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The Original Homeland of the CircassiansCircassians belong to the Caucasian race, and the word Caucasus is a Sanskrit word meaning the white mountains (i.e. snow-covered), a name that was given to the area between the Black Sea to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east and extends north from the River Alqoma to the Hill of Armenia to the south. The area of the Caucasus region is 400 thousand km2. Circassians live in the three republics:- The Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. the capital of which is Nalchik. - The Republic of Odivia the capital of which is Malcob. - Republic of Karachay, the capital of which is Sarkicia.
Continued ... The Original Homeland of the Circassians The Caucasus is famous of a very high series of mountains as high as 1200 km. The region is divided into two parts: the first is known as the North Caucasus, and the second is its south. Enormous series of mountains of heights that vary from a summit to another. The highest of these mountains is ( Albrooz) which is covered by snow all the year long, and some call it the Sheikh (Chieftain) of Mountains or the Blessed Mountain. Its summit is as high as 5600 m, from which the river Goyan descends.
Circassians in Jordan - Assisted by the Ottoman Empire at the time, Circassians had to emigrate from their country in the Caucasus as a result of the wars of genocide waged against them by the Russians. - Circassians came into Jordan in the form of groups that began to arrive in 1878. - The first Circassian convoy dwelled in the valley of Amman and the Roman amphitheater, which was built during the reign of the Roman Empire and still holding so far. - Amman remained having in general its trait as a "Circassian village" as the Circassians were the first to live in. - They contributed in making agricultural tools and wooden carts pulled by horses and cows, which they used as a means of transportation. - They were the first who built residential houses made of mud at that time.
Circassians in Jordan • - The Ottoman government distributed land to them in Jordan for several reasons, the most important of which were: • To help them settle down. • To encourage them to farm. • For payment of taxes to increase the income of the Ottoman government at that time. • - In the reign of the Emirate of Trans-Jordan which began in 1921, Circassians enjoyed their full civil and political rights, and Jordan became their first homeland in the Diaspora. • - They have contributed to building and rise of modern Jordanian state due to the confidence of the Hashemite leadership in them for what is known about their sincerity and dedication to work, and they assumed several military, political and administrative positions. • - In addition, they continue to date to act as guards of honor at the royal palaces wearing their traditional Circassian costume.
Circassians in Jordan • The Jordanian people have interacted without discrimination with Circassians like any other tribe in Jordan. • The Jordanian people accept the national heritage of the Circassian and look to the customs and traditions with regard , esteem and respect. • Circassian folklore as represented in the national dress and dance of the Circassian is considered an integral part of the folklore of Jordan. • The Jordanian community holds great respect for the Circassian character as Circassians enjoy several personal qualities such as steadfastness, sincerity( in speaking), honesty in dealing and seriousness at work. • Jordanian society receives assignment of many military and administrative political leading positions to leaders of the Circassians graciously. • Intermarriage between the Circassian families and Jordanian families is increasing. • They have been granted the right to establish Circassian community organizations such as charities and sports ,cultural , art and social clubs to the extent that their number grew to (18) non-governmental organizations all designed to serve the Jordanian and Circassian communities. • They have the right to open schools and centers for teaching Circassian language and national folklore.
Circassians Charity Society (CCS) • In 1932 , Prince Abdullah Bin Al-Hussein, Prince of the Emirate of Tran- Jordan opened CCS. • Since it has been established , 21 heads followed each the other in the presidency of CCS • Major General pilot Isaac Mola has been the president of CCS for four years now . He participated as a fighter pilot in the defense of his country, Jordan, in addition to serving as a military escort for the late King Hussein Bin Talal. • He was also invested by King Abdullah of Jordan with the office of ambassador at Sultanate of Oman. Notwithstanding resignation from his military and political posts, he still works hard to serve his country fellowmen of all segments of Jordanian society.
CCS Committees - Number of members of CCS General Assembly( both at the Center and branches) was 5726 until 2009. - CCS/ Center working committees are: • Social Committee • Social Solidarity Committee• Information Technology Committee• Investment and Real Estate Follow-Up Committee• Cultural Committee (Nart magazine) • International Conference for the Circassian Language Committee • Health Committee • Students Committee • Foreign Relations Committee
CCS General Principles • Vision: CCS is looking forward to the promotion of Circassian culture and preservation of the Circassian language and heritage. • Objectives: • To carry out charitable actions and strengthen social solidarity. • To create an environment for acquaintance and familiarity amongst CCS members, in addition to cooperation in literary, economic and social areas. • To encourage members and their children to engage in physical activity and to nurture and guide the young socially and in sports. • Values: • CCS not only believes that social integration is important, but it is also an integral part of the social fabric of Jordan. However, as well as being keen to maintain the privacy of the Circassian heritage (Circassian language , culture and folklore) it is also keen to strengthen the inherited system of values derived from our fathers and grandfathers, with regard to truth in saying, courage, and sincerity and honesty in work.
CCS Projects • Social Solidarity Project: the aim of this project is to support families in need. • Knowledge Station: It was agreed with Computer National Center to have CCS on the list of Knowledge Stations in Jordan, where a group of the Ministry of Defense's Staff was trained in addition to another group members of We Are All Jordan Youth Commission, which indicates the presence of participatory relationship between CCS, State institutions and civil society organizations. • Starting A Huge Commercial Building Project to be built on a piece of land that was donated by Greater Amman Municipality. • Holding International Conferencesfor the Circassian language to study the challenges facing the Circassian language and means of preserving it.
CCS Projects • Reproductive Health Project: • CCS contributed to the cure of many health conditions of Jordanian women and those living in poor areas in most provinces of the Kingdom through the following programs: • Spacing Pregnancy• Pregnant Women Care• Breast Cancer • Womb Cervical Cancer • Osteoporosis • Menopause
CCS Projects Violence Against Women Resistance Project The target group is women aged 16-40 living in various governorates of the Kingdom. The number of women who have been visited and made aware of the project topics is 30344, of which 286 were moved to safer places. Library Project The library includes thousands of references and sources specialized in the Circassian nation and others. CCS also contributed to the support of many authors to produce a set of specialized books on Circassian issues, the most important of which was the Circassian Nation Historical Encyclopedia by Professor Mohamed Kheir Mamser, who undertook many administrative and political positions as well as being a university teacher, and he also held many positions in public and private universities, and currently he is a member of the Board of Higher Education in the most important public university; the University of Jordan. Scholarships Project • 300 students were sent to the University of Veberdena Balkaria in the Caucasus • Students committee provided the “conditional trusts umbrella” allocated to guarantee the teaching of outstanding students as well as the needy ones (for 20 students) . • The number of beneficiaries of good loans (i.e. interest free loans) for academic studies was 18. • Based on the memorandum of scientific cooperation, CCS received and registered two students from the University of Kabardino-Balkaria • Several memorandums of scientific cooperation have been signed with Jordanian and foreign universities to obtain scholarships.• 6 university seats were obtained as full annual scholarship grant from the Russian Embassy.
Women's Branch of CCS • The branch was established in 1970. • The office of the president of women’s branch has been held for the past four years by one of the most important women in the Jordanian society, Mrs. Janet Mufti, the daughter of a former Jordanian prime minister and a member of the Jordanian Senate in addition to being a university teacher. • Many Circassian women had been invested with important administrative and political offices. For example; the first woman director general of the Jordan broadcasting corporation was of a Circassian origin. Also, the first woman to become a deputy in the Lower House after the approval of women's quota was of Circassian origin. Besides, many Circassian women have become ministers and ambassadors to Jordan. • Women’s branch is considered one of CCS' s most important arms, as the idea behind its establishment was to support and empower the Circassian women in particular and the Jordanian women in general.
continued..The Most Important Achievements Of Women’s branch Prince Hamzah School and Kindergarten • Founded in 1974 by the efforts of a group of Circassian community ladies on a piece of land presented as a gift from His Majesty late King Hussein Bin Talal, and had the honor of holding the name of Prince Hamzah Bin Al Hussein. • The school teaches Arab and Circassian Jordanian children from kindergarten level through general secondary school level. • The number of students in the kindergarten is 99, while the number of students in the school is 800. • Twenty-three classes have been graduated so far, of which 75% enrolled in public universities, and the rest studied in Jordanian private universities or outside the country. • The number of workers in the school and Kindergarten is 102 administrators and teachers.
Productive Kitchen (Samovar) In 1977, the administrative body of the Branch set up the kitchen, which is one of the biggest projects managed by a civil society organization. • - The objectives of the kitchen are: • To increase income of Women’s branch. • To empower women through creation of job opportunities in this project. • To help members of the community, especially workers who do not have sufficient time to prepare meals, and having their meals secured through this kitchen. • To prepare Circassian meals in particular, and Jordanian ones in general.
