Musings about the last 5 years of Circassian activism

Five years ago, on October 4, 2007, a group of Adyghes and supporters stood outside Russian Consulates in Istanbul and New York City as well as the United Nations to protest the newly selected site of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the "450 Year Lie" 

The following is a write-up from that small demonstration: 

October 4th, 2007

450 years ago, Czarist Russia and the Kabarday Circassians signed a treaty for peace between the two nations. This treaty was broken when Russia committed war and genocide against Circassians. Over half of the population, 1.5 million Circassians were raped, kidnapped, beaten, and murdered. Over 750,000 more perished during the Exile of 1864. 

Russia celebrated this 450 year old "treaty" in the Caucasus.

The Winter Olympics in 2014 will be held in Sochi. Sochi, is the land of Circassians and also the site of when the Circassians met their tragical doom. As Circassia's last capital, it was the point of exile for one million Circassians. 

This demonstration was to let the world know that Circassians are still alive. We shed light on the lies and oppose both immoral celebrations. 

So what are our successes since this particular action? Very basically...  

• The words "Circassia", "genocide", "activism" were re-introduced and became regular words in our vocabulary. 
• Many conferences in Europe, the Caucasus, and the United States were dedicated to our history, our present situation and how we will build the future. Engaging experts and discussing our issues on an international scale marks a big shift from the dinner table talks and khasa social gatherings. 
• Every year, thousands of Adyghes and supporters around the world join in demonstrations that demand a free Circassia, recognition of the Genocide, stopping the Sochi Olympics on the site of Genocide, demand language rights in host nations as well as the right to return to our homeland. 
• The Circassian Genocide was recognized in 2010 for the first time by Georgia, a UN member state. What was once called "a hidden genocide" is becoming more prominent topic of discussion.
• A new understanding of the Circassian Genocide was understood thanks to the documents collected from the Georgia State Archives. 
• Alliances with international groups and other nations are pushing the discussion of Circassia to an even wider public
• Thanks to efforts of activists, journalists, and scholars, many articles, books, journals, were published and thousands of people learned of what happened to Circassia. 
• Movies, documentaries, music, art and graphics have permeated the consciousness of Adyghes and awakened that a nation with a very rich and old culture can tell its story in a variety of ways. Besides dance, we are expressing ourselves in many more mediums.  
• ... and more... 

So, what will the next five years bring? The issues we deal with today affect our compatriot's lives and the integrity of our nation. Questions that we face include:

1. What can be done to help our Circassian compatriots in Syria and those who returned to our homeland? How can we help them to build a sustainable living in our homeland? How can we protect our compatriots so that a humanitarian crisis does not befall our nation in other areas where Circassians reside? How can we help them when one does?
2. WIth less then two years remain till the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, how can we utilize our tools and limited resources to take advantage of the situation to tell our story to the world when it focuses its attention in Sochi, 2014? How can we continue to address the world when the Olympics pass?
3. How can Circassians in Diaspora support our compatriots in the homeland, whose property, and human rights are under threat? 
4. How can Circassians in Circassia, help those in Diaspora rebuild a connection to the homeland? 
5. What institutions and organizations can we establish and create to address the social and political issues of repatriation, assimilation and lobby internationally in our modern and increasingly globalized world? 
6. Which institutions and organization exist now that can address these very issues?
7. How can we train the young generation to become lawyers, political scientists, journalists to spread awareness and advocate for Circassia?
8. The internet along with its social media platforms is an extraordinary tool that aided in the rise of an 'iCircassia'. How can our virtual nation become a real one on a map?
9. How can an increasingly assimilating nation revive and sustain a  language that was spoken for thousands of years?
10. What resources - financial and manpower- and how much of it, can we dedicate to fulfill the needs our nation?

Without a doubt, these are challenging times for our nation. The solutions are not perfect and not easy. A success today is met with a roadblock tomorrow and as with any society, not everyone agrees on a course of action. However, the the amount and scope of our accomplishments from the last 5 years (and the oppostional reactions that it generated) is one that should be celebrated. 

As a twenty-something that was (and will continue to be, so long as I'm capable) involved at the start of this movement 5 years ago (which really is nothing new, but a re-emergence of actions from decades ago)... I have hope that our nation is tenacious and able to meet these challenges. Our history proves that we have the talent. If the last 5 years is proof, we also have the courage to follow the footsteps of our warriors and build on the work of our freedom fighters. It truly is extraordinary that a nation is using its voice after nearly 150 years of forced silence, oppresive regimes, countless upheavals when we could have choked. It's just proof that our nation is not destined to die out at the hands of a nation with 100x more resources than ours, tries and hopes would happen... (Russia, I know you're reading this. I meant you.)

Action is what is restoring hope and making our future a little less bleak. It does not matter if you are 5, 15, 50 or 100, we all have a responsiblity to do something to protect our history and uphold our fundamental values. Every action counts. US President John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Where would you like to see our nation in five, ten or twenty years? How would you help to get it there? We are one people, one nation. Our destiny is determined by what actions (or inactions) we take. It will be hard, but I'm hopeful. I'm looking forward to the next five years.

So with all my love, and all my faith... Long live Circassia. Адыгэ пco. 

Protest outside Russian Consulate on October 4, 2007 in Taksim Square, Istanbul Turkey.  More photos from October 4, 2007, Istanbul

Protest outside United Nations on October 4, 2007 in New York City, USA. More photos from October 4, 2007, New York City 

Circassians Protest at City Mall in Damascus, Syria

This post is an update to one of my (re)tweets earlier today, with the following message. Thanks to the twitter user @_Syria_ for the tip.

Via @_Syria_  - Thanks for the tip!

More information; thanks to Hamood Nour and others on Facebook, for being the messengers.

A play of protest against the murderous Syrian regime was given in a Damascus city center mall. It featured 4 Circassians--Sasha Ayoub, Salina Abaza, Leen Shaker, and Mohamed Abdallah. They were arrested on site. There is news the girls have been released from jail but no information has come about the status of Mohamed Abdallah.

We hope and pray for the best for Mohamed Abdallah. May all that still suffer at the hands of the Syrian regime will find safety and freedom very soon.

(4/12/12 - 12:50PM EST) UPDATE: Just received word that Mohamed Abdallah was released as well.

Click "more" for pics and videos of this event.

Al Jazeera- "Putin's challenge: The Circassians and the Winter Olympics"

Great in-depth opinion piece by Ambassador Akbar Ahmed and Frankie Martin, research fellow at the Ibn Khaldoun Chair at American University, published yesterday on Al-Jazeera.

Looking forward to reading the upcoming book!

Putin's challenge: The Circassians and the Winter Olympics 
How Putin treats the Circassians and the issue of Sochi will indicate which direction Russia will take 

"How Putin treats the Circassians and the issue of Sochi will indicate which direction Russia will take. By examining and helping to rectify the errors and tragedies of history, Russia can decide its status as a major 21st century world power and at the same time, help avert the extinction of an entire people. Putin must decide if he is to be Putin the Terrible or Putin the Enlightened."

A message to Circassians on International Women's Day

8 March 2012 - It is International Women's Day and there needs to be more women Circassian activists and men that support and work alongside them.


Women are, or will be in the future, mothers of our nation. Besides the reverence we place in the Nart's Setenay or the lore of Circassian beauties, in the past Circassian women raised the warriors and defended our homes when our men fought in the battlefields. Women nurtured our customs and passed on our language. (I would not be surprised if there were Circassian women fighting with our men.) The women of our history were fearless, tenacious, patient, and had incredible courage. With these qualities, Circassian women kept Circassia together.


Many young Circassians (males & females) today are taught that to continue our existence on this Earth, it will be enough to "just marry a Circassian". But this is not the case. We see very high numbers of marriages outside our nation. Our language and customs are endangered. Our people are being killed and our human rights are practically non-existant. It is naïve to think "just marrying within our nation" will solve the problems of our nation. This can not be the end point of our destiny. This cannot be the end of our responsibilities.


Like in our past, Circassian women today are the linchpins of our families, societies, and nation. 


Today, more than ever, we must wholly embody the noble qualities of our grandmothers in the past. It is true: it is our responsibility to continue our existence. To do so we must educate ourselves and pursue professions that will ultimately aid in achieving a free Circassia. We must have the patience and the tenacity to face challenges and resilient enough to not drown in them. We must be fearless in demanding our human rights. We must be courageous so that future generations can be inspired from our bravery.

And a note to Circassian men, young and old: Recognize the very important role of the Circassian woman. Engage regularly with the womenfolk of society and value their opinions and wisdom. They will be marrying you or your sons and raising your children. A nation is only as strong as the strength of all its parts, and we want Circassia to be as strong as possible.

Questions for Thought...

Mr. Walter Richmond, a researcher of Circassian Genocide and author of The Northwest Caucasus: Past, Present, and Future is writing a new book based on findings of the Circassian Genocide from Tbilisi State Archives in Georgia. The following questions and answers will be used as research for the new publication.

Please be a part of this great project. Answer these questions and email them to circassiapassport@gmail.com as soon as possible. It will than be forwarded to the author.

Thank you!

1. Did your family ever talk about any Circassian “heroes” in exile, people who the community looks up to as a role model?
2. Did your family ever share any general stories from the history of Circassians in exile?
3. Do you or anyone you know believe that “hijra” was a factor in your ancestors’ decision to emigrate?
4.  How knowledgeable are you concerning Circassian history prior to the Russo-Circassian War?
5. What other Circassian communities have you been physically in touch with? Do you think the common bonds are greater than the differences caused by living in different host countries?
6. How frequently do you talk to other Circassians via the internet? What countries do you communicate with? What do you talk about?
7. Do you argue with your Circassian friends and acquaintances? What is the main point of contention?
8. Which websites devoted to Circassian issues do you visit? Do any of them do a “good” job, in your opinion?
9. What is the number one factor in preserving Circassian identity?
10. Which is more important as an issue to be pursued: right of return or minority rights in the host countries?
11. How would you describe the effort to preserve the Adyge language?
12. In your opinion, how have the Circassians been able to avoid assimilation to this point?
13. How has the Abkhaz situation affected Circassian affairs?
14. What is your perception of the Russian government’s behavior concerning the Sochi Olympics?
15. Are you concerned that there might be negative repercussions from the activism surrounding the Sochi Olympics?
16. List the languages you speak in order of fluency:
17. What is the greatest challenge you personally face as a member of a displaced nation?

UPDATE: Thanks to our friends at Justice for North Caucasus, these questions have been translated into Turkish & Arabic. We hope all members of Circassia will be able to answer these questions and perhaps, use them in our daily conversations.

Turkish: http://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251660162
Arabic: http://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251660169

Source: Original post on CircassiaPassport.com 

"Local legends" of the Black Sea

The Globe and Mail's Jeff Parker travels to Gelendzhik - a city on the Black Sea coast of Krasnodar Krai.

Image from weather-forecast.com.
Notice the proximity to Anapa, Maykop, Tuapse, and Sochi.

His guide gives him a tour- sharing some truths and some tall tales. "Doughy beachgoers" are lying on the grounds that used to be concentration camps while Circassians were herded onto boats for the often fatal journey to the Ottoman Empire and a proud mountain that sheltered Circassians in battles from the invading Imperial Russian army has been renamed after a Russian mobile phone company- "MegaFon Mountain".

However, its the last lines of this article that really struck a cord with me:

"Eventually, Igor's uncle admits the meteor stories are nonsense, just local legends. Then he tells us the name Gelendzhik is derived from a Turkish word meaning “little bride.” It originated as a slave market where Turks sold Circassian women.

I ask if this, too, is a nonsense local legend. But he assures me that this one is true."

So the question to my fellow Circassians is-  What honor is there to allow the history of Circassian women being sold to Turks be questioned as a "local legend" or used to spice up a conversation? 

The events that happened during the Circassian Genocide is tragic. But its even more terrible when we do not join in telling the truth.

There are 797 days till the Sochi Winter Olympics are set to completely erase the entire history of Circassians from the world. Stand up, say No Sochi 2014. Demand respect and the right to exist as a nation, so that our history and culture will not become local legends.

One reason...

of why I do what I do and say what I say.

Putin's IOC Speech: Lies of the Sochi Olympics - Hiding the truth of the Circassian Genocide

 
  

Shooting Star, Адыгэ псо

On April 13, 2011 - 11:37pm EST...

Coming home from the Circassian Cultural Institute's lecture on state building in Kabardino- Balkaria, I saw a shooting star. I got happy. I felt blessed. Naturally, I made a wish, that my soul has said so many times waiting to be sealed by an event that is rare, beautiful and awe-inspiring. I do not know when, or if, I will ever witness something like that moment again.

Moments like a shooting star allow room for reflection.

Every Adyghe (or at least most) has a wish, a dream, a desire for a home, a country, a Circassia, to call their own. Yet, are we really exposing our thoughts and souls to each other? To the world? A few are and I applaud them.

So, I call on ALL Circassians to begin this discussion now. We must not be speechless when our amazing shooting star moment arrives.

Адыгэ псо.