Thank You Jamestown
By: Adel Bashqawi
April 11, 2020
It’s appropriate to start with the proverb, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride”. This corresponds to inserting the Circassians’ topic in the declaration of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation on considering Jamestown Foundation an “undesirable” organization. [1] This practice can be referred back to, when Circassians were officially mentioned and specified by Russia. “Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for the first time publicly mentioned the Circassian Question as related to the Olympics in Sochi.” In the same context, “Putin claimed that there was no Circassian issue as such and that hostile foreign forces were trying to use the locals to harm Russia.”
Apparently, as Russia’s response to the embarrassment in which it fell due to the February 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics held on the land of Circassian genocide, [2] the Russian leadership was forced to acknowledge the existence of a Circassian Question. However, not one positive step has yet been taken in advancing towards the Circassian position. Seven million Circassians around the world will not condone their legitimate rights. Without good intentions, pending problems will not find their way to a solution.
Jamestown is a non-governmental and nonprofit organization that does not have physical presence in Russia. The Russian authorities are condoning the reality of the role of a Russian official media firm operating on U. S. soil, a firm that is affiliated with the Russian government activities of policies geared to promote the official views of the Russian government. In the meantime, it is “Russia Today TV Channel” that broadcasts permanently in multiple languages, not only in the United States but throughout the world as it publishes targeted Russian policies around the clock. [3]
People are outraged due to the Russian dramatic step taken against the freedom that Jamestown has promoted since 1984. [4] It goes on reminding us of the meaningful work that has presented facts to the world since 2007 was triggered then, with the Russia’s celebration of the so-called 450th anniversary of Circassian voluntary association with Russia. [5] Since then many Circassian conferences and events were held in various places such as Washington DC, Harvard University, William Paterson University, the European Parliament, Tbilisi, Anaklia, Malmo, Nuremberg and others. Valuable and important books, documents and videos have been produced and published.
In recent years, the term Circassians turned out to be a crystal ball in Russia’s hands. Amazingly, whenever the Russian leadership needs to take an important stand towards the West, it resorts to its crystal ball. Eventually, the term “Circassians” is utilized to put forward the unrealistic accusations and the false information they choose.
*************
[2] (https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/sochi-land-circassians-they-cant-hide-anymore/)
[4] (https://iwpr.net/global-voices/circassian-outrage-anniversary-plans)
[5] (https://iwpr.net/global-voices/circassian-outrage-anniversary-plans)
