country into pederasty… What we demand is absolutely legal… When the government, which is defending pederasts, drug mafia and criminals, does not step down on its own, they should be dismissed through other means.”

Alia, December 4-10, All-Georgia Chokha Society: “Some photos were disseminated recently through social networks depicting a wedding of homosexuals, where two males are wearing Georgian national dresses … It is an insult through unhidden cynicism. When, we, the Georgians, speak out to protect our sanctities, they call us homophobes, but when these pseudo-liberal people directly swear at our sanctities, it means democracy, according to some people…”

Anti-western sentiments

Media sources:

Georgia and the World – 11      Asaval-Dasavali – 4                    Alia – 1       Obieqtivi – 1

Political parties: The Alliance of Patriots is the source of two anti-western statements made by politicians.

Civil society organizations:

Union of Orthodox Christian Parents – 1                          New Reality – 1

Anti-western messages:

  • The purpose of western institutions is to legalize same-sex marriage in Georgia.
  • Recognition of western values means destruction of Georgian traditions and values.
  • Only Russia can protect Georgia from the licentiousness spread in western countries.
  • Change of the Georgian clergy’s position is the result of American pressure.
  • The initiative on gender-neutral education in Georgia is the norm imposed by the West and it aims at changing children’s sexual orientation.

Political parties

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 4, Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, Alliance of Patriots: “There is a huge wave of freedom in the world, this ostentatious freedom, first and foremost, sexual freedom, which actually is a usual lewdness, nothing more, as well as propaganda of homosexuality and lesbianism, nothing more… and let me say that there is wave in Europe, throughout the world, the wave of evil fighting for freedom and our government has been enslaved just to these people and these organizations. This is a huge tragedy.”

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 9, Vazha Otarashvili, the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia: “On the contrary, the entire system, the governmental system, especially in the sphere of education, is directed towards ensuring that children forget about their origin. They introduce indecent subjects at schools. They teach children from their early age what pederasty, lesbianism, homosexuality and other depravities are, saying that this is good. We do not want such Europe. Europe is returning or has already returned to the barbarian period of the middle ages… Brothers go to bed together with their own sisters in Europe. Just this is Europe. We cannot choose this path. It will ruin our small country.”

Media

Georgia and the World, December 22, Guguli Koinashvili, author: “The Russians protect us against this failure and depravity offered by our western “strategic partners.” If I had a chance, I would thank Vladimir Putin for protecting our human nature by “occupants.” The Americans, NATO members have taken root in Georgia. The Georgian authorities cannot take even a step without their consent. Now, let me ask you: are not their occupants?” 

Obieqtivi, Okros Kveta, December 2, Valeri Kvaratskhelia, host: “Our respected priest says that they bring freedom from there [the United States], but how does this freedom look like? Do we need such freedom?  This freedom looks like two guys dressed in Chokha, whose wedding was held in New York. One of them is a Georgian man; at least he bears a Georgian name. Do the representatives of our church invite such freedom from the United States?”

Civil society organizations

Georgia and the World, December 8, Avtandil Ungiadze, the Union of Orthodox Christian Parents: “Even a child knows today that actually Georgia is ruled by the United States and its ambassador [Ian Kelly]. Everything what happens – encouragement of LGBT people, declaring Sodom as a norm, etc. – are his directives…How can we talk about friendship? Just the U.S.-funded organizations, among them Freedom Institute, Soros Foundation, GYLA and others are fighting against the church, are not they? It was just with their support and promotion that other religious confessions were made equal to Orthodoxy. The anti-discrimination law was adopted upon their directives.”  

Alia, December 4-10, Merab Shatirishvili, For New Reality: “It does not surprise me that they can poison or even kill in today’s Georgian church, or change political sides. It is a very dangerous tendency as if we have to deal with century-old mercilessness and intrigues of the Catholic Vatican… I remember how Bishop Iakob confronted the LGBT parade. Obviously, organizing such ideological festivities is financed from those Euro-Atlantic countries, whom Bishop Iakob confronted so vigorously and what happened to him today?  Metropolitan Shio, who has been named as the Patriarchal locum tenens, was rebuked for receiving education in Russia, an Orthodox country. So, has the position of Bishop Iakob and members of the Holy Synod with “European” (“national”) thinking changed to pro-American?”

Turkophobia/Islamophobia

Sources: The Alliance of Patriots is the only source of Turkophobic (13) and Islamophobic (1) statements made by politicians in December.

Obieqtivi is the source of the only Turkophobic statement made by the media in December; two Islamophobic statements were made by journalists of Georgia and the World.

A representative of the Center for the Study of Islam is the source of the only Turkophobic statement made by civil society organizations in December.


Turkophobic and Islamophobic messages

  • Turkey tries to turn the region of Adjara into the Turkish territory through manipulating religious feelings of Georgian Muslims.
  • Mass resettlement of the Turks to Adjara is a strategic plan to turn Adjara into the Turkish territory through the referendum.
  • Only Russia can halt Turkey’s expansion in Adjara.
  • Muslim women’s clothing, Hijab enables terrorists to hide their identities, further complicating the process of their identification by police.
  • The Muslim minority uses violence against the Christian majority and tries to change their rule of life.

Political parties

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 27, Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi: “Speaking bluntly, preparations are underway in Adjara to set up a political party… They are purportedly talking about Islam; Islam is always a shield, but actually it is a mask. They purportedly care for religion, faith, but actually they want to set up a political party, like in Bulgaria. It will be a pro-Turkish party; they take some efforts to enter the Parliament. The same has already happened in Bulgaria. And then they will start talking openly that it is Turkey and that we should return to Turkey.” 

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 27, Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia: “They [refugees] were followed by a lot of terrorists, like in Europe, and first of all, they are women, who wear hijabs and who purportedly are ordinary women, wearing chadors, but actually they belong to the Caliphate. They call themselves the Caliphate. Why? Because, let me remind the viewers that the Caliphate was the greatest empire in the world in the 19th century and they claim that we should restore the Caliphate and Georgia is declared as part of the Caliphate. Now, these people arrived in Georgia and plan similar acts here; so, we should be cautious.”

Media

Kavkasia, Spektri, December 28, Davit Akubardia, host: “If you are shaved off, police officers treat you mercilessly there [in Turkey]. I asked, why? They answered that one of Georgian citizens did not bow his head to Turkish police officers… They do not understand that a Georgian would not bow his head and they beat one boy. This guy brought a firearm and shot five police officers to death. It is a well-known fact. I have rechecked. After this incident, wherever they see shaved Georgians, those [Turkish] police officers beat them. Cruelty is partly a matter of wildness.”

Georgia and the World, December 27, editorial board: “It seems that those people, whom police can “touch” in Tbilisi, are Iranian and Arab women dressed in black hijabs. But do we know that they are really women? They are walking in the streets and we cannot see either their feet, or hands and faces in order to distinguish whether these moving creatures are men or women. All joking aside, but a male criminal, terrorist dressed this way can really bypass police raid, cannot he?”

Xenophobia

Sources: Journalists made three xenophobic statements:

                      Obieqtivi – 2                                                         Alia – 1

Civil society organizations:

           The March of Georgians – 1                              Anti-Corruption Union – 1

Xenophobic messages:

  • The majority of migrants are representatives of the criminal world.
  • Migrants pose a threat to the country’s demography.

Media

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 28, Bondo Mdzinarashvili: “120 apartments were sold in Didi Digomi and Iranians are buying these apartments. I do not know what it means. If the government cannot understand it, I do not know whether Georgia has the government at all. Because it means a residence permit, then an apartment, then these people will stay here for several years, then they will receive citizenship. The demographic situation is seriously changing in Georgia and it is changing not by mixed marriages, but by these people, arriving here, settling down and reproducing further,” 

Alia, December 4-10, Levan Javakhishvili, journalist: “About ten lawmakers [Irakli Kobakhidze, Tamar Chugoshvili, Sopo Kiladze, Sophio Katsarava, Tamar Khulordava, Vano Zardiashvili, Mamuka Mdinaradze…] adopt the laws which are destructive for the country. They support George Soros and generally, ultra-liberal ideas openly or covertly. Through the fault of these people, the immigration law has not been tightened in the country and Georgia has been filled with criminal migrants. These people obstruct the Parliament to adopt land law, which would ban sale of agricultural lands to foreigners.”

Civil society organizations

Iberia, Tsenzuris Gareshe, December 1, Gia Burjanadze, Anti-Corruption Union: “10% of Indian citizens, who entered Georgia, are criminals. Let me thank the government for carrying out intensive work with us. We are identifying these people, we are asking them questions and they admit everything themselves: one has killed a man; the other has committed a crime and is hiding himself in Georgia. I do not really want Georgia to provide shelter to such people… The process of cleansing has already been launched, thank God [It is obscure what he means under cleansing. The TV program was dedicated to anti-terrorist operation in Tbilisi against Ahmed Chatayev].”

Gender stereotypes

Civil society organizations:

Union of Orthodox Christian Parents – 1                  The March of Georgians – 1

Media source:

Kavkasia TV – 1

Media

Kavkasia, Spektri, December 27, Davit Akubardia, host: “Excuse me, but I do not have any aggression or something like that against women, but I do not believe in female prosecutors… prosecutors are wolves; according to general classification, defense lawyers are rabbits and prosecutors are wolves.”

Civil society organizations

Alia, December 11-17, Sandro Bregadze, the March of Georgians: “They brought to TV studio some women who have got married nine times and let them talk about raising children. What does a prostitute know about parenting? If you are interested in the opinions of real Georgian women, then listen to our mothers; let our mothers talk about raising children, family, devotion and morality. I am fed up with preaching from these street prostitutes about how to live!!!! Keep children away from Georgian TV channels!!!”

Racism

Media (Prime Time – 1) and politicians (Alliance of Patriots – 1) are the sources of racist statements made in December.

Political parties

Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, December 9, Vazha Otarashvili, Alliance of Patriots: “Foreigners enjoy support and you see how free they feel here; but the fear that Georgia’s demographic situation is deplorable and tomorrow or the day after tomorrow the black mass who conquered Plekhanov and then Rustaveli… just take a walk on the main avenue. We can bring an example of Moscow, London or Prague – there are bookstores on the central avenues of these cities…” 

Media

Prime Time, December 4, editorial board: “Half-black, American, actress and divorced – nobody would imagine that just such woman would become Prince Harry's fiancée. It seemed that nobody perceived Meghan Markle seriously, especially as the Prince had previous relations with blond beautiful, blue-blooded women. As some people hint, this engagement has delighted colored people in the United States, like Barack Obama’s election as the U.S. President. Who would imagine that the black president would appear in the White House one day…? Marrying a mix-blooded person is perceived as a revolutionary decision. Therefore, Prince Harry was praised for such a courageous step.”

Armenophobia

Representatives of the society (1) and civil society organizations (1) are the sources of two Armenophobic statements made in December. The Armenophobic statement made by Giorgi Gabedava of Georgian Young National Alliance was about the wedding of Davit Shubladze and his partner. Davit Shubladze, who belongs to LGBT community, and his partner were wearing Chokhas during their wedding ceremony in the United States.

Alia, December 4-10, Giorgi Gabedava, Georgian Young National Alliance: “Davit, you are Armenian and why do you pretend to be Georgian? You can marry a guy and do whatever you want, but when you wear a Chokha, what does it mean? I think that you were instructed to wear it. Is it normal for Armenian to pretend being Georgian?”

See full collection of examples of discriminatory statements at the websitewww.notophobia.ge

Newsletter was developed by Media Development Foundation (MDF) within the frameworks of the Promoting Integration, Tolerance and Awareness Program in Georgia, supported by USAID and implemented by UNAG.

Opinions and ideas provided in this newsletter are those of the Media Development Foundation (MDF) and do not represent the official position of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the UN Association of Georgia.

Media Development Foundation

http://notophobia.ge/

http://www.mdfgeorgia.ge

info@mdfgeorgia.ge

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