Circassian diaspora
Encyclopedia
The Circassian diaspora refers to the resettlement of the Circassian
population, especially during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. From 1763 to 1864, the Circassians fought against the Russian Empire
in the Russian-Circassian War
, finally succumbing to a scorched-earth
campaign initiated in 1862 under General Yevdokimov. Afterwards, large numbers of Circassians were exiled and deported to the Ottoman Empire
; others were resettled in Russia
far from their home territories. Circassians live in more than fifty countries, besides the Republic of Adygea. Total population estimates differ: according to some sources, some two million live in Turkey
, Jordan
, and Syria
; other sources have between one and four million in Turkey alone.
claims its descendance from the Mamluk
s who, during the Mamluk Sultanate
, ruled Egypt and Syria
.
in the 1860s and 1870s through resettlement by the Ottoman Empire, in many cases for political or military reasons. The Ottomans settled them in areas with Muslim minorities and populations that were otherwise of concern to the government; moreover, the dispersion of the Circassians, a warrior people, diminished their possible military threat. An estimated 600 Circassian villages are in Central and Western Anatolia
. Likewise, Circassians who moved to Jordan were settled there to counter possible Bedouin
attacks. There is a sizeable Circassian population in Syria, which has, to a great extent, preserved its original culture and even its language.
province, and many of the Circassians used to live in the Golan Heights. During the time of the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (1920-1946), Circassians served with the French troops, earning them enduring distrust from the Syrian Sunni Arabs. The Circassians of Syria were actively involved in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
. Their unit was under the leadership of Jawad Anzor. 200 Circassians were killed in action
. They performed well, but the overall failure to stop the founding of Israel led to the special Circassian unit being disbanded. After the Six-Day War
of 1967, they withdrew further into Syria, especially to Damascus
and Aleppo
. They were prevented from returning to the Golan Heights by Israeli occupying forces, but after 1973 some of the returned, now living in two villages, Beer Ajam
and Barika, where they maintain a traditionally Circassian way of life.
The Circassians in Syria
are generally well off. They are strictly secular and supporters of the Assad regime, as such they have tense relations with Syrian Sunni fundamentalist Arabs, and very good relations with minorities like Alawites, Druze
, Christians and Jews
. Many of them work for the government, in civil service, or for the military. The former Syrian interior minister and director of the military police, Bassam Abdel Majeed
, was a Circassian. All Circassians learn Arabic and English in school; many speak Adyghe language
, but their numbers are dwindling. One kindergarten in Damascus provides Adyghe language education. However there are no Circassian newspapers, and few Circassian books are printed in Syria. Cultural events play an important role in maintaining the ethnic identity of the Circassians. During holidays and weddings, they perform folk dances and songs in their traditional dress.
are the most well of Circassians from all over the world, as a start the capital city of Jordan, Amman was first settled by Circassians from the shapsough
tribe in the year of 1878 since then Circassians have had a major role in the development of Jordan. Circassian in Jordan have high positions in the Jordanian government, armed forces, air force and police, and since 1921 Circassian have been given the position to be his late majesty King Abdullah the first
, personal trusted royal guards. Tell this day Cicassians have been the royal guard, serving all 4 kings of Jordan Kings, King Abdullah the first
, King Talal the first
, King Hussien the first
and king Abdullah the second
. In 1932 the Circassian Charity Association was established making it the second oldest charity group in Jordan. In 1944 Al-Ahli club was founded which is a Circassian Sports club in, 1994 the Al-Ahli Club established a Circassian folklore Dance troupe. In 1950 Al-Jeel Al-jadeed club opened aiming to preserve the Circassian Culture. In 2009 the Circassian Culture Academy was founded aiming to preserve the Circassian Language also known as Adyghe language
and the Kabardian language
they are both the same language but different accents.
The Circassian Culture Academy also has a Circassian Folklore Dance troupe named the Highlanders.
On May 21st 2011 the Circassian community in Jordan organised a protest in front of the Russian embassy opposing the Sochi 2014 winter Olympics
because they will be held over the mass graves of Circassians during the Circassian genocide.
There are few thousand Circassians, living mostly in Kfar Kama (2,000) and Rehaniya
(1,000). These three villages were a part of a greater group of Circassian villages around the Golan Heights. As is the case with Jewish Israelis, and like the Druze
population living within Israel, Circassian men must complete mandatory military service upon reaching the age of majority. Many Circassians in Israel are employed in the security forces, including in the Israel Border Police
, the Israel Defence Forces, the Israel Police
and the Israel Prison Service
. .
). There, they constituted one of the principality's 72 boyar
families. In time they were assimilated into the general population. However, one of the last descendants of this family, Mihail Christodulo Cerchez
, was a Romanian national hero in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878
(Osman Paşa, the Turkish
commander of the Pleven
garrison, who was an Adyge himself, surrendered his sword to Cerchez at the end of the siege). One of the main halls of the Cotroceni Palace
in Bucharest
is named "Sala Cerchez" ("Cerchez Hall") in memory of General Cerchez.
A small minority of Circassians had lived in Kosovo Polje
since the late 1880s, as mentioned by Noel Malcolm
in his seminal work about that province, but they were repatriated to the Republic of Adygea in southern Russia
in the late 1990s.
refused to accept a petition by the Circassian Congress that would have called the Russian–Circassian War an act of genocide
. Hazret Sovmen
, President of the Republic of Adygea from 2002 to 2007, referred to the Circassian diaspora as an enduring tragedy and a national catastrophe, claiming the Circassians live in more than fifty countries across the world, most of them far from their "historical homeland." The International Circassian Organization promotes the interests of Circassians, and the advent of the internet has brought "a sort of virtual Circassian nation" into being.
Adyghe people
The Adyghe or Adygs , also often known as Circassians or Cherkess, are in origin a North Caucasian ethnic groupwho were displaced in the course of the Russian conquest of the Caucasus in the 19th century, especially after the Russian–Circassian War of 1862.Adyghe people mostly speak Adyghe and most...
population, especially during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. From 1763 to 1864, the Circassians fought against the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in the Russian-Circassian War
Russian-Circassian War
The Russian–Circassian War refers to a series of battles and wars in Circassia, the northwestern part of the Caucasus, which were part of the Russian Empire's conquest of the Caucasus lasting approximately 150 years, starting under the reign of Tsar Peter the Great and being completed in 1864...
, finally succumbing to a scorched-earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
campaign initiated in 1862 under General Yevdokimov. Afterwards, large numbers of Circassians were exiled and deported to the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
; others were resettled in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
far from their home territories. Circassians live in more than fifty countries, besides the Republic of Adygea. Total population estimates differ: according to some sources, some two million live in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
; other sources have between one and four million in Turkey alone.
Turkey
The Circassians in Turkey are with 2 millions (2,7% of the Turkish population) of the Turkish population one of the largest ethnic minority in Turkey.Egypt
The Circassian diaspora may date back to the end of the fourteenth century: the Circassian population in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
claims its descendance from the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
s who, during the Mamluk Sultanate
Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)
The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt was the final independent Egyptian state prior to the establishment of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty in 1805. It lasted from the overthrow of the Ayyubid Dynasty until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. The sultanate's ruling caste was composed of Mamluks, Arabised...
, ruled Egypt and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Nineteenth-century resettlements
A large number of Circassians began arriving in the LevantLevant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
in the 1860s and 1870s through resettlement by the Ottoman Empire, in many cases for political or military reasons. The Ottomans settled them in areas with Muslim minorities and populations that were otherwise of concern to the government; moreover, the dispersion of the Circassians, a warrior people, diminished their possible military threat. An estimated 600 Circassian villages are in Central and Western Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. Likewise, Circassians who moved to Jordan were settled there to counter possible Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
attacks. There is a sizeable Circassian population in Syria, which has, to a great extent, preserved its original culture and even its language.
Syria
Syria is home to approximately 100,000 Circassians (data from 1987), about half of whom live in HauranHauran
Hauran, , also spelled Hawran or Houran, is a volcanic plateau, a geographic area and a people located in southwestern Syria and extending into the northwestern corner of Jordan. It gets its name from the Aramaic Hawran, meaning "cave land." In geographic and geomorphic terms, its boundaries...
province, and many of the Circassians used to live in the Golan Heights. During the time of the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (1920-1946), Circassians served with the French troops, earning them enduring distrust from the Syrian Sunni Arabs. The Circassians of Syria were actively involved in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
. Their unit was under the leadership of Jawad Anzor. 200 Circassians were killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
. They performed well, but the overall failure to stop the founding of Israel led to the special Circassian unit being disbanded. After the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
of 1967, they withdrew further into Syria, especially to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
. They were prevented from returning to the Golan Heights by Israeli occupying forces, but after 1973 some of the returned, now living in two villages, Beer Ajam
Beer ajam
Beer Ajam is a Circassian village in the province of Quneitra in the Syrian-controlled portion of the Golan Heights. It has been inhabited for about 150 years. Its first houses where built in 1872...
and Barika, where they maintain a traditionally Circassian way of life.
The Circassians in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
are generally well off. They are strictly secular and supporters of the Assad regime, as such they have tense relations with Syrian Sunni fundamentalist Arabs, and very good relations with minorities like Alawites, Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
, Christians and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
. Many of them work for the government, in civil service, or for the military. The former Syrian interior minister and director of the military police, Bassam Abdel Majeed
Bassam Abdel Majeed
Major General Bassam Abdel Majeed is the current Syrian ambassador to Kuwait. He also served as the interior minister of Syria between 2006 and 2009....
, was a Circassian. All Circassians learn Arabic and English in school; many speak Adyghe language
Adyghe language
Adyghe language , also known as West Circassian , is one of the two official languages of the Republic of Adygea in the Russian Federation, the other being Russian. It is spoken by various tribes of the Adyghe people: Abzekh, Adamey, Bzhedugh; Hatukuay, Kemirgoy, Makhosh; Natekuay, Shapsigh; Zhane,...
, but their numbers are dwindling. One kindergarten in Damascus provides Adyghe language education. However there are no Circassian newspapers, and few Circassian books are printed in Syria. Cultural events play an important role in maintaining the ethnic identity of the Circassians. During holidays and weddings, they perform folk dances and songs in their traditional dress.
Circassians in Jordan
Circassians in JordanJordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
are the most well of Circassians from all over the world, as a start the capital city of Jordan, Amman was first settled by Circassians from the shapsough
Shapsugs
Shapsugs are a people/tribe of the Adyghe branch, who are currently living in Tuapsinsky District of Krasnodar Krai, Lazarevsky City District of Sochi, and in the Republic of Adygea in Russia...
tribe in the year of 1878 since then Circassians have had a major role in the development of Jordan. Circassian in Jordan have high positions in the Jordanian government, armed forces, air force and police, and since 1921 Circassian have been given the position to be his late majesty King Abdullah the first
Abdullah I of Jordan
Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan [‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Husayn] عبد الله الأول بن الحسين born in Mecca, Second Saudi State, was the second of three sons of Sherif Hussein bin Ali, Sharif and Emir of Mecca and his first wife Abdiyya bint Abdullah...
, personal trusted royal guards. Tell this day Cicassians have been the royal guard, serving all 4 kings of Jordan Kings, King Abdullah the first
Abdullah I of Jordan
Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan [‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Husayn] عبد الله الأول بن الحسين born in Mecca, Second Saudi State, was the second of three sons of Sherif Hussein bin Ali, Sharif and Emir of Mecca and his first wife Abdiyya bint Abdullah...
, King Talal the first
Talal of Jordan
Talal I bin Abdullah 26 February 1909 – 7 July 1972) was the second King of Jordan from 20 July 1951 until forced to abdicate in favour of his son Hussein due to health reasons on 11 August 1952....
, King Hussien the first
Hussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal was the third King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death. Hussein's rule extended through the Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict...
and king Abdullah the second
Abdullah II of Jordan
Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein is the reigning King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. King Abdullah, whose mother is Princess Muna al-Hussein, is a member of the Hashemite family...
. In 1932 the Circassian Charity Association was established making it the second oldest charity group in Jordan. In 1944 Al-Ahli club was founded which is a Circassian Sports club in, 1994 the Al-Ahli Club established a Circassian folklore Dance troupe. In 1950 Al-Jeel Al-jadeed club opened aiming to preserve the Circassian Culture. In 2009 the Circassian Culture Academy was founded aiming to preserve the Circassian Language also known as Adyghe language
Adyghe language
Adyghe language , also known as West Circassian , is one of the two official languages of the Republic of Adygea in the Russian Federation, the other being Russian. It is spoken by various tribes of the Adyghe people: Abzekh, Adamey, Bzhedugh; Hatukuay, Kemirgoy, Makhosh; Natekuay, Shapsigh; Zhane,...
and the Kabardian language
Kabardian language
The Kabardian language, also known as East Circassian , is a Northwest Caucasian language, closely related to the Adyghe language. It is spoken mainly in the Russian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and in Turkey and the Middle East...
they are both the same language but different accents.
The Circassian Culture Academy also has a Circassian Folklore Dance troupe named the Highlanders.
On May 21st 2011 the Circassian community in Jordan organised a protest in front of the Russian embassy opposing the Sochi 2014 winter Olympics
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and...
because they will be held over the mass graves of Circassians during the Circassian genocide.
Circassian in Israel
Circassians in IsraelCircassians in Israel
The Circassians in Israel refers to the Adyghe community who live in Israel.The Circassians in Israel are moderate Sunni Muslims, they tend to put an emphasis on the separation between their religion and their nationality...
There are few thousand Circassians, living mostly in Kfar Kama (2,000) and Rehaniya
Rehaniya
Rehaniya is a predominantly Circassian village about 8 km north of Safed in northern Israel. It belongs to the Merom HaGalil Regional Council.-Background and history:...
(1,000). These three villages were a part of a greater group of Circassian villages around the Golan Heights. As is the case with Jewish Israelis, and like the Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
population living within Israel, Circassian men must complete mandatory military service upon reaching the age of majority. Many Circassians in Israel are employed in the security forces, including in the Israel Border Police
Israel Border Police
The Israel Border Police is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav , meaning border guard, whilst its members are colloquially known as Magavnikim . Border Guard is often used as the official name of the...
, the Israel Defence Forces, the Israel Police
Israel Police
The Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
and the Israel Prison Service
Israel Prison Service
The Israel Prison Service , commonly known in Israel by its acronym Shabas , is the prison service of Israel. It is responsible for maintaining civilian prisons in Israel, as well as detention centers for security prisoners. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security...
. .
Eastern Europe
Around 1600, a number of immigrants from the Caucasus region, of somewhat privileged background, settled in the then Principality of Moldavia, and became known by the name "Cerchez" ' onMouseout='HidePop("4597")' href="/topics/Romanian_language">RomanianRomanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
). There, they constituted one of the principality's 72 boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
families. In time they were assimilated into the general population. However, one of the last descendants of this family, Mihail Christodulo Cerchez
Mihail Cerchez
Mihail Cristodulo Cerchez was a Romanian general. Rumours that he was of Circassian descent are based strictly on his family name and are counterintuitive to his anti-Turkish stance...
, was a Romanian national hero in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878
Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 was a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox coalition led by the Russian Empire and composed of numerous Balkan...
(Osman Paşa, the Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
commander of the Pleven
Pleven
Pleven is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality...
garrison, who was an Adyge himself, surrendered his sword to Cerchez at the end of the siege). One of the main halls of the Cotroceni Palace
Cotroceni Palace
Cotroceni Palace is a palace in Bucharest which is the residence of the President of Romania, located at Bulevardul Geniului, nr. 1.On Cotroceni Hill, in 1679, Şerban Cantacuzino built a monastery...
in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
is named "Sala Cerchez" ("Cerchez Hall") in memory of General Cerchez.
A small minority of Circassians had lived in Kosovo Polje
Kosovo Polje
Kosovo Polje or Fushë Kosova is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of central Kosovo, at 42.63° North, 21.12° East, or approximately eight kilometres south-west of the capital Pristina...
since the late 1880s, as mentioned by Noel Malcolm
Noel Malcolm
Noel Robert Malcolm FBA FRSL is a modern English historian, writer, and columnist.-Life:Malcolm was educated at Eton College , read History at Peterhouse, Cambridge, wrote his doctorate dissertation at Trinity College, Cambridge, and was for a time Fellow of Gonville and Caius College,...
in his seminal work about that province, but they were repatriated to the Republic of Adygea in southern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in the late 1990s.
Current situation
Circassians refer to their diaspora as a genocide; the diaspora is "perhaps the most pressing issue in the region and the most difficult to solve." In 2006, the Russian State DumaState Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
refused to accept a petition by the Circassian Congress that would have called the Russian–Circassian War an act of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
. Hazret Sovmen
Hazret Sovmen
Hazret Medzhidovich Sovmen was the second President of the Republic of Adygea, Russia, having succeeded Aslan Dzharimov at the post. Sovmen is a university professor from Maykop. Before becoming President, Hazret Sovmen had been a successful businessman , having started off as a bulldozer driver...
, President of the Republic of Adygea from 2002 to 2007, referred to the Circassian diaspora as an enduring tragedy and a national catastrophe, claiming the Circassians live in more than fifty countries across the world, most of them far from their "historical homeland." The International Circassian Organization promotes the interests of Circassians, and the advent of the internet has brought "a sort of virtual Circassian nation" into being.
See also
- Adyghe peopleAdyghe peopleThe Adyghe or Adygs , also often known as Circassians or Cherkess, are in origin a North Caucasian ethnic groupwho were displaced in the course of the Russian conquest of the Caucasus in the 19th century, especially after the Russian–Circassian War of 1862.Adyghe people mostly speak Adyghe and most...
- Circassian nationalismCircassian NationalismCircassian nationalism is the desire among Circassians to establish an independent Circassian state with the contours of the former Circassia before it was conquered by Russia...
- Circassians in IsraelCircassians in IsraelThe Circassians in Israel refers to the Adyghe community who live in Israel.The Circassians in Israel are moderate Sunni Muslims, they tend to put an emphasis on the separation between their religion and their nationality...
- Circassians in TurkeyCircassians in TurkeyThe Circassians in Turkey are with 2 millions one of the largest ethnic minority in Turkey. Among the Circassians in Turkey are also the closely related ethnic groups Abazins and Abkhazians counted...