It’s just a feeling really. Call it a hunch. Call it empirical guesswork.
World Chechnya Day is intended to commemorate the dignity and resiliance of a people who, against all odds, refused to be erased from existence.
On 23 February 1944, Stalin ordered the deportation of the entire Chechen and Ingush population to Central Asia. More than half of the 500,000 people who were to be forcibly transported died in transit or in massacres committed by Soviet troops. Those who survived the journey were left facing starvation and disease in the harsh winters of Siberia and Central Asia.
Within days an entire people had been erased from the land of their ancestors. Overnight Chechnya and Ingushetia were emptied of their native inhabitants, and every reference to Chechnya was removed from official maps, records and encyclopaedias.
In 2004, sixty years after the event, the European Parliament passed a motion that recognised this catastrophe as Genocide.
23rd February is World Chechnya Day. It is a day that few are aware of and yet none should forget.
Wow, 60 years to recognise the death of thousands and thousands of people as a genocide.
Talk about erasing history.
But you know what’s strange? Between 1994 and 2004 about 200,000 civilians were killed in Chechnya, 20,000 of them children. Maybe even more.
I wonder, how long will it take the world to recognise what’s going on NOW as a genocide?
Still fighting for recognition, still fighting for independence.
This day will pass unnoticed.
Read:
– “Memories of a Day No One Should Forget” from the Washington Post
– Want to know more about the Conflict?
it almost did.
Because I’m a Chechen, I really appreciate you putting this up.
Unfortunately, the genocide is still going on. Either people ignore it or they don’t know about it.
Alot of events are organized for this day, but unfortunately, there aren’t any where i live.
Again, thanks for writing about Chechnya!
Oh interesting, Today I was looking on the net for Chechenya News, because I heard nothing of its latest political status and more. I was a bit worried. I searched and found no news on it, nothing at all. Then suddenly I came to this blog and saw this post, it’s like I felt there’s something special about Chechnya tattooed this date in history.
P.S I am a regular visitor to this blog, 3 times a week at least.
Salam.
Thank for the reminder Black Iris!
What is happening in Chechnya and other parts of the world is a distressing and heartbreaking reality. The mainstream media doesnâ??t care enough to expose these injustices since it doesnâ??t serve their political agendas. It is up for ordinary people to do something about it.
Thank you for reminding us about this heartwrenching tragedy…Chechens are still facing a lot injustice today but unfortunately it’s not important enough for world leaders or the msm to be discussing it.
Hey…ur really Jordanian…BooooOm weve missed that.
i have known chechen ppl for long time ..
if you became thier friend you ll now what chechen ppl are ..
you will know how much couragous ppl they are ..
you will how much repectable ppl they are ..
you ll be amazed by thier traditions and values ..
those ppl suffered from centuries ..
those ppl will never give up .. they have pride they have honor ..
they are noah nation .. noxchi ..
god bless you all chechens ..
If it weren’t for courageous individuals like Anna Politkovskaya, the world would have never knew about the suffering of the Chechens.