“I consider it forbidden to shake hands with them” — Rauf Arifoglu on LGBTQ+ and feminists

In an interview with BBC Azerbaijan, Rauf Arifoglu, editor-in-chief of the “Yeni Musavat” newspaper, while speaking about the arrest of Toplum TV employees, linked the feminist and LGBTQ+ communities to allegations of foreign influence and funding. He stated that he was against LGBTQ+ people appearing in the media and holding public office, and also said that he considered it “forbidden” (ed: sin) to shake hands with them.

In his interview, Arifoglu claimed that foreign intelligence was trying to create a network in Azerbaijan consisting of journalists, opinion leaders and various public groups, and presented feminists in this context.

The editor-in-chief called feminism “a movement that undermines the foundations of the family” and later added:

“Against the family, against the male factor. Against the war. Were they not “Nowar-ist”? There was a process going on there against all the moral criteria that make Azerbaijan Azerbaijan.”

Arifoglu also interpreted the purpose of the women's rights movement differently:

“The feminist movement is not for increasing women's rights in society. It is a movement for women's leadership, for their leadership alone. This is a provocation calculated to destroy the canons of family in countries with a Turkish-Islamic synthesis.”

In his interview, Arifoglu presented the LGBTQ+ community as part of a process that he claims is funded from abroad, along with journalists, feminists, social media phenomena, and other opinion leaders:

“Don't you see that in this post-war period, it suddenly attracted attention against Azerbaijan, a total process began, they wanted to create the same situation in Georgia here. To establish enough foreign influence agents to fill the streets. To create enough foreign-funded communities to fill the streets. Steps have been taken, attempts have been made, and are being made with the LGBT, with the feminist movement, through TV, social media phenomena, and by gathering other opinion leaders.”

Arifoglu did not provide any concrete facts or evidence to support his claims in the interview.

“There are only 2 genders”

In the part of the interview about LGBTQ+s, Arifoglu initially stated that he did not want to talk about the topic:

“Don’t ask me about sexual minorities. Such things should not enter my lexicon and speech. I do not want to interfere in the protection of the lives and rights of sexual minorities.”

He then clearly stated that he was against the public visibility of LGBTQ+s.

“I am in favor of men being men and women being women. There are only 2 genders. I am against the widespread promotion of such cases, their being tolerated in Azerbaijan, and the government’s loyal attitude towards them. You say they do no harm. They do harm.”

Arifoglu also said that he is against LGBTQ+ people appearing in the media and being represented in public positions:

“I don’t want them to appear on the air, to hold any leadership positions, to hold any public positions. My country should not be in this situation. Those who were born male and live a female life and those who were born female and live a male life are against my rules, my worldview, my morals, my views.”

The editor-in-chief later used a derogatory expression when expressing his attitude towards LGBTQ+ people:

“I consider it forbidden to shake hands with them, I view them as uzdenirag (ed: f****ts).”

Arifoglu has been awarded several times by the state

Rauf Arifoglu’s statements are also noteworthy in light of the fact that he has been awarded by the Azerbaijani state for his activities in the field of media and journalism in various years.

By the decree of President Ilham Aliyev dated July 22, 2026, Arifoglu was awarded the Order of "For Service to the Fatherland" of the 2nd degree "For long-term fruitful activity in the field of media in the Republic of Azerbaijan".

On May 27, 2019, he was awarded the jubilee medal "100th Anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–2018)" by the decree of President Ilham Aliyev.

In 2011, Arifoglu received the Supreme Media Award established by the Azerbaijan Press Council. On July 22, 2015, he was awarded the honorary title of "Honored Journalist" by President Ilham Aliyev for his activities in the field of journalism.

Powered by Froala Editor