Circassians in Syria

The entire Circassian diaspora in Syria represents the descendants of Muhajirs ^[1] (immigrants) from the Caucasus who left their homeland (Caucasus) after defeat in the Russian-Caucasian war (1763-1864).

In 1884, the Russian traveler A. Eliseev wrote:

“The Circassians, all the same, greatly miss their homeland and recall their native mountains. These dear memories connected with the Caucasus, probably, were the reason that these desperate horsemen and thugs accepted a modest Russian traveler with such honor and cordiality that it was impossible not to believe their sincerity ”

Nizhegorodsky scientist - A. A. Kamrakov, who studied the characteristics of the development of the Circassian diaspora in the Middle East, made the following conclusions ^[1] :

Since the beginning of the Young-Turkish Revolution, the position of the Circassians has deteriorated noticeably, and their image in the eyes of the local population is becoming more and more dismal, due to the fact that the Young Turks assigned them the role of a punitive tool in their policy of polishing the polyethnic population of the empire. Since the introduction of the mandate system in the life of immigrants comes a new stage associated with their adaptation to new conditions. Despite the fact that they were still considered defenders of the Turks, pro-Arab and pro-European parties appeared in the Circassian environment. Many Circassians went to the service of the mandate authorities and participated in the suppression of partisan movements. However, at subsequent stages, priority shifted to the pro-Arab party — after World War II, most Circassians already supported the Arab national liberation movement.

Since independence, Syria and other Arab states have a new stage in the history of the diaspora. Circassians began to serve in the army of an independent Syria, and even took part in the Arab-Israeli wars. According to some data, in 1965 they constituted 2/3 of the rank and file and a significant part of the officer corps

The Circassian Diaspora in Syria currently numbers about 80 thousand people and consists of Adygei, Kabardians, Dagestan peoples, Vainakhs, Abkhazians and Ossetians. Representatives of the diaspora unite around the Circassian charitable society and a number of other public organizations that began to be created in the period of the 1920s. in order to preserve their traditional values. In the charters of the Circassian societies, it was said that they are created, among other things, to maintain community cohesion in the midst of an abundance of local conflicts with representatives of local tribes and ethnic religions (Bedouins, Druze).

In 1927, the Circassian Society for the Promotion of Education and Culture was organized for the first time in the city of Quneitra. It had its own printing house and published a political newspaper in several languages. Thanks to the activities of these centers, the traditional identity is preserved in the diaspora, which unites Circassians and serves as a guarantee of the prospective development of their communities.

- Kamarakov A.A. Features of the development of the Circassian Diaspora in the Middle East

In 2008, the Israeli Internet site IzRus ^[2] reported that Circassians living in Israel who settled in Galilee in the late 1860s, overwhelmingly have relatives in Syria. Since before 1967, there were 12 Circassian villages in the Golan Heights, whose population as a result of the Six-Day War (the area was occupied by Israel), fled to Syria. Moreover, according to their data, the number of Circassians in Syria reaches 160,000 people.

As a result of the civil war, the Syrian Circassians were on the verge of destruction. Some of them became refugees in Turkey and Jordan. Repatriation to the Motherland - the Adyg Republics of Russia is currently not possible, due to the position of the leadership of the republics - neutral cool in the KCR and Adygea and sharply negative in the CBD, where with the arrival of Kokov Yu. A., all support of the Syrian Circassians at the republican level ceased.

Circassians (Circassians) who entered the history of Syria

• Anzor Dzhevad - 1900, adyg (Kabardian) - the hero of Syria, a school and a street in the city of Damascus named after him.
• Mamdouh Hambdi Abaza (1932–1982) - the national hero of Syria, the head of the Syrian air force
• Amin Samgug (1900-1953) - state and watered. Syrian leader, educator and historian
• Abaza Mamdouh Hamdi (Marchand) - Lieutenant-General, Chief of Staff of the Syrian Air Force. Active participant in the Arab-Israeli wars, marked by the highest awards of the SAR, foreign orders and medals.
• Omar Fakhri (Tleuz) - State leader of Syria, member of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948-49, chief of the Syrian police, military attaché in Turkey and Switzerland.
• Hizmet Hapisht Mukhamed Ali (1900-69) - Adyg from the "Stae" clan - Syrian state leader, general of the internal troops, Syrian police chief.