Using the Circassians, Again
By: Adel Bashqawi
24, December, 2014
According to news reports, an Abkhaz move has been noticed towards Jordan’s Circassians, in a breakthrough of sour relations between the Abkhaz authorities and the Circassians in recent years (http://www.apsny.ge/2014/conf/1419388472.php?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook).
A delegation from Abkhazia headed by Nadir Bitiev, the Advisor of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia has arrived few days ago to Amman, Jordan, on a working visit. The Abkhaz delegation will hold talks in Jordan intended to recognize the independence of Abkhazia, and started meetings with associations and individuals within the Circassian Community, to support their mission in trying to prepare for a visit to Jordan by Raul Khajimba, the President of the Republic of Abkhazia. The news added that the delegation proposed to 83- year old Mohamad Abaza to assist in establishing a diplomatic representation for Abkhazia, but he rejected the offer.
Seemingly, the delegation is trying to promise Circassians to be given Abkhazian passports, which looks like it is completely a Russian plan to contain Circassians in Diaspora in return for promises with empty contents after many years of cold relations and even partial boycott!
It seems that Russian isolation is pushing the Russian authorities to use the Abkhaz government in order to use available “resources”, and this time it happened to be the “Circassians” again.
It seems, its totally a propagandic move, which shows the delegation as if its apologizing for Circassians, saying that the Abkhaz and Circassians are brothers, and it was only Alexander Ankvab, who was against the Circassians, and was ousted out of power by a popular revolution (Russian orchestrated) which he ran away to the main Russian military base, but documents say other wise. “The Abkhaz government has officially distanced itself from the Circassian genocide. The former government of Sergei Bagapsh already did this, but now the present government is doing the same” (http://dailygeonews.blogspot.com/2011/12/abkhazians-ignore-circassian-genocide.html).
“It is not only the government, also the Abkhaz people feel harassed by this subject. In May, 2011, Georgia, the first country in the world, officially recognized the Circassian genocide. This recognition got severe criticism from the Abkhazians. They accused Georgia of trying to hinder the Sochi Olympic Games. They even stated that Georgia invented the whole Circassian genocide story.”
The Abkhazians have obtained the Circassian fighters’ help in the the Georgian-Abkhazian War, then they forgot all about them. Ibrahim Yaganov, Chairman of the public organization of Kabardino -Balkaria Khase, then the leader of the Circassian fighters in the Georgian – Abkhaz War has reportedly stated, if he knew that the result will be the way it is, he would not have participated in that war (http://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251660707).
A Caucasian Turkish Diaspora Website had published an article in December, 2011, in reply to Abkhaz instructions coming directly from the President of Abkhazia: “Before that, we had declared to public opinion that we were aware of attempts to turn the Abkhazian Diaspora to Russia’s Trojan horse and that we would stand against these attempts”. The reply to the instructions stated: “We, as activists that elevate our voice against 2014 Sochi Olympic Games and for the genocide fact, will not let our struggle to be moved from its origin. We will not let any state or interest group to manipulate this struggle formed with the dynamics of the Diaspora. As proved many times in the past, it will be the Circassian society that will disappoint this planned and organized campaign of Russia over institutions of Circassian society” (http://www.kafkasyaforumu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=683%3Arealpolitic-brotherhood&catid=4%3Aduyuru&Itemid=170&mid=551).
They even refused to repatriate any of the Circassians of Syria who got nowhere to go, even though they have applied and tried to take a refuge to Abkhazia. A group of Circassians issued in that concern an open message to the Abkhazian President entitled: “A Question Directed to His Excellency, the President of the Independent Republic of Abkhazia”, but no reply was shown from the Abkhazian authorities (http://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251662020).
It is determined that the Abkhaz authorities and their Russian friends can move freely now in the Circassian Diaspora arena after Sochi was held (with Abkhaz full support) earlier this year. They thought that Circassians have forgotten, only some Abkhaz-Abaza people evacuees were taken out of Syria and repatriated in Abkhazia; but Circassians, despite the fact that Abaza people in Syria were considered as Circassians and had assumed positions in the Circassian Khase administration, especially in Damascus, were not even dealt with in a sound human sense (http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65343)!
If there is any kind of sincere feelings towards Circassians, the way is well known for them and for others. Let them take a good gesture or a step of goodwill towards the Circassians of Syria who are stranded in the shadow of the Syrian civil war still going on, for more than three years now. If this is done and Russia agrees to it, which is a precondition for anyone who wants to travel to Abkhazia has to get a Russian permission (VISA), then all the above is not quite accurate, and will open new page in the Circassian – Abkhazian relations.
