The Circassians Refuse the Hostile Attitude
The Russian authorities have routinely turned a blind eye on the problems and the implications of the tragedies that befell on the Circassian nation ever since the end of the devastating war waged by the Tsars of the Russian Empire, which led to occupation, genocide and displacement. The Russians went a long way to ignore all the disastrous results, and the necessity to solve all their wrong doings. In the sense of legal and legitimate rights, the consequences of calamities and tragedies that have befallen on the Circassian people will not be forgotten before Circassians get their denied rights, which are guaranteed by the International Law, the Universal Charter of Human Rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Circassians have long been exposed, in a constant and planned manner, to the effects of a hostile propaganda machine that has implanted a skepticism-based process, along with falsehood and redirecting attention. This process was orchestrated by well-known circles and parties that employ under-cover agents and proxies. They monitor Circassians everywhere, even in scientific centers and universities, both at the homeland and in the Diaspora, to know the trend of Circassia-related topics in order to influence, steer or change the concept.
In a publicity stunt, an article was published in 2015, by Sochi State University, funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, with the title “Circassian Question: Transformation of Content and Perception.”
(http://www.academia.edu/15285565/Circassian_Question_Transformation_of_Content_and_Perception).
The purpose of issuing such information is to produce a fabricated work, while depending on some reliable references, but at the same time imposing information related to official Russian policies that contradict reality. The following are some of the mentioned contradictions:
— It uses official Russian terminology, such as using the name “the Caucasian War,” instead of the Russian-Circassian War, while using made-up dates, ignoring the fact that the war extended from 1763 to 1864.
— They claimed that “the so-called Circassian question became extremely hot in the mid-2000s and in connection with the significant event of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.” This only mentions half of the truth, because the other half involves the Circassian outrage in 2007 due to opposition of the Russian celebrations of the anniversary of the so-called “450 years of Circassians’ voluntary association with Russia,” which has never happened at all.
— The Russian president made a mistake (in 2007) while delivering a speech to the International Olympic Committee, when he mentioned the Greeks arriving to the Circassian coast in the distant past, without mentioning the original homeland of the indigenous Circassians.
— The Circassian Question was hot since Circassia was occupied, and will stay extremely hot until Circassians restore their legitimate rights.
— The Sochi Games had some positive results because of the publicity the Circassians got, when more people in the world knew about Circassia and the tragedies inflicted on the Circassians. This information spread in all languages of the world.
— The Circassian Question has existed before the Sochi Olympics, and will prevail until it is solved. The “historical and cultural context” is only one element of the problem.
— The main actors for solving the different issues of the Circassian Question are the Circassians themselves, in all their locations. They are backed by documents, laws and legality, provided that a retrospective approach is followed.
— The Circassian national movements were always in the arena and will continue to be there until they get their rights. Circassians do, and will continue to, observe the 21st of May, as a day of respect to the Circassian forefathers.
— Circassians will continue their nonviolent struggle, regardless of what obstacles are placed on their path to Circassia. The prediction that, “foreign policy factors and the Circassian question perception in the international arena has historically had a predetermined outcome,” is true in the sense that Circassians will not let go on their rights on the soil of their homeland.
— The Russian Empire has achieved its dream of occupying the Circassian homeland, but the Russian authorities always wanted to put the blame on others, while the Russian state is occupying the Circassian homeland still refuses to restore the rights to the indigenous Circassians.
— Russia has imposed itself as a fierce enemy of the Circassians, while the Circassians will not be looking for other enemies; logic imposes that they seek friends who will recognize the tragedies incurred on them, and assist them to obtain their rights in international forums.
— The unilateral analysis that describes “the web-space in Russian, Circassian, Turkish, Arabic and English languages”, reveals something different than what is depicted, because the trend towards social media (especially Facebook and Twitter) resulted in hundreds of Circassian pages and websites.
— There is a hostile attitude against any person who is concerned with the Circassians’ rights, seeks to think of, or attempts to address the crucial Circassian issues of identity, historical heritage and the very survival of the Circassian nation. The process is even extended to cast unsubstantiated accusations against scholars, historians, writers, human rights activists, political analysts and institutes of research and analysis. Frantic criticism is directed at whoever dares to address or tackle the Circassian Question subject in an academic and historical manner.
The impact of the recognition of the Circassian genocide has worried those who claimed to be held accountable by local and international laws. This worry is not for committing the atrocities and genocide themselves, but for accepting the legal and material responsibility incumbent upon the State. The failure to deal with the real issues of the Circassian people has led to a policy of ignoring the issues and insisting on the denial process, despite the tangible facts that are available, which cannot be circumvented.
That is in disregard to international laws and norms regarding the continued non-recognition of genocide and to hold the Winter Olympic Games (in February 2014) in Sochi on the land that contains the remains of Circassians killed by the invading forces.
Circassians around the world believe in “Free Circassia Now.”
The International Circassian Council.
January, 16, 2016
Iyad Youghar Adel Bashqawi
