Vladimir Putin “To Forgive Terrorists Is Up to God” Quote-Incorrect Attribution!

Vladimir Putin “To Forgive Terrorists” Quote-Incorrect Attribution!

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Summary of eRumor:
After Russia confirmed that ISIS terrorists had brought down a Russian plan full of civilians, Vladimir Putin said, “To forgive terrorists is up to God, to send them to him is up to me.”
The Truth:
Vladimir Putin didn’t say, “To Forgive terrorists is up to God, to send them to him is up to me.”
That rumor started when Remi Maalouf, an anchor for the news show “Russia Today,” attributed the fiery quote on terrorists to Vladimir Putin on Twitter. Media outlets around the world picked up the story and also (falsely) attributed the quote to Vladimir Putin.
Some who were frustrated with the response of U.S. and European leaders to ISIS terrorist attacks applauded the moxie of Vladimir Putin’s comment on terrorists. But soon news broke that the quote had been misattributed to Vladimir Putin on Facebook, and Remi Maalouf issued an apology for spreading the false rumor:

 
And if Putin’s so-called quote sounds familiar, you may have heard Denzel Washington say something similar in the 2004 movie “Man on Fire.” In the movie, Denzel says, “Forgiveness is between them and God, it’s my job to arrange the meeting”:
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfiL7pR90Mw[/embedyt]
Vladimir Putin’s alleged quotes on Muslim extremists have gone viral in the past. A chain email that has been circulating the web for years claims that Vladimir Putin said “no to sharia” in a speech before the Russian Parliament, but we found that one to be false as well.
We did find at least one quote that Vladimir Putin actually made on terrorists, however. During a press conference in 1999, Putin said, “We will soak them in the toilet, pardon my language.”