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CIRCASSIANS IN THE DIASPORA SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THEIR MOTHERLAND
10 .09.2009

Kuban Seauhmann

Translated by : Sinar Dishack

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I can imagine your surprise and astonishment of such a headline, and I could imagine you saying: “WOW, what is this talk!”

If I was one of those who never visited the mother land and read such a headline, I would imagine myself saying the same thing “WOW, what is this talk!” or something close to it. But now the situation is totally different.

In my last visit to Maykop, I told our elder “T’hamada” Najdat Hatam Mashfash the same thing:  “We should not allow Circassians living in the Diaspora to return back, and if we don’t have a choice, they should undergo a strict scrutiny and screening”.  There is no nation in this world that would turn its back on its mother land, and at the same time claiming patriotism like us Circassians. No nation would hold onto knots in history and embrace it like our nation. No nation has any consideration, scrutiny, or even balance to its statements, and rushes into judging matters like our nation. We don’t admit our mistakes, and we criticize everything and everybody viciously and without any consideration. We insist on living in isolation and confinement to our self.

For example, precisely two days ago in Turkey, two of our prominent elders who are considered frontiers in the Circassian national movement, posted a heavy banner around their necks with a statement that was spread among our people, claiming that the Ubikh tribe who lives among us are foreigners and do not belong to our Circassian  nation.

I hope you would not think such a banner is the first of its kind. Many more preexisted, but unfortunately the majority of us consider everything written is a historic fact, thus we accept such deception without questioning or scrutiny.

And now if we claim that the “Caucasian Genocide” did not occur in the way it is commonly presented, the heaven will rise up and down. And if we claim that there was indeed a coercive deportation but not in the manner that is commonly perceived, we would spend an excessive time and effort to convince one of ten Circassians who would claim we are Russian agents that indeed we are not and will never be.

It is hopeless to expect from a nation that does not possess its historians and who rely on Russian, British, and Turkish historians in evaluating and assessing its history to assess its current status quo in a correct, rational, and civilized manner to serve its own interest. And it is even a useless effort to try to achieve such a thing, and certainly feels like swimming against the tide.

Hence, you should not be surprised or astonished and say “what is this talk!” if one day you read someone writing on our history and claiming this time that the Shapsough tribe are not indigenous Circassians. And one day your response to such a claim might be that you actually read such a thing somewhere, and such a response would actually become a reasonable and show of courtesy.

A while ago, in the recent Circassian Center board meeting, an argument occurred between me and our dear elder “T’hamada” Jawdat Hapi regarding Circassian TV and the issue of broadcasting in Circassian language. He was convinced that the Russians are controlling and dictating broadcasting materials and hours. But due to my profession in TV broadcasting and my involvement in a recent study conducted to research the possibility of developing the Circassian TV, I was fully aware of the actual situation regarding this matter. One day - and in a typical Circassian Diaspora manner- I asked the general director of the Circassian TV why don’t they expand their broadcasting hours in the Circassian language. Thank God the Director did not have a Circassian Diaspora’s mentality and had a high manner and was very polite and humble as he replied to me calmly and said:

“My brother Kuban, what we are broadcasting is the things we are getting for free. If we had the resources and the sources that we can rely on, we would have broadcasted 24 hours in the Circassian language and no one would prohibit us from doing that”

I was speechless and all I could do is to nod my head. 

How will the Circassian Diaspora impact the motherland with all the residues brought in from the places they grew in that are still affecting their mentality?

Why can’t they stay where they are and leave everything in the motherland as it is, instead of changing what is positive with their negative attitude and pessimism?

The elder “T’hamata” Jawdat Hapi’s response was similar to mine when I told him of the incident, but unfortunately, he is still persistent on his perception and criticism of other issues. What I told him did not matter at all and hopefully his perception will change once we have our next board member meeting in Maykop.

I encourage the Circassian Diaspora to visit the motherland as tourists, but I’m against granting them citizenship or anything similar to it. It is in the best interest of the motherland not to influence it by our mentality and behaviors, or even our way of life.

And if you are questioning the reason behind this view, I would respond with this question: “if the Russian Federation parliament made a decision, and announced to the world the following resolutions, what in your mind you think would happen?

  1. We, the Russian Federation Parliament, confess the genocidal act and the massacre of the Circassian nation that exceeded the holocaust in atrocity, and we announce to the world our deepest apology to the Circassian nation.
  2. Following the massacre and the mass killing, we coercively deported what left of those who we were unable to annihilate to the Ottoman Empire; hence we apologize to the Circassian nation in front of the whole world.
  3. Being the reason behind all that, we decided to put into restoration the 1800 territorial boundaries. All ethnic Russians living on those territories will be evacuated and nobody from the Russian Federation will be allowed inside the Circassian Republics territories without a prior approval of the republics.
  4. We conquered the Circassian land since the 18th  century, and although this would not compensate every aspect, we decided to deposit in Circassians central banks a compensation of 18 trillion and 640 billion Dollars
  5. Unfortunately, we cannot bring back or compensate those who perished, hence we decided to establish a memorial twice the size of Eiffel tower to become a memorial and lesson in history and will be engraved in those words: “ because of the massacre of the Circassian nation, we pledge forgiveness and redemption from the whole world”

Now, what do you think will happen? Considering and evaluating the status of the Circassian Diaspora, how will this change our situation? And what are the sorts of issues that we will start to present immediately afterward?

 Now, I feel I have to say the following, knowing that some of you might get upset or outraged …..

If I am a major member of a Federation, why should I object the federation or try to separate from it. Is it plausible that Spain or any other European country for example would want to drop its membership in the EU?

Yes we endured massacres

Yes we endured deportation

Yes we greatly suffered

We were dispersed

We lost our language and we cannot speak it

Yes, more and more

There is no end of crying, weeping, sorrows on our past

How many people believe that it is time to stop crying and starts acting in every possible way develop the motherland, and how many do realize that this is their duty and they should act on it to the best of their ability?  Unfortunately and without any doubt, not so much realize that.

And why should we bother ourselves with all this effort if there is an easier appear as a public figure among Circassian like promoting the notion that “Ubikhs are not Circassian” for instance. Isn’t this enough to show the degree of intellect and knowledge on Circassian national issues and at the end it will earn you the status of elder “T’hamata” among the Circassian community?

We should go out and allocate material resources, then acquire a visa from the Russian Embassy to enter the motherland. Once we have that, we have to travel to the motherland and resolve all issues regarding the rules and regulations of the country.  Afterward, we might establish a factory or a workshop. And from there, you are able to participate in developing the economy and raise the standard of living. Once that is achieved, our respected elder “T’hamata” Jawdat Hapi might get his 24 hour daily TV broadcast in Circassian language.  

To develop the socio-economic environment everybody should participate in a relentless hard work. Is what I’m asking for is unreasonable or a sort of madness. To ask someone who is sitting on his couch in his comfortable house theorizing, criticizing, and directing what should be done in the motherland without even bothering himself to visit it at least one time.

I’m pretty sure that a lot of Circassian in the Diaspora would not like what I wrote and they will feel abstain from what I said. And finally, the true Circassian is the one who believe that withholding effort especially at this time is our first and primary enemy.

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cc-usa@circassiancenter.com

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