The political implications on the Circassian Question
By: Adel Bashqawi
6, November, 2012
The Circassian subject enjoys unprecedented interest by those who are interested in the Circassian and Caucasian affairs alike, and seems that an international and regional attention highlights the Circassian Question, its track and its implications, as a result of positive elements which influenced the course of events in the past few years, also as a result of successive developments that have occurred and still taking place to the Caucasian issues in general and the Circassian Question in particular.
It has become possible to see and follow-up those who seek on exploring the Circassian topic in a wider scope than it was in the past and that can be described as unprecedented Circassian renaissance and vigilance since the end of the Russian – Circassian War in the year 1864, as the human rights of the Circassian human being, whether at Motherland or in the Diaspora lands in the highlight and attention circles as a result of what some parties are doing on the international arena that is linked to what was committed of massacres against the Circassian nation and other peoples of the Caucasus, as well as a result of the occurrence of developments on the Circassian political situation in terms of confirming legitimate rights and the earnest demand to restore, and the methods must be followed in order to discuss the minute details of the Circassian Question on levels and in prospects and innovative and modern ideas, and thus to move in order to uncover the possibilities to find appropriate and suitable ways to resolve issues linked to the Circassian Question in its affairs, implications and various effects.
What is happening in the Circassian Diaspora makes it of urgency and obligation “To Whom It May Concern” to work to resolve multiple and complex issues related to Circassians and their inextricable connection with the Circassian homeland, including the premonition to return to Motherland when the suitable time comes. The search for the projected solutions connected with the Circassian Question without clinging to predetermined positions and hypotheses which are necessarily based on conspiracy theory and by bringing parties and the exclusion of other parties that have link to the general and particular situations in the Caucasus Region as a result of shuffling cards and roles created by the successive colonial Russian policies, help to give an unprecedented situation to achieve the possibility of responsible move towards disclosure and fathom exploring the “world of possible” in order to search the prospects for finding the optimum method to resolve the Circassian Question according to integrated components that include their matters, interactions and their different implications.
There are those who pose the conspiracy hypothesis and that there are parties work to invent obstacles and conditions, and configure them in inappropriate ways for Circassians and in turn, at the same time they direct the path of the Circassian Question in the direction that is not accepted by the Russian Federation which is affecting its credibility and prestige in front the world on regional, continental and international levels; on one side, the Circassian Activists are accused to be under the docility of those who intend to undermine the Russian state, which is lies and nonsense, because it is presupposed that a large country such as the Russian state fragile to this extent, so that a number of Circassians can undermine its structure or entity, and from another, the Circassians are depicted, as if they were in the blowing wind (if the wind veers, they tend to veer with it) and that they could be driven by anyone!
That is the impossible in its entirety because Circassians are the descendants of those heroes who defended their Motherland with honor, and with all what is expensive and precious for 101 consecutive years and they did not get led by the scoundrel invaders, but they defended their rights and themselves in every way possible and with all what they got of simple defense means at hand, which they did not declare truce, smolder, surrender or agree to leave homeland for the greedy as an easy prey, so they obtained murder, treachery, genocide, forced deportation and denial by the enemy and by impostors who falsely and slanderously drawled that they are friends of the Circassians!
There are those who say and wonder, and that is legitimate by itself, if there were no predetermined positions: Why now? Why Circassians (or some of them) become aware these days, for what had happened and is still happening to them? Why after such a long time which is close to one hundred and fifty years? Why to claim rights? Which rights, and how they can be obtained or extracted?
But one can say with confidence and full awareness that the Circassians are like the “orphans at villains banquets”, and if they do not demand their legitimate rights, then who would do that on their behalf, who is that volunteer who will come from the unknown to do that for them?
Circassians in many countries and in coordination among themselves, even those who reside in the North Caucasus, have awakened during the past few years on the continuation of the conspiracy against them and against their nation and its existence, in many forms; I mention the most important in the following:
1. Starting with the fake celebrations that Russia held and imposed (by the identical shameless eye) on the affiliated entities in the North Caucasus, when it celebrated falsely and slanderously for the passage of the so-called 450 years of Circassian voluntarily joining Russia as per its claim, which had never occur in history!
2. Ignoring the claims of the Circassians in the North Caucasus to take an important step towards self-preservation through the activation of homogeneity required between the Circassian republics, and to unite them standardization in a national entity with adjacent and contiguous territories, but Russia was intending to annex the Republic of Adygea, to Krasnodar Province which is considered now as a Russian province, but this plan has failed in front of the opposing Circassian positions, which came from the North Caucasus and countries of the Diaspora alike, which had defied the Russian move!
3. Russia’s intention several years ago to apply, as it submitted its application to the International Olympic Committee to hold the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in the year 2014, which was regarded unacceptable by Circassians, who precisely know the history of Sochi, and reveals the insolence, as it was the last capital of Circassia prior the Russian occupation in 21, May, 1864, and was the last stronghold of the Circassian resistance against the Tsarist Russian invasion where many of them fell in defense of the homeland, and the occupying forces conducted a military parade in celebration for the victory of Tsarist Russia over the Circassian nation when “power become victorious”, and last but not least, Sochi was one of the most important marine sites that Circassians have been compiled for the purpose of deporting them compulsorily away from their homeland, when worn and unworthy cargo ships come, to navigate and transport passengers and goods.
4. The Russian President Vladimir Putin, deliberately said in his televised speech to the International Olympic Committee, for the intention of mobilizing support for holding the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, saying in public that Sochi was inhabited by the ancient Greeks who passed through the area unnoticed, and he did not mention its indigenous owners, the Circassians, which documented history proves that they inhabited and they stayed in the Northwest Caucasus for more than six thousand years!
5. The continuation of Russia and its official constituents in the Circassian part of the Caucasus, in building and constructing of the crosses and monuments to the leaders of Tsarist Russian armies who committed the murders, genocide and torture against Circassians and uprooted from their homeland, and that, if anything it shows undervaluing everything Circassian!
This tip of the iceberg of unacceptable abuses, which reflected the Russian policy in the Caucasus, and with respect to Circassians specifically; and that reminds of what Imam Shafi’i had said: “The one who is harassed but doesn’t get angry is stupid”, so how after the above mentioned, we want from the one who knows these facts, to remain neutral and is not interested in what happens to his people and his nation? Will work in order to restore the rights and call for maintaining the national dignity is considered special purposes, as some are trying to promote, or pursuant to foreign agendas?
Here these illogical accusations put us to face only two possibilities, which is either amenable to Russian policy altogether, or to be led according to the words of those who promote these thoughts to the United States, Israel and Georgia, but Nicaragua was not mentioned in this obsessive accusations at random to those who didn’t accept but to call for vigilance and action in accordance with a Circassian national agenda, and in both cases, the national Circassian action was marginalized, as if the Circassians do not have the initiative spirit or even the ability to specify the path and they must be God forbid managed by others!
