Anzor Kushkhabiev: situation of Circassians in Syria aggravated by their neutral attitude to conflict

According to Anzor Kushkhabiev, Ph.D. in Historical sciences, the author of the monographs "Circassians in Syria", "Circassian Diaspora in Arab World", "Essay on history of Circassian Diaspora", the situation of Syrian Circassians is aggravated by the fact that they do not actively support the ruling regime of Syria and the opposition forces.

"More than half of the Circassian population in Syria lives in Damascus and its suburbs. The rest Circassians live in the cities of Aleppo, Minbedzh, Ar-Raqqah, Homs, Hama, New Quneitra, and other cities. Active hostilities and clashes of the parties take place in Damascus, Homs, and Hama. Circassian people, like all inhabitants of those cities, are being shot at. The number of casualties among the Circassians is still being clarified. However, they are accidentally killed civilians," said Anzor Kushkhabiev. He has noted that most of the Circassian Diaspora officially adheres to a policy of neutrality.

At the same time, Anzor Kushkhabiev has emphasized that in Syria, at all the successive regimes Ottoman, French, and independent Syria Circassians tended to support the authorities. "Circassians have always been a loyal community, and they were respected by other groups of Syrian society. Many Circassians served in power bodies (army, police, and security services). In the last decade, Circassians were forced from command positions of the armed forces of the country and from top positions in ministries and institutions," said the expert.

According to Anzor Kushkhabiev, the Circassians, like the entire population of Syria, found themselves in a position, where it became difficult to survive. "Even in Damascus, it is difficult to buy food. Electricity is constantly being turned off. In connection with the shootings, particularly in the city of Homs, all houses stay with windows shattered. The situation of Circassians is being aggravated by the fact that they do not actively support any of the conflicting parties. They are already being accused of that fact. Circassians find on their houses messages demanding leaving the country. They are thrown leaflets with such contents," said Anzor Kushkhabiev.

According to the scientist, "under any scenario for resolving the situation in Syria, the Circassians will be put in the lists of unreliable persons and that fact could lead to various repressions."

According to him, "the Syrian Circassians always said and keep saying that the Caucasus is their homeland." The Circassian Diaspora in Syria had been evicted three times: from the Caucasus to the Ottoman Empire; from the Balkans, where they were settled by the Ottoman government, to the Asian regions of the Ottoman Empire in 1878; and from the territory of the Golan Heights, as a result of the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, to Damascus and the United States. In this regard, many Circassians in Syria believe that they should return to their homeland and not get involved in someone else's war," stated the scientists.

During the hostilities in Syria, Circassian villages near the city of Homs were subjected to artillery fire from the opposition forces. This was reported by Andzor Kabard, the expert on the Caspian and the Black Sea region, who referred to the information coming from his compatriots in Syria.

"At present, the Syrian Circassians are in a mousetrap. On the one hand, the borders are closed; the persons, who have appealed to the Russian President with requests for repatriation, are subjected to unprecedented pressure from the official Syrian authorities. People are afraid to openly show their attitude; repatriation lists are being passed to Russia secretly," says the expert.

According to Andzor Kabard, evaluations and comments, expressed in relation to appeals of the Syrian Circassians to the Russian President, the Russian people and their compatriots at homeland, are constructive.

"On January 30, Arsen Kanokov, the President of Kabardino-Balkaria, met the delegation of the Syrian compatriots and promised them every assistance in their returning to the homeland. The meeting has slightly smoothed the depressing impression, made by the refusal of Aslan Tkhakushinov, the leader of Adygea, the other region with the "target" Circassian population, to meet the same delegation. Time passes, people are dying, and no decision has been still made. The imminent full-scale ethnic cleansing threatens tens of thousands of human lives," the expert expresses his fear.