The Circassian Tragedy Squeaked through Constant Brutal Methods
By: Adel Bashqawi
10 December 2020
The tenth of December, coincides with the anniversary of the International Human Rights Day, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, as a reminder of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which can shed light on the legitimate Circassian rights. “Human rights are at the core of the Sustainable Development Goals, as in the absence of human dignity, we cannot advance the field of sustainable development.” [1]
Circassia was possessed for thousands of years by its own people, even before there was, Moscow or Saint Petersburg, not to mention Russia as an entity. It was never officially part of the Ottoman Empire or ruled permanently by any other power. Many invaders tried to conquer Circassia, but contrary to what certain biased and ill-intended circles are still trying to mislead, no one managed to fully occupy it to be part of any country. Circassians always strived to beat up those greedy imperialists.
The Russian empire’s invaders took them 101 years to be able to occupy Circassia after a long war of destruction, murder, ethnic cleansing, genocide and forced deportation. Many Circassians had to live in a large diaspora that is more than 50 countries of the world, while only 10% live in their homeland in different administrative locations. The Circassians are entitled like any other nation of the world to demand restoring their legitimate rights, as per the international laws and norms. Substantially, the dilemma that is most noticeable lacks means and methods to solve terrible chronical rights confiscation.
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- Circassians are the indigenous people that was originated from the Northwest Caucasus.
- There is no need to ask questions in order to initiate a kind of Byzantine argument, where it is not worth asking questions, that most people know their answers.
- Here, it is reasonable to refer to Martin Luther King’s saying: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” [2]
- It’s not sensible to assume ignorance of others, in light of the available information that cannot be refuted. “The history of Russia has always been a relatively sad and tumultuous one wrought with wars, power struggles, and abrupt changes.” [3]
- Colonial borders were not just random coincidence; but they were created on the basis of imperial plans of conquest and containment which relied on a large scale on expansion and subjugation.
- There are priorities and logic for any dialogue, without oblivion, playing smart or deceiving and disparaging others.
- Circassians managed to establish good relationship and trade links with Ancient Greece, Venice, Genoa and others.
- They also had good relationship with the Byzantine Empire, at a time, they had embraced Christianity centuries before the Russians did so. which they had their own Circassian Church, which was independent from Constantinople.
- Russia as such didn’t exist more than 1100 years ago. It consisted of different principalities with conflicting interests. “These changes have often been forcibly thrust wholesale upon Russia, rather than evolving through gradual, measured methods as in most peoples’ histories. From an earlier time, in which we know Russia as ‘Kievan Rus,’ the princes of the various cities (such as Vladimir, Pskov, Suzdal, and Kiev) constantly battled and bickered for power and control of the small semi-united state. Under the reigns of St. Vladimir (980-1015) and Yaroslav the Wise (1015-1054), the Kievan state was at its highest point and attained relative peace in contrast with years past. However, as history went, once the reigning rulers died, a power struggle ensued and wars once again flared.” [4] [5] knowing that the Circassians were there for thousands of years and existed in their homeland under various names, titles and regimes.
- 1200 years ago, there was no Russian language as such, which is a hybrid language that was founded based on multiple languages. “Indeed, the linguistic and even socio-linguistic impacts were great, as the Russians borrowed thousands of words, phrases, other significant linguistic features from the Mongol and the Turkic languages that were united under the Mongol Empire (Dmytryshyn, 123).” [6]
- However, the Circassian valuable culture contains an indigenous language, which was originated in the Circassian homeland. It is considered one of the ancient languages of the world that is originated specifically from that area.
- Knowing that the Mongols and Tatars have ruled and oppressed the Russians for more than 200 years. “Within twenty years, Batu Khan marched from Mongolia with an army of 200,000 men. One by one, Russian principalities such as Ryazan, Moscow, Vladimir, Suzdal, and Rostov fell to the Batu and his armies. The armies looted and razed the cities, slaughtered the people, and took many as prisoners and slaves. The Mongols eventually captured, sacked, and destroyed Kiev, the symbolic center of Kievan Russia. Only outlying northwesterly principalities such as Novgorod, Pskov, and Smolensk survived the onslaught, though these cities would endure indirect subjugation and become tributaries of the Golden Horde.” [7]
- Such was the ebb and flow of Russian history. “was the Mongol invasion which, perhaps more than any other historical event, helped to determine the course of development that Russian culture, political geography, history, and national identity would take.”
- Consequently, it turned out that the effects of the Mongolian occupation offered a special character to Russia. “It was the Mongol invasion which, perhaps more than any other historical event, helped to determine the course of development that Russian culture, political geography, history, and national identity would take.” [8]
- After Ivan the Terrible’s death in 1584, a period of civil wars known as the “Time of Troubles” have erupted. Thereafter, “Order was restored in 1613 when Michael Romanov, the grandnephew of Ivan the Terrible, was elected to the throne by a national assembly that included representatives from fifty cities. The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia until 1917.” [9] This marked a practical launch of a new era of colonial conquests and the mobilization of military campaigns in all directions, reaching the Caucasus and beyond.
- When the Muscovites started their extermination wars against their neighbors and beyond, they waged bloody wars and annihilation against dozens of peoples and nations, which makes it obvious that the whole Russian imperial story is to obtain and pssess the homelands of others by shedding victims’ blood. Muscovites’ “Ivan III was very successful with this expansion. He tripled Moscow’s territory and strengthened his power by proclaiming sovereignty over every other Russian prince and the nobility. He also defeated what was left of the Golden Horde, thus laying the groundwork for a national state. Ivan III was the first to use the title Tsar – derived from Caesar, as he saw Moscow as the Third Rome, following in Constantinople’s footsteps.” [10]
- Reality indicates and confirms the opposite of what the Russian state and its supporters claim and hardly try to falsify history.
- There is a Circassian nation whose homeland was occupied after 101 year long criminal war and bloody invasion in the nineteenth century by the invaders of the Russian Empire.
- Circassians were displaced and/or deported around the world, thus, their rights have not been restored yet. The situation will not be straightened out “before” they regain their legitimate rights in accordance with international laws and norms.
- If we review the maps of the region since the eighteenth century, the evidence will indicate changes unjustly occurred with the power of iron and fire practiced by the Russian Empire against millions of human beings. In addition, worst atrocities in human history were inflicted against tens of peoples and nations.
In regard to human rights, Nelson Mandela has said: “Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.” [11] Also, 14th Dalai Lama has said: “Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.” [12]
References
[1] (https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day)
[2] (https://geohistory.today/mongol-empire-effects-russia/)
[3] (https://edorr.net/portal/view/5334)
[4] (https://geohistory.today/mongol-empire-effects-russia/)
[5] (http://files.school-collection.edu.ru/dlrstore/2d6f658c-8708-8273-d076-b48090194ff1/hm1447_1.gif)
[6] (https://geohistory.today/mongol-empire-effects-russia/)
[7] (https://geohistory.today/mongol-empire-effects-russia/)
[8] (https://geohistory.today/mongol-empire-effects-russia/)
[9] (https://www.expresstorussia.com/experience-russia/moscovite-rule-in-russia.html)
[10] (https://www.expresstorussia.com/experience-russia/moscovite-rule-in-russia.html)
[12] (https://www.doonething.org/heroes/pages-d/dalai-lama-quotes.htm)
