Commemorating the 155th Anniversary of Genocide and Deportation

Commemorating the 155th Anniversary of Genocide and Deportation

By: Adel Bashqawi

21 May, 2019

PHOTO-2019-05-20-23-05-26

The memory of sorrow, hardship and bitterness returns every year since May 21, 1864. The situation varies according to the regional and international circumstances, but there has been no change in the nature of the Circassian Question. Nothing has changed, even the stubbornness, intransigence and the denial of the legitimate Circassian rights that are still prevail. Thence, sometimes there are negative developments that fuel the injustice against a nation that has become impuissant for reasons not hidden to anyone, although some parties deliberately blur the facts and hide the confirmed information.

Although the Circassian people have been subjected to extermination and its consequences, which still exist to this day, there are Circassian communities scattered in the diaspora and in the homeland, being fragmented all over the world. It was subjected to bloody experiments and treacherous plots that led to its dispersion for the purpose of eliminating its civilized existence materially, morally and culturally, with the aim of controlling the Circassian homeland and disposing all of its population in any form, starting with murder, extermination, ethnic cleansing and ending with forced displacement.

There is no doubt that the miracle of the survival of the steadfast nation in its ingredients, which survived the catastrophe that was subjected to, is still the subject of interest and admiration of all those who have learned about the particulars and deep backgrounds, and the magnitude of the evil deeds that were committed in order to discourage and stumble the motives and the propagation of malicious propaganda and disinformation. But had to continue life and steadfastness in accordance with the literature, ethics, principles of interaction, morality, honesty, integrity, altruism and sincerity, which are the virtues of the vast majority of Circassians.

To take some lessons from the past, it is worth mentioning a bit about what happened after the 1861 meetings, which the Adyghe Council of Freedom, emanated from the Supreme Freedom Conference was formed. Delegates and some envoys carried messages of Adyghe Circassians to all who had to do with what was happening in the Caucasus in general and what has happened in Circassia in particular, especially to Russia, Turkey, Britain and France. Two Circassian delegates  went to Britain to hand over a letter and to talk about what was happening in their homeland. A speech was delivered on behalf of the delegation to the British Parliament, where Ziabash Ismail, declared to be with his colleague representing the Adyghe Freedom Council formed by the Circassian tribes that had not yet been fully controlled by Russian colonialism. The Circassian Question was reviewed in the British public and official circles. Prominent press coverage was given for the visit and a talk was in town about the  characteristics of the Adyghe Circassians and the nature of the Russo-Circassian War that was going on to defend Circassians’ freedom, existence and the homeland.

I can not fail to mention some of the statements made by the Circassian delegate to the British Parliament during that visit: “In our country, funerals overcome weddings. But this does not mean that the Adyghe people got rid of weddings and their celebrations, and/or don’t take care of children. We have what all human races have, but what we lack today is security. The world’s great sunshine does not illuminate on us, for the purpose that the large peoples will knock down the nations with lesser number of people so as to get subjugated. I do not say these words out of horror, and we did not come to you for this reason, but because neither our elders nor our children accept submission to injustice, and we will not accept it even if had it been our end. We have come to inform you of this oppression that is being practiced against us, and we share this with the whole world. Pardon me: Who reveals his tragedy, he is forced to do so. If the Russian Tsar doesn’t return to his consciousness, many peoples will be eliminated on his hands.” [1]

In an important initiative, the Habze.org Website has recently published on the Internet and thus on Social Media about a meeting on the Circassians. Where “a group of experts from the Kabardino-Balkaria section of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Circassian activists took part in a roundtable in Nalchik devoted to the problems of federalism in Russia. The participants boldly declared that the Circassians must make decisions about their situation rather than having them made by outsiders.” [2]

An important and daring development has occurred.”That may seem anodyne to many, but in the context of Russian rule over the North Caucasus in general and the Moscow-divided Circassian nation in particular it is almost a revolutionary act.” [3]

There are many positive initiatives being put forward and discussed in the Circassian world, all of which are aimed at restoring rights by doing the duty of all. Freedom begins where ignorance ends, as well as “Freedom is an advantage for those who know where they are going.”

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Sources:

[1] Page 218 Exiled Book, by: Ishaq Mashbash (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YX-TIVspulWY-vjpvUdRzLJ8gLdA8EZ9/view)

[2] (http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2019/05/circassians-must-govern-themselves.html)

[3] (http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2019/05/circassians-must-govern-themselves.html)

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