By Vestnik Kavkaza
Two weeks ago, the President of Georgia explained to the international society at the UN General Assembly why the Georgian parliament decided to recognize the “Circassian genocide”: “During my presidential term we initiated several projects which were aimed at increase of a number of contacts with people of the North and South Caucasus, student exchanges and educational projects. The Georgian parliament recognized the genocide of Circassians because few people knew about this page of history. The whole nation was slaughtered because the Russians wanted to get their land.”
“The Circassian issue” became acute ahead of the Olympic Games in Sochi which would take place on the territory that, according to Saakashvili, “the Russians wanted.” Obviously after the Olympics 2014 the topic will become less relevant. At the same time, the Russian Circassians don’t oppose the Games and have no plans to fight for recognition of “genocide”. They have different priorities.
According to Barasbi Karamurzov, the rector of Kabardino-Balkar State University, Kabardino-Balkar State University for more than 40 years has addressed issues related to teaching children in the diaspora and has done it quite successfully. “More than a thousand professionals trained at the university are already working in these Middle Eastern countries – Jordan, Syria, Turkey. Almost all of them were trained by the Russian state. There are more than 250 students from Syria today.,” Karamurzov said.
“If we talk about exchange programs, the programs on the preservation of culture, language, these programs have also been being implemented for more than ten years. In particular, we have special departments to deal with these problems. And every young man or woman who comes here to be educated has the opportunity to learn his or her mother tongues. I said plural of "mother tongue", because, speaking about the Circassians, people mainly refer to all the natives of the North Caucasus,” the president of Kabardino-Balkar State University stated.
Majid Chachuh, vice-president of the International Circassian Association, chairman of "Adyghe Khase", thinks that Russia does a lot for preservation of the Circassian cultural identity. “The regional target program "Harmonization of international relations and the development of national cultures in Krasnodar Territory" have been operating for more than 10 years. All club facilities in 12 villages were literally restored in very good form. Folk dancers and arts groups have received very significant support. We have great teams that can represent our ethnic culture at a high level, and now in conjunction with the very interesting events, international competitions and events in the city of Sochi, these groups are very popular,” Chachukh noted.
Georgi Muradov, deputy head of Rossotrudnichestvo, says that his department is actively cooperating with the Circassian diaspora in countries such as Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Germany, the United States. “Rossotrudnichestvo regularly receives a group of young leaders of public organizations of the Circassians who live abroad and in our country in order to maintain this vital link and ensure its future. Russia has large good economic prospects for the joint development of the people and as a center of civilization , indeed, it is based on rich natural resources, economic opportunities for the country's development. It is no coincidence that many Western economic groups are currently in crisis, they are deprived of resources, and problems arise because of this. Russia has no such problem. Here is the face of modern Russia, which seamlessly involves the Circassian component, the Abkhaz people that make it up.”
According to Muhammad Issa Shamil, activist of the Circassian Charity Society of Jordan, “the Circassian society has a major role in maintaining the language and society. Kabardino-Balkaria State University has provided a lot of opportunities for the education of our Diaspora from Jordan. To date, we have over 300 experts in various profiles. The Circassian Charity Society held five years ago the first International Congress on preservation of culture and language under the patronage of our Prince Ali, the brother of the current King Abdullah II. This indicates the very great attention that is paid by our state led by our king.”
Bela Hanusch is one of 104 Syrian Circassian recently welcomed students of Kabardino-Balkar State University. She said that it was impossible to leave the house or to go to the university. “In such difficult times, only Russia helped us. They gave us a chance, taking us away. For example, at the university each student could learn his native language in the first year, if he wants to do so. And even in schools he can learn it. I have even noticed that in Nalchik there are even newspapers in Kabardian and a Kabardian theater.”
