IRAK ÇERKESLERİ - orsam

IRAQI CIRCASSIANS (Chechens, Dagestanis, Adyghes)
ORSAM
ernment offices. Because the appointments
in this context totally depend on the sharing
among parties. As a minority, we are totally
excluded, and there is no one listening to us.
In such an environment, we have been striving
to preserve out ethnic identity and ourselves
in Iraq as a Circassian minority.
ORSAM: How do you define Iraq and the
Middle East from the perspective of an Iraqi
citizen North Caucasian? What do Iraq and
Middle East mean for you?
them as “damned Turks”. We have never been
content for living in the Middle East and Iraq.
We have never felt like we live in our country.
Because we have always been treated as
a second-class citizen. We’ve seen worse. Because
we are considered as the remains of the
Turkish army and also as the agents of Turks.
Despite the fact that many of us have been
martyrized for Iraq, we are accused of not
being loyal to them. In other words, we feel
like strangers in Iraq, of which we are citizens
with official identity.
ORSAM: Could you tell us about the Al-Tadamun
Society of Iraqi, Chechen, Dagestani
and Circassian Tribes? When and how was it
established? Why was such a society was required
to be established? Where do the majority
of your members come from? What is
the rate of female and young members in your
society? What is the education level of these
people? Where are the offices of your society
located?
Ahmad Katav: As a result of the long-lasting
wars and major mistakes of Saddam, Iraq
has become an under-developed country
that cannot be compared to outside world.
Those wars led to orphans and widows, and
also caused depression. Although we Circassians
have been living in Iraq for many years,
we have been considered as soldiers arriving
in the Middle East along with Ottomans
since the first day we came here under the
administration of the Ottoman Empire. The
Iraqi people regard us as the “daggers of the
Ottoman Empire ready to be stuck on their
own chests”. Circassians established the city
of Fallujah during the periods of Dagestani
Mehmet Fazıl Pasha and Kazım Pasha. Fallujah
was not a settlement except for Arab
tribes until then. Circassians created a military
zone in Fallujah in line with the orders
of Kazım Pasha, and Chechens were brought
and settled here. Afterwards, this settlement
turned into a city. The Arab population in Fallujah
hate Circassians and they still describe
Ahmad Katav: We established the Al-Tadamun
society in 2004 along with the Chechen,
Dagestani and Adyghe tribes living in Iraq.
“Tadamun” means “to hang on”, and the word
indicates the North Caucasians’ relations by
affinity in Iraq. The headquarter of the society
is located in Kirkuk. However, we also
have representative offices in Baghdad, Mosul,
Tikrit, Diyala and Anbar. The majority of
our members are from Kirkuk and Baghdad.
The number of women among the Al-Tadamun
Society constitutes approximately 30 per
cent of the members. The rate of the young
members is approximately 40 per cent. Most
of the members have associate’s or bachelor’s
degree. In addition, there are also high-school
graduates, civil servants working in government
offices, doctors, engineers, teachers,
tradesman and self-employed among our
members. We do not have offices except for
Kirkuk. However, we have volunteer members
working in other cities due to the financial
situation of our society.
ORSAM
Report No: 134, November 2012 21