11.12.2013 / 11:52

Press Digest 11.12.2013

Circassians, Sotchi and Abkhazia - “Circassians can play the role of mediator between Georgians and Abkhazians; Georgians and Abkhazians must rebuild trust, broaden their relations and unite again“

On the threshold of Sotchi Olympics, the Circassians’s monumental protest campaign launched against the event has wound down. According to expert Mamuka Areshidze, from the very beginning, the Circassians declined extreme ways to express their outraged protest and started crusading against the upcoming event through petitions, letters of complaint and other non extreme measures; and when the people finally realized that the government was not going to back down, they yielded to the authorities desire and stopped battling against the event;

The Olympics are starting; the Circassians are not positively disposed to the upcoming event; however, at this point they have refused to express their overt dissatisfaction”, reports the Rezonansi gazette.

“The grim Russian-Circassian war, which ended in 1864, claimed many Circassians’ lives - some of them died on the battlefield, others were pushed to Osmalia. The Russians banished Circassians from Sotchi, and this terrible happenstance has been forever lodged in the oppressed people’s memory. “95 percent of Circassians have been against the Sotchi Olympics; however, as these people dwell on the territory of Russia, they are bound to hide their negative disposition to the event; they know perfectly well that from Russians any kind of action on their part may be labeled as extremism. That is the reason why at this point the vast majority of them prefer to keep their mouths shut”, declares Andro Gabisonia. The coming year marks the 150th anniversary of the Russian- Circassian war, and as a great deal of Circassian maintain, Russians intend to hold Olympics on the very place where their genocide had taken place”, the article says.

“The Russian Government has succeeded in creating a rift in Circassia and bribed the heads of some Circassian organizations in Turkey. Around 12 organizations of Circassians - which are mainly run by businessman - are dispersed throughout this country; the majority of these bodies received an extremely lucrative proposal from the Russian authorities in return for their unflinching loyalty and involvement in the arrangement of the Olympics. So, these people decided to stand aside and help Russia to hold the event”, states Mamuka Areshidze.

“The Russian top officials refused to make concessions with Circassias; however, when it came to some minor issues, they decided to somehow undercut their dissatisfaction; for this purpose, the Russian government decided to involve the symbol of Circassian culture - leopard in the Olympics. In order to calm down tensions and to fill Circassians with affection towards them, Putin also took more radical steps; he forced Arsen Kunukov, the President of Khabardo-Balkareti one of the mammoth republics of Cherkessia to bow out as president; in his place the Russian president appointed an educated young President’s son- Iuri Kokov. By taking this step, Putin managed to hit the bull’s eye; the former corrupt leader who was distinguished with his ineffectual policy was really hated among Circassians; and thus Putin’s hard effort to bring down the former regime, paid off . . . today Circassians are not crusading against the event as vigorously as before”, says Areshidze.

“2011 marked the beginning of the restoration of relations between Georgians and Circassians; Georgia’s government recognized the Circassians’ genocide during the Abkazian war; even, Ibrahim Iaganov, the hero of the Abkhazian war, has not hesitated to define the gruesome bloodshed in Abkhazia was an egregious mistake; and, as per him, Abkhazians must definitely cultivate relations with Georgians. According to Andro Gabisonia, the relations between Abkhazians and Georgians started to thaw is 2008. As Mr. Gabisonia states, Circassians think that the Sotchi Olympics disparages them by subjecting them to ridicule; however, despite this, nothing on earth can make Circassians try to fire back at their insult by reducing Sotchi to rubbles or by taking any other kind of extreme steps”, reads the paper.

“The fact that Georgia’s government expressed readiness to recognize Circassians’ genocide has truly greatly facilitated broadening relations among Georgian and Circassians. After the war of 2008, the Georgian authorities started taking active and effective measures in this direction by reconsidering their pursued policy, by seeking new contacts and involving public diplomacy in this process. Circassians and Abkhazians are affined to each other; centuries-old relations and cultural commonality unites them; however, I can unabashedly state that today Circassians are on the Georgians’ side, they support us in everything even when it comes to Abkhazians; they can really play the role of mediator between the two people and bridge Abkhazians and Georgians. So, we must grab this unique possibility by using Circassians to restore relations with Abkhazians; Georgians and Abkhazians must rebuild trust, broaden their relations and unite again”, announces Sandro Gabisonia.