Stand-up comedian Stenyuk apologized for his scandalous words about “murdering Muslims”: details of the incident (video)
Stand-up comedian Anton Steniuk has apologized after his performance sparked outrage over a botched joke about Muslims. The conflict began after the publication of a fragment of his solo concert, which caused a sharp reaction in social networks.
In a video published on the YouTube channel “Underground Standup” on May 26, 2024, Stenyuk said that the war between the Orthodox is absurd when “there are still so many Muslims in the world.” Although he stressed that he was not calling for violence, his words drew sharp criticism. The stand-up act later removed a 30-second clip from the video, reducing the concert’s total length from 54 minutes and 22 seconds to 53 minutes and 49 seconds.
The head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, reacted to this incident by condemning any calls for violence. He emphasized that human life is of the highest value and justifications for calls for killing cannot be accepted under any circumstances, regardless of political, social, ethnic or religious motives.
In response to criticism, Anton Stenyuk publicly apologized on his social networks. He admitted that one of his jokes was “inappropriate and unacceptable” and expressed regret that he may have offended members of the Muslim community.
“One of my jokes was inappropriate and unacceptable. I deeply regret that I may have offended many people, including members of the Muslim community. It was not my intention to humiliate or offend anyone on religious grounds.”, he explained.
Stenyuk also announced that he had deleted the video with an excerpt about Muslims from his social networks and promised to be more careful about creating material in the future.
“I am aware of the responsibility for my words and promise to be more sensitive in my work in the future. I hope for your understanding and mercy. Thank you”, said Anton Stenyuk.
