Russian deputy Irina Rodnina accused of racism after posting on Twitter a digitally altered picture of Obama couple looking at banana
Former Olympic figure skating champion Irina Rodnina, currently Member of Parliament in Moscow, sparked a wave of protests in the Russian blogosphere after posting on her Twitter account a digitally manipulated photo, depicting Michelle Obama and her husband President Barack who was sitting right next to her and chewing, while the foreground shows an outstretched hand holding a banana the American leaders seem to look at, according to AFP.
Barack Obama and his wife Michelle featured in altered racist photo tweeted by Rusian lawmaker Irina Rodnina (Wikimedia CC0)
“Freedom of speech is freedom of speech! Answer for your own hang-ups yourselves!”, tweeted Rodnina after being accused of racism.
The picture was taken down from Twitter, but screenshots of her Twitter page with the photo in question were published by several online publications, including RIA Novosti.
Rodnina , a member of the ruling party United Russia has worked as a coach in the United States and her daughter still lives there.
“A member of the State Duma (lower house of the Russian Parliament) , Irina Rodnina does not hide the fact that she’s racist ,” wrote reporter Tikhon Dziatko on his blog.
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“Why did she do this? It’s a manifestation of racism , poor education and a “special” sense of humor? (…) Irina Rodnina did it, do not regret it and enjoys it!” wrote Aider MoudjabaIev, a deputy chief editor of the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets.
Russian lawmaker Valery Gartoung, a member of the ethics committee in the parliament, defended his colleague. “What is wrong in a country is normal in another. We have different cultures,” said Gartoung for radio station Moscow Echo.
Valeri Gartoung added, however, that the Commission can not discuss the case without being noticed .
Racism and xenophobia gained more and more popularity in Russia since the fall of the USSR, shows AFP.
The fight against illegal immigration has become for the first time the central theme of the campaign for election of Moscow mayor, on September 8, determining the human rights defenders to ask for the cessation “anti -immigrant hysteria” that feeds xenophobia .