Culture
Thursday 15 April 2021
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![Vladimir Putin]()
Vladimir Putin
president of Russia
“We in Russia must not allow, will not allow any aggressive, disrespectful demonstration of one's ethnicity towards the representatives of any nationality, nor will we allow any foreign conflicts of this kind ... ”
Read more...As with race elsewhere, ethnicity in Russia has been the basis for discrimination, law enforcement profiling and violence against minorities. -
![Teodosie Petrescu]()
Teodosie Petrescu
archbishop of the Archdiocese of Tomis, Romania
“There is no way he could have swallowed a 100 ml of water from the gesture I saw. He died from choking on mother’s milk. His parents overfed him.”
Read more...After being submerged in baptismal water three times, an infant boy turned blue. Paramedics could not save him; he died at a hospital with 100 ml of water in his lungs. -
![Various Social Media Accounts]()
Various Social Media Accounts
“I saw someone post this and I couldn't believe it. McDonald’s Azerbaijan's official account promoting the military taking of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Read more...This is a verified McDonald’s Instagram account that posted pro-military pictures about Nagorno-Karabakh. The posts are now removed. -
![Ramzan Kadyrov]()
Ramzan Kadyrov
Head of Chechnya
“This is not the first time when France attempts to blame all its problems on the Chechens. I assure you all, Chechens have nothing to do with it.”
Read more...Seizing on the killing of a French teacher by a Chechen youth, Kadyrov ignores gross human rights violations under his rule. -
![Sameera Khan]()
Sameera Khan
Social media celebrity
“Which Hollywood [expletive] thought it would be a good idea to cast an Israeli actress as Cleopatra (a very bland looking one) instead of a stunning Arab actress like Nadine Njeim? And shame on you, Gal Gadot. Your country steals Arab land & you’re stealing their movie roles...”
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![Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei]()
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei
Iran’s supreme leader
“The cardinal and unforgivable sin of a French magazine in insulting the holy face of the Prophet once again revealed the hatred and hostility of the political and cultural institutions of the Western world against Islam and the Muslim community.”
Read more...The French magazine has aimed its cartoon satire at other faiths as well, and past Western leaders have scolded it for going too far. -
![Jeon Kwang-Hun]()
Jeon Kwang-Hun
pastor at Sarang Jeil Church
“Our church took every preventive measure, but the (Moon) administration spread the coronavirus to prevent me from attending this rally.”
Read more...There is no evidence to suggest the Moon administration had a hand in spreading the virus among churchgoers – if anything, it has tried to contain the sickness. -
![Multiple Japanese mainstream media, including Asahi Shimbun, Japan Times, Tokyo Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun]()
Multiple Japanese mainstream media, including Asahi Shimbun, Japan Times, Tokyo Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun
"The male figure in a South Korean statue dedicated to WWII “comfort women” is Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe."
Read more...The male figure represents “anyone who feels bad about what the comfort women went through,” not Abe. -
![Lijian Zhao]()
Lijian Zhao
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman
“Eid Mubarak to all celebrating Eid-Al-Adha today. It’s the second Eid under the pandemic. Stay safe & keep well.”
Read more...In China’s campaign to control ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim groups, celebrating holidays and wearing traditional head coverings can lead to detention. -
![Liu Xiaoming]()
Liu Xiaoming
Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom
“There is no such concentration camp in Xinjiang … People in Xinjiang enjoy a happy life. China is strongly opposed to any torture, persecution and discrimination of people of any ethnic group.”
Read more...The United Nations said China may have arbitrarily detained up to 1.5 million Uighur Muslims under vague terrorism laws. -
![Kim Kardashian West]()
Kim Kardashian West
Reality TV star
“Azerbaijan has threatened to bomb the nuclear power plant in Armenia.”
Read more...Azerbaijan’s military did state that it would attack the Metsamor nuclear plant – but only in retaliation for an Armenian attack on its gas and oil facilities. -
![Recep Tayyip Erdogan]()
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkey’s president
“With the termination of its status as a museum, entrance to the Hagia Sophia will be free of charge. Like all our mosques, the doors of the Hagia Sophia will be wide open to all – locals or foreigners, Muslims or non-Muslims.”
Read more...Turkey’s plans for Hagia Sophia do not include sharing it with Christians for worship ceremonies. Non-Muslims will only be allowed in as tourists.
