‘Cannibal’ Ramil Ibragimov: ‘I’m a hothead. This is why I stupidly posted it on Instagram’

After scandalous posts in social networks about a shooting in Orlando, a former presenter of a Kazan TV channel explained his position to Realnoe Vremya

Former presenter of local Efir TV channel Ramil Ibragimov, who is famous for his selfies with high-ranking functionaries, became one of the heroes of the international scandal around a huge tragedy in Orlando. Ibragimov who delivered news about terrifying crimes on a local channel severely and cynically supported the shooter who killed 50 people in a gay club. Aleksey Navalny, an oppositional politician, even called him 'cannibal'. In an interview with Realnoe Vremya, Ibragimov explained what caused his shocking public post and told about his intolerance towards people who have a non-traditional sexual orientation.

'Sorry, it's my fault: it was stupid'

Ramil, we would like to make your position concerning the tragedy in Orlando clear.

I will give an expanded answer. How did this post appear? We sat with friends in a flat and watched football. My surname is Ibragimov, Zlatan Ibrahimović was playing. It was a tense game, Sweden played against Ireland. We were excited. And my friend started to read news on Twitter about a gay club in Orlando. All people who know me know I'm a hothead, even too much. I cannot stand fag stuff, the USA doesn't make me happy, and I stupidly posted it on Instagram. Sorry, it's my fault: it was stupid.

People perceived it as a topic of murder, that people should be killed, not as an anti-gay propaganda. The word 'person' is not mentioned, there is no such a word as 'people'. Another word is used there.

Ibragimov supported the shooter who shot 50 people in a gay club. Photo: epa.eu

'Putin's henchman' is a compliment for me. Might they call me so'

Why did the post appear? I beef about what is happening to our young people. Look how they look, talk and what clothes they wear. False values are deliberately incalculated from afar, they're brainwashed saying that homosexuality is fine, people should be tolerant. I thinks homosexual marriages are about to appear. I'm a 100% patriot. You can call me flag waver, inveterate patriot, etc. I suppose Russia is dying, the demographic problem is looming large. Kids grow up feather-bedded. In some ten years we will become absolutely uncompetitive, first of all, in terms of human assets. Openly gays win in Eurovision. Gays head world technological companies, and they are proud of being gays. Gay families adopt children and bring them up. I want to address people: people, wake up, do you want it to enter our Russian homes one day? I had a girlfriend who was proud of having gay friends. Is it funny?

A pile of comments in the social networks is a demonstration. The majority of them was written by openly gays. All homosexuals of Russia attacked me and my accounts yesterday. You visit their page where he, sorry, took a photo of his penis. Aliya, my future wife, was my press secretary yesterday evening and today morning in fact. What did these moral crusaders write: picturesque wishes of our speedy death, a great deal of insults to Aliya and me, accusations of fascism. By the way, one of them wrote I'm Putin's henchmen. It is a compliment for me. Might they call me so.

'All people who know me know I'm a hothead, even too much.' Photo: goparty.ru

'The shooter simply could not stand this shame and snapped'

My position concerning homosexuals is clear. Let's speak about my attitude to the murder. Do I justify such a measure as murder? We are speaking about a murder of entirely blameless gays in a gay club. I don't justify murder. Murder is a deadly sin as well as homosexuality. By the way, in traditional Islam, homosexuality is punished with the death penalty. Undoubtedly, no one, I emphasize, no one has the right to take somebody's life. Sorry, it's my fault, I shot from the hip and stupidly wrote this post.

But, thanks Allah, the majority of people on the Earth believe in traditional values, including they hate any manifestation of LGBT. The shooter is Muslim, according to the information. It is possible he simply could not stand this shame and snapped. I will remind that hole Ramadan began. All religious people fast, while God knows what is happening in that club.

Another important moment: I've never supported, don't support and won't support any terrorist group. Do you imagine a gay club that people publicly visit and do God knows what in the Soviet Union? No, there was a clause for homosexuality. But here, sorry… It's good the government prohibits gay parades. What does the term 'gay parade' mean? Do they prepare for a war? Or is it a victory parade?

Ramil Ibragimov: 'The Afghan (he is from Afghanistan, as far as I'm concerned) decided to exterminate the supporters of the ideas he hated using force. It is absolutely incorrect: people should fight against false ideas, not people. They cannot be changed.' Photo: kazanfirst.ru

'I think there is a full-fledged hybrid war against us'

I was asked why I think that there is a war? I think there is a full-fledged hybrid war against us in different fronts at the same time: the implementation of a conceptually erroneous picture of the world, misrepresentation of history (with the same World War Two), false informational propaganda (the same fag stuff), biological war (remember how entire nations were made drunk, given spice or opium), economic war (the sanctions are a weapon). And a physical war with the use of weapons breaks out at times.

The tragedy in Orlando is one of these examples. The Afghan (he is from Afghanistan, as far as I'm concerned) decided to exterminate the supporters of the ideas he hated using force. It is absolutely incorrect: people should fight against false ideas, not people. They cannot be changed.

By the by, Russia has joined the top 30 of Soft Power World Rankings for the first time. However, there is a country, guess which one, situated at the top of the rating. It is a country that uses physical weapon as no one else and conquers, in fact, one country after another. Remember: a person who doesn't want to feed his army will feed another one. There is another correct thought: if you want to win your enemy, bring up his children. What we saw in Ukraine. I'd been many times in Ukraine before the well-known events. A generation of people who were indoctrinated that the Russians are their enemies has grown up. It is a nonsense! I'm a Soviet person, I don't divide people in Tatars, Chechens, Ukrainians, Belarusians. We are still a great Soviet people.

'If only they had popped off

It should be reminded on 14 June Ramil Ibragimov supported 'the right Afghan guy' for a 'convincing demonstration' in social networks. Convincing demonstration means the murder of 50 people in a gay club in Orlando, '53 people more are in hospital – if only they had popped off. We hope they will die. The Union of Young Leaders of Innovations sincerely supports this CONVINCING demonstration!!!!!!!)))))' Ibragimov wrote.

Later the post about the shooting in Orlando was deleted from Ibragimov's accounts. Many users presupposed his account was hacked. However, later Ramil Ibragimov confirmed he posted this message himself, explained his position and published the following post on Instagram: 'Comrades! Yesterday's post that was published by me caused a pile of comemnts. My future wife — @aliyashpionka – was entertaining during the whole evening reading and deleting comments) It's time to draw a line. First of all, what can a man do? I don't like homosexuals whose number, according to the yesterday's post, is huge in my country. Runet (Internet in Russian) failed a test on homosexuality. Secondly, I'm not a Tolstoist by nature, I've always been a supporter of last extreme measures while solving any problems…'

By Dmitry Semyagin