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“Circassiada is a project of Circassian Olympic Games to
be held in Nalchik in 2012 during 12 days in 12 branches
of sport-corresponding to the number of stars on the
Circassian flag. Its motto is an old Circassian proverb,
“Kindness begets kindness”. The authors of the idea and
the project are Sufian Zhemukho, current expert with
PONARS’ Eurasia program and a former Fulbright scholar,
and Aleksey Bekshoko, chairman of the Union of Abkhaz
Volunteers”.
On Wednesday
09/30/2009, the Circassian Benevolent Association
welcomed Mr. Sufian Zhemukho to present the Circassian
Olympic Games project to the local Circassian community
in New Jersey, USA. As a road scholar, Mr. Zhemukho
already made presentations in six cities in Russia
including St.-Petersburg, Moscow, Sochi, Cherkessk,
Maykop and Lazarevsky settlement. The presentation held
in USA is one of six planned abroad that Mr. Zhemukho
will make in the near future including Turkey, Jordan,
Syria, Sukhum (Abkhazia), and Great Britain.
The presentation
surrounded the theme of 12 sports, 12 goals, 12 stages
of preparation, 12 aspects of safety, 12 conferences,
and 12 sources of funding. “The authors of the project
have written a book on the issue: ‘Circassian
Olympics: Presentation in Russia’ with articles in
Circassian, Russian, English, and Turkish in the book”.
Details concerning these themes are addressed in the
book as well. Among the goals of the Circassian Olympic
Games include but are not limited to: strengthening the
mutual understanding between the international
Circassian community and the Russian Federation; the
role of Circassians in the 2014 Sochi Olympics; the
repatriation of Diaspora Circassians; the establishing
of a single Circassian republic; the development of the
Circassian language; the awareness of Circassian
history, culture, and traditions; and the economic
development of Circassia.
The more
controversial of issues on the international Circassian
platform deals with the concerning connection between
the Circassian Olympic Games and the Sochi Olympic
Games. At this point it’s not necessary to choose a side
in opinion, but rather to address the opposing beliefs
and find a mutual agreement for the revival of the
Circassian question. The role of Circassians in the
Sochi Olympic Games needs to be defined much more
clearly and a resolution for these need to be made. In
an article by Paul Goble, “Circassians in Jordan say
they oppose the idea of a “Circassian Olympics” in 2012
because they believe it is intended to divide their
nation and to “legitimatize” the Moscow-backed Sochi
Games in 2014, an event most Circassians oppose because
that competition would take place on the site of the
genocide of their people in the 19th century”.
Other Circassians see the Sochi Olympic Games as an
opportunity to plead their case, rather than as an
offense to be resisted. So, for them, the Circasssian
Olympics will pave the way to reach this opportunity. In
an article by Sufian Zhemukho, ‘The Circassian
Dimension of the 2014 Sochi Olympics’, he brings the
idea forward that “Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia has
considerably softened the position of the Circassian
world towards the Sochi Olympics. Though having adopted
a more supportive view, Circassians continue to use the
run-up to 2014 as a means to spread information about
and draw attention to their cause”. So, is it safe
to say that the Circassian Olympic Games is a “positive”
tool in the “run-up” to 2014 in addressing the
Circassian question? The answer is unclear and only time
will tell. Mr. Zhemukho added “At the moment, the
Circassian dimension is a relatively minor issue
relative to the others that surround the Sochi Olympics.
Only a few intellectuals and social groups are
mobilizing around the cause, while other constituencies,
like the more powerful local governments, evince far
more enthusiasm”.
More information on the Circassian
Olympic Games can be found on the web at
http://www.circassiada.com/en/articles.php?cat_id=4 |
