The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue 78 21.03.03 Actual News from Chechnya News update Chechen women support Putins address Frants Klintsevich, deputy leader of the Yedinstvo (Unity) faction in the State Duma and head of the United Russia party organisation in the Chechen Republic has told RIA Novosti that a congress of Chechen women supported President Putin's position on Iraq and his televised address in connection with the March 23rd referendum in Chechnya. Klintsevich said that a congress of Chechen women had been held in Gudermes on Thursday on the initiative of United Russia. About 200 women took part in the event, which is equal to about 10 women from every Chechen region. Klistevich said that a statement was adopted at the congress in which those attending demonstrated their support for the president's position on Iraq and expressed their condolences for that country's women, whose close ones have suffered as a result of the US military operation that started on Thursday. Those attending the congress also backed the president's call for Chechnya's citizens to take part in the March 23rd referendum and do everything possible to ensure that the vote is held, Klintsevich pointed out. more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=Moseng) Chechen Premier: War in Iraq will not affect adoption of Chechnyas Constitution The beginning of military action in Iraq will not affect the March 23 referendum in Chechnya, the Chechen government's press service quoted Premier of Chechnya Anatoly Popov as saying. "War in Iraq will not affect the adoption of our republican Constitution, a vital issue for our people," said Popov. He added that he was convinced the referendum would take place and people would take part in it. In advance of the referendum, Popov keeps touring the republic's districts. According to RIA Novosti, on Thursday, Popov paid visits to the districts of Urus-Martan, Achkhoi-Martan, and Sunzha. Practically all the districts are ready for the referendum, he said. (more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=Moseng) Chechen history Chechnya | Questions and answers To Reader This pamphlet is about Chechnya , a Russian territory which has witnessed the most tragic events over the past decade. The book is the latest update on the Chechen Republic . And this is very important, since a lack of fresh and accurate information about events in Chechnya generates many distorted conceptions and rumours - both within and outside Russia . For example, that Chechen society is allegedly inherently alien to Russia , that pro-Russian elements in the republic are marginalised; and lastly, that Russian power structures are fighting the Chechen people, rather than armed bandit groups. The reality, however, is that only with the return of the legitimate authorities are villages and towns being restored, children going to school for the first time in many years, and pensioners receiving long-forgotten pensions, i.e. a social rebirth is underway. Lying ahead are a referendum on a new Chechen constitution, and parliamentary and presidential elections. These votes will be held, despite continued attempts by bandit groups and their leaders to scupper the process of normalisation in the republic, the latest terrorist act being the bombing of the republican government building. The war being waged by Chechen separatists against federal forces and more often than not against their own co-citizens is by no means a "national liberation struggle of the Chechen people", but an episode in the overall offensive by international terrorism on the fundamental principles of modern civilisation. The facts show that being a part of the Russian Federation in no way threatens the Chechen Republic 's cultural identity, the free use of its own language, and preaching Islam. On the contrary, it was during de facto "independence" from Russia that the Chechen people suffered a humanitarian tragedy on an unprecedented scale. Hostage-taking, the slave trade and plundering came to form the economic basis of the new regime, while chaos and war became the form of its political existence. We want to emphasise once more: Chechnya is part of Russia , geographically, politically and civilisation-wise. So a hypothetical triumph of radical Islamism on its territory would be anti-historical. Such a development would signify the establishment in the midst of Europe of a Taliban-like regime, with all ensuing consequences for the international community. The corporate author - journalists of the Russian Information Agency Novosti - have attempted to be as brief as possible on providing answers to the most-often asked questions (above all posed by a foreign audience) about the Chechen issue. Hence the book's title: " Chechnya : Questions and Answers". It draws heavily on information provided by various Russian ministries and departments that in one or another way are involved in normalising life in the republic. Russian Information Agency Novosti (in detail ... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?section=answerseng&lng=eng) Chechen ethnos Chechens as an ethnic group The legend of the ascent of Mount Tebulos-Mta Mount Tebulos-Mta, 4512 meters above sea level, is situated in the south-eastern part of the territory now occupied by Chechnya and Ingushetia. Chechens know a lot of legends pertaining to the ascent of the peak. Here is one of them. On learning about enemy hordes on horseback looming over their territory as if black clouds covering the sun in foul weather, tribes living in the south-eastern mountains decided to retreat to areas inaccessible to the enemy. They inspected all surrounding gorges and mountains but found no place good enough for routing the enemy. The elders unanimously came to the conclusion that the best place to hide from the enemy was Mount Tebulos-Mta, from where Chechens would make a sudden descent and wipe out the Tatars. They chose the most experienced and fearless of hunters mountain climbers, who knew the approaches to the peak. After preparing long ropes made of horsehair, 12 young Chechens led by the 50-year-old hunter Idyg went to search for the easiest ascent route. At first, they inspected Tebulos-Mta from where the sun rises, that is, from the east. But there they saw cliffs and glaciers. (more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=etneng&row=8) Chechnya: news | arguments | facts 21 Mart 2003 Peace through the eyes of Chechen artists An exhibition of Chechen artists has opened in the nationalities house in Moscow as part of the Days of Chechen culture in the Russian capital. It comes under the aegis of the Moscow committee for cross-regional relations of the nationalities policy, the Moscow nationalities house and the Chechen center Culture of peace and non-violence. The display features works by Chechen artists of various generations: Amandi Asukhanov, Azamat Abaskhanov, Movladi Gatsiev, Mikhail Reutov, Hasan Sidiev, Ilyas Tataev, Ruslan Tumliev and many others. Most works are landscapes and still life. Light and harmony are the general air about the paintings even though they were created in hard times for the Chechen republic. Many of these paintings were created during the war. Nevertheless, they are life-asserting, bright and optimistic. They fit in the atmosphere of a holiday that we wanted to invoke for Muscovites and visitors from all across Russia in the days of the festival of Chechen culture, writer Said-Hamzat Nunuev said at the opening of the exhibition. These paintings will be available not only to residents of Moscow but also to those of Yaroslavl and Mahachkala. There is an agreement with mayors of these cities to arrange Days of Chechen culture there. (more News from Chechnya http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) 20 Mart 2003 The work of builders and physicians in Chechnya Life in Chechnya is gradually returning to normal. But this has not led to the reduction of the number of patients! Many health facilities have yet to be rebuilt. This is the reason why the Chechen physicians have to treat much more patients than other doctors in Russian regions. The work of builders is very important for Chechen doctors. There is a shortage of builders and physicians in both cities and rural areas in the republic. The clinical hospital No. 1 in Grozny is one of the best-equipped health facilities in the republic. It has four wards, cancer, surgical, orthopedic and gynecological. The builders plan to commission another two buildings by the end of the year and the hospital administration hopes to open a diagnosis ward in one of them. Patients get therapeutic and surgical treatments in the leading cancer ward. Since the ward was has no equipment for radiation therapy yet patients are being sent to other Russian regions. The hospital has qualified oncologists. Among these doctors are Professor Umkanov, a leading oncologist not only in Chechnya but also in the North Caucasus and Roza Malaeva, the former chief physician at the republican ontological centre. The first stage of the new district hospital was commissioned in the mountainous Nozhai-Yurt district in March and it has surgical and maternity wards. The Chechen Prime Minister Anatoly Popov considers the opening of a maternity ward is extremely important because the district has the highest birth rate, 28 babies for one thousand women. The ward has 40 beds. The surgical ward has two sections; one for emergency operations and the other for planned ones. It has room for 50 patients. The construction of the hospital will be completed in autumn. It is equipped with local equipment produced in St. Petersburg, which are as good as imported ones. (more News from Chechnya... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) 19 Mart 2003 Chechnya's farming complex gets 150 mln rubles The Chechen agroindustrial complex has received 150 mln more rubles in gift from the reserve fund of the Russian government. Chechen deputy prime minister Dukuvakhi Abdurakhmanov says all this sum will be spent on spring sowing. Sixty million rubles will be spent on mineral fertilizers and pesticides, 43 mln - on seeds, about 40 mln - on fuel and lubricants and about 10 mln - on spare parts for the agricultural machinery. Chechnya took in a bumper crop of grain - 350,000 tons - last year. Abdurakhmanov expects it to harvest at least as much this year and says that this year's crop of technical cultures will exceed last year's. Chechnya put in operation 6 food factories and 2 canneries last year. The number of its food processing plants is expected to rise to 20 before the end of 2003. The federal ministry of farming and the Chechen Administration sealed a cooperation agreement in Grozny on March 12. Federal deputy prime minister Aleksei Gordeyev and the head of the Chechen Administration Ahmad Kadyrov put their signatures under that document. Gordeyev pledged effective support to the agroindustrial complex of Chechnya which is capable of giving jobs to two thirds of able-bodied Chechens. Gordeyev feels that Chechnya may, within a few years, be able to meet its own demand for food. (more News from Chechnya... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=§ion=diaryeng) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. The historical dispute between Shamil and Kunta-Khadzhi ended in a crush of the mountaineers centuries-old resistance to the immeasurably strong conqueror. Shamil, who had brought about the concept of gazavat or holy war, became a guest of honour of the Russian tsar and spent the rest of his life in Mecca. Kunta-Khadzhi, an advocate of submission, peace, good will and justice, was arrested with the consent of Tsar Alexander II in winter in 1864 and experienced in full what it was like to be an ordinary criminal in the jails of Novocherkassk and Ustyuzhino. St.Kunta-Khadzhi was tortured by loneliness, hunger and cold. The sheikhs letters, which never reached his family, testify to severe trials all of which he stood humbly and with dignity. In the above work Vakhid Akaev writes: Born into a poor Chechen family, on a territory conquered by the Russian Empire, he did all he could to establish spiritual brotherhood and social justice and put his whole heart into the cause. Success in combating social evil, as he saw it, could come not from the use of force, but from moral purification, elevation and mutual support among the mountaineers, the eternal search for God. The sheikhs ascetic lifestyle, his profound piety and desire to alleviate peoples sufferings drew Chechens that had suffered most in the war to his side. As for the attitude of tsarist dignitaries and the tsar himself, it was different from that to Shamil Unlike Shamil Kunta-Khadzhi was not a warrior and did not perform any feats of arms. He is a peace-maker, a saint and his deeds lie in the spiritual sphere. He recognizes one power the power of God. Hence there could be no leniency towards Kunta-Khadzhi on the part of rich and mighty. For the tsarist regime people with Kunta-Khadzhis outlook were much more dangerous than Shamil. The tsarist authorities looked on Kunta-Khadzhi as a fanatic, criminal and trouble-maker inciting people to serving God, and not the ruling classes. Hence official tsarist documents classed him as a political criminal, a fanatic, for he was seeking a righteous society calling for justice and life according to the laws of conscience and suffered to the point of self-torture feeling so keenly about peoples sins. Followers of Kunta-Khadzhi have never acknowledged his death in a belief that he went into hiding and will make a come-back, thereby recognizing him as Mahdi (the last Messiah, successor of prophet Muhammad, God bless Him). Even in the most tragic times for Chechen people Sheikh Kunta-Khadzhi relentlessly called for mutual assistance and charity. In India he would undoubtedly have been given the name of Mahatma or Teacher, and in Chechnya he is known as Evliya, which means Saint. He is not just a saint, but a saint, who suffered for new philosophy, new outlook. more... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng§ion=religioneng&row=3) Chechen cuisine "The Chechens, like the rest of the highlanders, avoid extremes in their eating and drinking habits. What they usually eat is chureks or corn bread with mutton lard spread on it, and wheat stew with lard in it; water is their basic refreshment." "...Unleavend wheat or barley bread baked on charcoal, milk and cheese constitute their daily menu; meat is eaten, very rarely, by the richest of the Chechens." That was written about the Chechen eating habits in the 19th century. And it was not until the late 19th century that many vegetables grown in Europe - tomatoes, cabbage, radish - had found their way to the kitchen gardens of mountainous Chechnya. Chechen farming units have, since times immemorial, been self-sufficient, with only spices and sweetmeats being bought at the market. And, although they have become familiar with the cuisines of many other ethnic communities, the Chechen women cherish the very special culinary traditions of their own. (in detail ... http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?section=kitcheneng&lng=eng) 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