The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue 58 10.01.03 Actual News from Chechnya News update Court hearing on the extradition of Akhmed Zakaev from Britain postponed to January 31st Court hearing on the extradition of Chechen separatist emissary Akhmed Zakaev, who is currently in Britain, has been postponed to January 31st. According to a RIA Novosti correspondent, the decision was passed by a London court judge on Thursday on request from the British Home Office. The Home Office explained that the request stemmed from the need for a closer study of the documents submitted by the Russian side. The hearings lasted several minutes. Zakaev was absent. He will face the judges on January 31st. (more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=Moseng) Leaders of United Russia party and Chechen intellectuals meet in Gudermes to discuss the coming referendum The United Russia party is holding a meeting with Chechen writers, poets and journalists. According to the head of the partys regional branch, Ruslan Yamadaev, the participants in the meeting are focusing on the coming referendum on the republics Constitution and election of a legitimate government of Chechnya. Attending the meeting are Frantz Klintsevich, a member of the partys General Council, Akhmad Kadyrov, the head of Chechen regional administration, Mikhail Babich, the Chairman of the republics government and the command of federal troops in the region. (more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=Moseng) Religion in Chechnya Kunta-Khadzhi Kishiev the Chechen Mahatma Gandhi The nature of Kunta-Khadzhis teachings is best reflected in his sermons and instructions that were collected from accounts by murids of the Kunta-Khadzhi fraternity. The most serious of works about the life of Kunta-Khadzhi is a book by philosopher Vakhit Akaev, which is called Sheikh Kunta-Khadzhi. Life and Teaching and which came out in Grozny in 1994. The author writes: Islam that got established in Daghestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia is of specific nature, which formed under the influence of Sufism. The Sufi Order facilitated dissemination and strengthening of Islam in the North Caucasus. It got stronger in Daghestan in the 19th century, when many representatives of official Islam stopped following the Koran and Sharia and began to encroach on the rights of the poor in favour of the ruling classes. That prompted Imam Gazi-Muhammad to declare gazavat or holy war on the ruling clique of mountaineers and expansionist policy of tsarism in the North Caucasus. The Kadiri tarikat, a social movement and religious concept, known in the North Caucasus as Zikrism, emerged at the end of the Caucasian war and at the initial stage its ideology differed radically from the concept of holy war. The founder of Zikrism Sheikh Kunta-Khadzhi, a native of the Chechen village of Ilskhan-Yurt, appeared on Chechnyas political scene at a time when people, weary of continuous war with the tsarist regime, needed peace. Kunta-Khadzhis sermons calling for peace, brotherhood and support for the poor and orphans found a response among the people, driven to the point of physical extermination. Central in his sermons were the ideas of non-resistance to evil with violence, renunciation of military actions against the tsarist regime, which outnumbered mountaineers in military might, and appeals for submission. Kunta-Khadzhi was fully aware of the fact that irreconcilable resistance to the tzarist regime might result in a complete of annihilation of Chechens. It was that very circumstance that made Kunta-Khadzhi appeal to the idea of ending the bloodshed and returning to peaceful life. Zikrism ideology ran counter to the concept of holy war, or gazavat, which called for continuing the struggle till final victory. Shamil pursued Kunta-Khadzhi for his anti-gazavat ideas. (in detail ... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=religioneng&row=3) Russia - Chechnya Keeping Hippocratic oath Russian Physician Bekirov is a respected in mountain regions of Chechnya One wonders what Chechen patients appreciated most in the Russian physician Victor Bekirov his professionalism, humanness or genuine mans courage. Over the past three months 895 local residents have made appointment with him. Victor Bekirov served in a medical unit of the temporary interior department of the Itum-Kalin region of Chechnya. But once the entire region learned about him. In the village of Tasbichi 3-year old Islam Ilaldaev left alone fell down to a shell-hole full of water. He was trying to get out crying loudly, but only hours after his absence was noticed. The child was absolutely exhausted and lost consciousness on his way to hospital. A medical assistant of the regional hospital run out into the street, stopped the first car and sent a woman to Russian policemen to ask them to call for a doctor. As he heard a crying woman trying to explain him what had happened, pediatrician Victor Bekirov seized his bag and left the place even without an arm or guards. He reanimated little Islam: at first he felt weak pulse and some 50 minutes after the boy opened his eyes and his lips moved. But the diagnosis was far from encouraging brain hypoxia, coronary deficiency and cooling of the organism. The doctor had no time to consider security and decided to bring immediately the boy to a children reanimation in Grozny in an ordinary Niva jeep instead of emergency vehicle. The road was regularity fired on by rebels. But the car was rushing at full speed along the highway of 150-200 car long columns, which had to let them pass through. Twice the car stopped to provide emergency aid to the boy. Finally, they arrived in the Grozny hospital late at night but in time. Local doctors silently shook hands of Viktor Bekirov. The boy was rescued. In two weeks Islam together with his parents visited doctor Bekirov to thank him. (more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) Chechnya: news | arguments | facts 09 January 2003 Ruslan Yusupov-a laureate of the journalism as conduct competition The results of the journalism as conduct competition have been summed up. The competition was conducted for the second year among the Russian journalists by the Andrei Sakharov museum and public centre and prizes were awarded to mass media editorial boards and individual journalists for the publication of moral-motivated articles that raise social issues and issues of peace and war, culture and morality convincingly, honestly and consciously from the human rights stand point. This year head of the department of the Gudermes-based daily Gums Ruslan Yusupov was among the list of candidates for the prize. At the summing up ceremony he was awarded the second place and the relevant certificate. Ruslan Yusupov was born in Gudermes and he started to write poems and then articles to a local newspaper when he was a pupil. He was admitted to Russias union of writers two years ago. The awarding of the prize to him is considered in the republic a great success of the writer and a weighty achievement of the Chechen journalistic. (more News from Chechnya) 06 January 2003 Vakhit Talgaev new head coach of Terek Vakhit Talgaev has been appointed new head coach of the Grozny football club Terek. Terek has seen many head coaches come and go in two seasons after its revival. General director of the club Roman Sadykov said the task for the first season was to feature in the Russian championship and remind everyone that Terek exists. So, who be the coach did not matter that much. V. Talgaev was a choice in prospect. He used to coach Chechen Erza and advanced it in 1992 to the first division. He had almost made it into the top league but after the team was withdrawn from the championship he moved to Kazakhstan to lead top league squads. The Chechen Minister for sports Haidar Alkhanov and Roman Sadykov have been negotiating with V. Talgaev his stint in Terek for two years. All that time, many football celebrities had their time in the club. Lev Platonov ushered Terek into the season. His track record is running for about 30 years. He was head coach of Smolensk Kristall and made two appearances in the first division. Before Terek, L. Platonov worked along with legendary Konstantin Beskov in Spartak. In summer, L. Platonov gave way to another renowned coach Alexander Koreshkov who earlier led Saratov Sokol. Koreshkovs Terek topped the second division, zone South, and advanced to the first division. When his stint was over, the teams management thanked A. Koreshkov for the good job. V. Talgaev has now returned from his trip to Netherlands where he spent two weeks at the famed Ajax. Late in December, Terek moved to Kislovodsk for the first roadwork slated for January 5 2003. (more News from Chechnya...) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chechen ethnos The invasion of Tamerlane An even more fearsome invader, Tamerlane, followed on the Tartar-Mongols' heels. He had defeated the Golden Horde before making an incursion into the mountainous part of Chechnya and destroying the reviving villages and towns. He did away with the Simsim Khanate of Islamic Chechnya whose ruler, Gayur Khan, was an ally of the Golden Horde. Tamerlane's forces numbered up to half a million fighting men. But in Chechnya Tamerlane met with stiff resistance. And it was only after several attacks by his hundredfold stronger forces that Tamerlane managed to seize control of the mountainous villages. That is why in Chechnya the Lame Timur - Tamerlane - was cruel as never before. He turned the hostilities into a regular bloodbath. Villages were burnt down and razed to the ground both on the plains and in the mountainous part of Chechnya.The ancestors of today's Chechens would not bow down to the invaders. But to fight off Genghiz Khan's and Tamerlane's hosts, they had to bring to perfection their system of defensive installations. The highest density of population, the lack of arable land forced them to take advantage of every mountain slope and every small plateau. They had gained experience in terracing the reclaimable land. They brought soil and humus to their terraced fields and kitchen gardens.Dwelling and defensive towers made of mountain rock, as well as the multitiered crypts of more than 500 "cities of the dead," can still be seen in the mountainous part of Chechnya. Magnificent monuments of architecture are located in the Argunski, Assinski and Dzherakhovski Canyons, and in the environs of the high-altitude lakes of Kazenoi-Am and Galanchozh. (more ... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=etneng&row=11) Chechen culture Traditional Folk Arts THE HISTORY OF CHECHEN WEAPONS There are many things that life in the mountains taught Chechens. They are excellent huntsmen, soldiers, fortification builders and armourers. The earliest Chechen arms were made of stone and wood. Sharp-pointed and round stones were catapulted by means of a sling from high fortress towers. Long-range offensive weapons included the so-called "javelin-thrower". This pure Chechen invention consisted of a pair of wild goat's sabre-shaped horns fixed on a wooden stand with leather belts or goat tendons stretched between their ends. For close combat the Chechens had clubs, leather-covered shields and chain mails. Projectile wooden weapons such as bows, arrows and spears were made of hornbeam. Growing in abundance in Caucasian forests, the hornbeam tree was considered sacred and was not allowed in construction. Young shoots were used for making arrows. Flat-shaped and feathered, they were shot from a huge, heavy two-string composite bow with horn on the belly and sinew on the back, the shaft often wrapped in leather. Shooting from such a bow at a galloping speed requred strength, sharpsight and coordination of a horseman. Chechens were expert in archery. Arrows and bows were used until the early 18th century. With the appearance of metal the Chechens became famous for their sabres, cavalry swords and daggers. A folk saying "a sabre as fierce as a bear" stems from an ancient steel-tempering technology in which bear's fat was used. The secrets of steel-tempering were strictly guarded and passed from father to son. Here is one of them: a white-hot steel plate attached to a long rope was thrown into a precipice and then lifted quickly. The friction of steel against air was said improve its quality. It took an armourer and an apprentice some two weeks to make a dagger and more than month to make a sabre. Daggers were especially popular. They were used in combat, labour, hunting and even dancing. Before the Caucasian war daggers were not very sharp. A soldier who stubbed an enemy with a dagger was considered a poor fighter. In defense Chechens were as inventive as they were virtuosos in the production of assault armory. Khalkhan - a metal bear-spear half a meter in length, with a thick wooden haft - was a specifically Chechen means of defense the object of which was to catch and break the sword of the enemy. It was also used as a support stand for a flint gun. The Chechens were very proud of their weapons. They adorned their houses with sabres and guns, hanging them on a carpeted wall for everyone to see. Even poor men preferred to have high-quality weapons. EXCERPTS FROM THE LATEST BOOK ABOUT TRADITIONAL CHECHEN ARMS The following are excerpts from 'Chechen Arms'. This lifetime work of Isa Askhabov is a comprehensive encyclopedia on the subject, with hundreds of references and at least as many illustrations captioned in Russian and English. SHASHKA It's a kind of sword.The name of it derives from the Chechen word 'sashkho', which means 'a long knife'. A good shashka is feather-light, vine-flexible and razor-sharp. The most prized shashka types are 'gurda', 'kaldam' and 'ters-maimal' ('little wolf'). Such weapons were highly valued by Russian army officers in the Caucasus as well as local Chechens and Cossacks. An outstanding specimen was the object of envy and sometimes of armed contest for the possession of it. A 19th-century Russian writer describes instances when dozens died in fierce fights over the dead body of the last owner of a really good shashka sword. The 'little wolf' is so flexible it can be placed into a 40-centimetre sieve. Taking it out without suffering harm is a challenge indeed. 'The waking of a Chechen wolf' is the traditional name of the exercise. DAGGER A fragment from a poem by Alexander Pushkin in the epigraph describes the dagger as the ultimate judge and custodian of freedom.Archaeologists keep digging up two types: the polished and the burnished, both up to 60 centimeters long and up to 9 centimeters wide. Over the 19th century, the dagger grew much smaller and lighter as its combat role diminished and habits changed. The blade, however, remained superb.A good Chechen dagger could cut blacksmith's tongs in two.A 19th-century ethnographer reports discovering a dagger with one of its sides like a saw. This saw, he says, could cut tempered steel. The late 19th-century arms maker Talkhig forged daggers from British sewing-machine needles. Each remained easily discernible in the finished product, as if the maker had only covered them all with a layer of varnish.An outstanding dagger could change hands for several dozen sheep.The villages of Bolshiye Atagi and Maliye Atagi were clusters of smithies turning out daggers and swords (in detail ... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=ctradeng&row=3) Copyright CHECHNYA FREE.RU http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=news.media.chechnyafree http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com