* Protesta formale della RF di Jugoslavia per il comportamento dei
soldati KFOR durante le perquisizioni a Mitrovica
* Scambio di accuse tra RF di Jugoslavia e NATO ("The Times of
India"/Reuters)
* Pesanti critiche dalla Cina all'atteggiamento di KFOR/UNMIK in Kosmet
* Comunicato del Partito Democratico della Serbia sull'appoggio
statunitense all'irredentismo panalbanese
* Italia: Comunicato di Voce Operaia sulla situazione a Mitrovica
* C'ERANO UNA VOLTA... "Circassians in Kosovo Polje in the Yugoslav
Federation" - storia sconosciuta di una delle comunita' nazionali
spazzate via dal Kosmet per mano dell'UCKFOR
---
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
YUGOSLAVIA LODGES SHARP PROTEST WITH UN SECURITY COUNCIL
Yugoslavia lodged a sharp protest with the United Nations Security
Council late Monday on the occasion of the latest dramatic developments
in Kosovska Mitrovica which have been caused by ethnic Albanian
terrorists, but also members of the international force KFOR with their
arrogant behavour and brutal action of house-searching Serb districts of
this town in Serbia's Kosovo province.
The letter, sent to Security Council President Arnoldo Listre, the
Argentinian Ambassador, by the head of the Yugoslav mission to the
United Nations, Ambassador Vladislav Jovanovic, most strongly protested
and demanded that the council take immediate measures toward a
normalization of the situation in this town, immediately to curb the
terrorism of ethnic Albanians, vandalism, and lynching and liquidation
of Serbs and other non-Albanians.
The very course of events and building up of tensions confirm that this
is a pre-conceived action in which ethnic Albanians of Kosovska
Mitrovica, led by terrorists of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army,
were joined by thousands of ethnic Albanians who arrived from Pristina,
the letter said.
It is perfectly clear that the concentrated attack was planned with the
objective of banishing Serbs, Montenegrins, Goranians, Muslims of Slav
extraction, and ethnic Turks from Kosovska Mitrovica, the only remaining
multi-national and multi-confessional town in Kosovo, in order to
complete the process of ethnic cleansing of non-Albanians who live in
isolation in enclaves in this Serbian province, said the letter.
Yugoslavia has already warned the Security Council on previous occasions
against the fiasco and inability of KFOR and UNMIK to realize their
obligations stemming from Resolution 1244, as well as the
Military-Technical Agreement.
In spite of Yugoslavia's warning and the fact that most of the Serb and
non-Albanian population have already been banished from Kosovo,
witnessed by these very same security forces and the civilian mission,
the KFOR and UNMIK have not only failed to do anything to prevent the
terrorism of ethnic Albanians and acts of vandalism, but have very often
been accomplices in these heinous acts.
The latest aggravation of the situation in Kosovska Mitrovica is due to
the totally unprovoked arrogant behaviour of KFOR towards Serbs in that
town, said the letter, proceeding to describe the destructive and brutal
behaviour of KFOR U.S. and German troops who broke down doors and
windows on schools and private houses in their house-search.
The action had evidently been planned in advance. U.S. troops arrived
from Gnjilane, and among them were ethnic Albanians in KFOR U.S.
uniforms, who were recognized by the local population.
Press representatives also appeared to be on the spot, reporting in
Albanian, as well as several crew of foreign TV stations. Leaflets were
dropped from a helicopter, urging Serbs to surrender their allegedly
concealed weapons.
The latest abuse of the about 4,500 Serbs in Kosovska Mitrovica is yet
more proof of the political double standards of the KFOR mission, warned
the letter sent by Yugoslavia to the Security Council.
---
Times of India
Wednesday 23 February 2000
Belgrade dismisses West's allegations on Kosovo
By Julijana Mojsilovic
BELGRADE: Yugoslavia dismissed Western officials' allegations that it
was stoking tensions in and around Kosovo and accused them on Tuesday of
supporting Albanian "terrorists" in the province.
"These people are behind the terrorism and separatism of Kosovo
Albanians. They have created the Kosovo Liberation Army and a crisis in
the Balkans to expand NATO to the region," Yugoslav Information Minister
Goran Matic said.
He was speaking a day after battles broke out between Western
peacekeepers and rioters when thousands of ethnic Albanians tried to
storm across a bridge in the centre of the flashpoint Kosovo city of
Mitrovica to reach the province's largest remaining Serb enclave.
On Sunday, NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping troops clashed with Mitrovica's
Serbs, angered by the troops' search of homes for weapons following
shootings and grenade attacks which killed nine people, both Serbs and
Albanians.
Richard Holbrooke, US ambassador to the UN, said in New York on Monday
that trouble was being fomented by the Yugoslav government, which was
forced by last year's NATO air war to surrender control of Kosovo.
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said on Monday the military
alliance was also monitoring a Yugoslav troop build-up in other ethnic
Albanian areas of southern Serbia and would not tolerate a new conflict
there.
NATO Supreme Commander General Wesley Clark, visiting Albania, also
expressed concern about the area.
Matic counterattacked by accusing Holbrooke, Robertson and Clark of
wanting to expel remaining Serbs from Mitrovica in order to gain control
of a mine near the city, saying they were "in a gold rush".
"The three are demanding from ethnic Albanians to expel the remaining
non-Albanians from Mitrovica in order to get hold of the richest gold
mine in the Balkans," Matic said.
But it would not succeed, he said, adding that "Serbia is not
California".
He was referring to the Trepca lead and zinc mining complex, which
exploits ore also containing gold and silver. The complex is situated
north of Mitrovica in a Serb-dominated area. Serbia still controls four
of some 17 Trepca mines in Kosovo.
"These people are now doing everything to cover up their crimes," Matic
said of the leaders of NATO countries which took part in the
March-to-June air campaign against Belgrade.
The state news agency Tanjug reported that Yugoslavia lodged a sharp
protest with the UN Security Council late on Monday. "Yugoslavia has
already warned the Security Council on previous occasions against the
fiasco and inability of KFOR and the UN mission in Kosovo to realise
their obligations stemming from resolution 1244 as well as the
Military-Technical Agreement," it quoted the Yugoslav letter as saying.
(Reuters)
---
www.serbia-info.com/news
"Jiefan Jun Bao": West stirs ethnic Albanians up against Serbs
February 23, 2000
Concern for escalation of violation in Kosovo and
Metohija
Beijing, February 22nd - Chinese military daily
"Jiefan Jun Ban" condemned today "incapability of KFOR
and UNMIK in Kosovo" and appealed to the world
community to "prevent ethnic Albanian terrorism under
the auspices of the UN".
Reacting to "the latest separatist actions of ethnic
Albanian separatists in Kosovo, the military daily
warned that "West deliberately stirs up anger of
ethnic Albanians towards the Serbs in
Kosovo-Metohija".
"It is necessary to create the conditions for
political solution of Kosovo issue with full respect
of sovereignty and territorial integrity of FRY and
consistent implementation of the UN Security Council's
Resolution 1244", stressed today Chinese
representative for press Ju Ban Tzao, referring to the
latest wave of crime in Kosovo.
"It is obvious that the situation in Kosovo has
deteriorated since the arrival of the UN military and
civil mission last June", stated Ju, stressing this
was preceded by the NATO aggression against
Yugoslavia, headed by the US.
"The use of force against sovereign Yugoslavia not
only violated the UN Charter and the principles of the
international standards, but also turned out to be
utterly dangerous example of interference with the
interior business of a sovereign country" stated Ju,
expressing "China's deep concern regarding the
escalation of violence in Kosovo".
The military daily points out that "the inclined
policy of KFOR and UNMIK exerted pressure on Serbs and
supported ethnic Albanian extremists which created
additional tension in Kosovo".
"Tolerant attitude of KFOR and UNMIK towards extreme
ethnic Albanians now returns as a boomerang to the UN
military and civil mission in Kosovo" says Jiefan Jun
Bao, reminding that terrorist organization KLA is not
disarmed, but only transformed into so-called "Kosovo
Protective Corps".
"The world community insists on the fact that Kosovo
is an inseparable part of Yugoslavia, which
additionally enraged ethnic Albanian extremists due to
their separatist idea on independent Kosovo",
emphasizes the military paper.
Jiefan Jun Bao reminds that Yugoslavia has warned the
UN that the attacks of ethnic Albanian terrorists to
date have already caused tragic consequences and
victims in Kosovo.
Yugoslavia demands that the Security Council urgently
takes most energetic measures in order to immediately
stop the attacks on unprotected Serb population, says
Jiefan Jun Bao.
Bias of West and incapability of KFOR and UNMIK must
change fundamentally their transparent attitude and
consistently implement the Security Council's
Resolution 1244, otherwise they will face a dead-end
situation in inflamed Kosovo, warns the military
paper.
---
>
>Right-and Albright was just in Tirana on February 19 to meet with
>Hashim Thaci.
>http://news.excite.com/photo/img/r/albania/usa/20000219/tir09
>
>
>inf-@... wrote:
>original article:http://www.egroups.com/group/sorabia/?start=3307
>> Albright, Holbrooke and Clark Lead Albanians
>>
>> NATO and Washington have been warning for days that a solution to the
>> problem in Kosovska Mitrovica must be found. Since the exodus of more
>than
>> 200,000 Serbs and the harassment of those who remained in the
>province
>> resolved the Kosovo issue, Washington believes that the only thing to
>be
>> done is to cleanse the last significant Serb enclave by expelling the
>Serbs
>> from Mitrovica. It is important to note that the Mitrovica enclave is
>the
>> one linking Kosovo with the rest of Serbia. Washington is apparently
>> determined to carry out a U.S. plan in which only an ethnically
>"pure,"
>> Albanian Kosovo can be considered truly multi-ethnic.
>>
>> For that purpose, an Albanian march on Mitrovica was organised. Just
>like it
>> promoted several Albanian terrorists and criminals to high-ranking
>military
>> officers and diplomats in Rambouillet only to demilitarise them later
>and
>> turn them into commanders, political leaders and state dignitaries,
>> Washington has now decided to head the Albanian march on Mitrovica.
>Its true
>> goal is to ethnically cleanse the town of the Serbs rather than
>liberate it.
>>
>> The Albanian masses involved in the campaign on Mitrovica were not
>led by
>> Albanian criminal politicians like Hashim Thaqi, but rather the very
>top of
>> the U.S. diplomatic and military elite. After all that happened in
>Kosovo
>> before the eyes of the whole wide word, Madeleine Albright termed as
>> "tragedy" the events in Mitrovica only. Richard Holbrooke said that
>> Mitrovica was the hottest spot in Europe, and Wesley Clark guaranteed
>that
>> NATO would take "appropriate measures" to avoid the final division of
>> Mitrovica. Thereby, the trio making Washington's iron fist confirmed
>that it
>> was behind the Albanian march and barbarism of U.S. soldiers of KFOR
>in the
>> north of Mitrovica. Tomorrow, it can easily support another "Flash"
>or
>> "Storm" thanks to which Mitrovica would no longer be a divided town.
>To say
>> the truth, it would be a Serbless town, just like the whole of Kosovo
>after
>> all. Those on the Serb side failing to see this are both politically
>blind
>> and irresponsible.
>>
>> Belgrade, February 22, 2000
>>
>> Information Service of the Democratic Party of Serbia
>>
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Group Moderator: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.
>page at http://www.egroups.com/list/sorabia
>for more informations about current situation in Serbia
http://www.sorabia.home.dhs.org
>
>
---
Comunicato di VOCE OPERAIA
22 febbraio
Uno spettacolo raccapricciante si è consumato a Kosovska Mitrovica sotto
gli occhi di chi li aveva aperti. Issando bandiere albanesi, Nato, UE, e
USA, i seguaci dell¹UCK (frazione Taci) hanno inscenato una marcia per
sradicare dal Kosovo non soli i serbi, ma tutte quelle minoranze,
nazionali e politiche, che rifiutano l¹albanizzazione forzata. Non si
tratta soltanto di ³pulizia etnica², abbiamo a che fare con una pulizia
sociale e politica, di una rappresaglia fanatica dal chiaro segno
reazionario e filo-occidentale. Ci vengono in mente tutti quei pagliacci
di sinistra che durante i bombardamenti NATO, con la scusa di difendere
i diritti albanesi, hanno sostenuto l¹UCK come legittima forza di
liberazione nazionale considerando, proprio come i regimi imperialisti,
il governo di Belgrado come il nemico numero uno. Allora dicevamo a
questo signori che la maggioranza degli albanesi del Kosovo, volenti o
no, erano un popolo di Crumiri (Crumiri, per chi non lo sapesse, erano
qui tunisini schierati coi colonialisti francesi durante la lotta per
l¹indipendenza) i quali, se avessero avuto la meglio, non avrebbero
affatto costruito un Nazione, ma un casino coloniale sotto diretto
protettorato NATO. Questi signori hanno avuto il ben servito.
Lo diciamo così, tanto per la cronaca, non perché speriamo in un loro
ripensamento. L¹autocritica non presuppone solo l¹intelligenza, ma
l¹onestà intellettuale, qualità che hanno lasciato sfracellare al suolo,
assieme alle bombe all¹uranio impoverito sganciate sulla Iugoslavia dai
bombardieri occidentali.
Dichiarazione di Voce Operaia
Sin dal giugno scorso, subito dopo gli Accordi di pace di Kumanovo, le
milizie dell¹UCK, sotto l¹ombrello e l¹indifferenza delle truppe
NATO-Kfor, hanno dato una sistematica caccia ai cittadini serbi, rom,
gorani (e albanesi anti-UCK), provocando la loro espulsione in massa dal
Kosovo. Questa vendetta, che ha gia¹ provocato centinaia di morti
e migliaia di feriti, contrariamente a quanto affermano i reticenti e
pudici mass media, non e¹ soltanto una ³pulizia etnica², èla seconda
fase della guerra civile che contrappone il nazionalismo kosovaro
filo-NATO e filo-USA a TUTTI coloro che si rifiutano di sottomettersi
alla supremazia dei nazionalisti più fanatici e di trasformare il
Kosovo e la Iugoslavia in protettorati della NATO.
Costretti a vivere in piccole enclaves, i serbi sono stati costretti,
anche a causa della complicita¹ delle truppe occidentali con i miliziani
dell¹UCK, ad autodifendersi per non soccombere. Nelle ultime settimane
la pressione dei nazionalisti albanesi oltranzisti si è concentrata su
Kosovska Mitrovica dove vivono, nel settore nord, assieme alla comunità
serba, rom, albanesi e altre minoranze. Queste comunita¹ dopo essere
state sottoposte ad ogni tipo di vessazione e umiliazione, sono state
fatte bersaglio di attacchi armati sanguinosi che hanno causato, nelle
ultime settimane, decine di morti. Le truppe Kfor hanno lasciato correre
e sono intervenute in forze solo quando gruppi armati serbi hanno
inflitto colpi pesantissimi alle forze UCK decidendo la chiusura del
ponte che collega le due parti della citta¹. La comunita¹ serba non
puo¹ essere lasciata sola: piaccia o no essa e¹ ora un avamposto non
solo cotro l¹UCK, ma pure contro l¹occupante NATO!
E¹ una trincea nella lotta contro l¹imperialismo!
Intenzionati a spazzare via ogni serbo dal Kosovo, i centri dirigenti
dell¹UCK dell¹ala di Taci, da Pristina, hanno cosi¹ ordinato una marcia
su Kosovska Mitrovica con l¹obbiettivo di occupare la parte nord della
citta¹. I manifestanti, tanto per far capire con chi stanno e in chi
sperano, innalzavano numerose bandiere degli USA, della NATO e della
Gran Bretagna e gridavano slogan invocando un piu¹ deciso impegno
nord-americano in Kosovo per fare piazza pulita dei serbi.
Nel momento in cui la marcia si avvicinava a Kosovska Mitrovica, le
truppe NATO sono state poste nella massima allerta, anche perche¹ quelle
iugoslave avevano fatto altrettanto ammassandosi ai bordi del Kosovo. Le
notizie dell¹ultima ora segnalano che la marcia degli albanesi,
attestatasi sul ponte oltre il quale centinaia di serbi formavano un
presidio, ha fatto dietrofront anche grazie all¹interposizione delle
truppe NATO-Kfor. Il peggio e¹ stato dunque per ora evitato. Ma solo
per ora.
E¹ infatti evidente che in Kosovo la NATO non ha mantenuto alcuna sua
promessa: non c¹è pace, non c¹è alcuna convivenza,
non c¹è alcuna tolleranza multietnica. Cio¹ a causa anzitutto del
tentativo degli albanesi UCK di cacciare tutti gli oppositori, tra cui i
serbi. E non ci sara¹ mai fino a quando la NATO continuera¹ a
sostenerli. E¹ infatti nell¹interesse della NATO che il Kosovo sia
ingovernabile, cosi¹ si potra¹ giusitificare un¹occupazione militare
permanente.
E questo e¹ l¹altro fattore devastante: la NATO non vuole rispettare gli
Accordi di pace (che prevedono che il Kosovo sia riconsegnato alle
autorita¹ iugoslave). Cio¹ portera¹ ad una nuova esplosione del
conflitto, poiche¹ il governo di Belgrado, almeno fino a quando non
cadra¹ in mano alle opposizioni filo-occidentali, e¹ deciso a far
rispettare gli accordi del giugno 1999.
Non ci sara¹ pace nei Balcani fino a quando la NATO vorra¹ imporre il
suo dominio!
PRIMO COMPITO:
RISPETTARE GLI ACCORDI DI KUMANOVO! FUORI LA NATO DALLA IUGOSLAVIA E
DAI BALCANI!
Non ci sara¹ pace fino a quando ogni nazione non avrà dignità e il
diritto di autodeterminarsi su basi
democratiche!
SECONDO COMPITO:
AUTODETERMINAZIONE IN UNA FEDERAZIONE ANTIMPERIALISTA!
Ci sara¹ pace solo quando saliranno al potere governi operai e popolari
e tutte le cricche capitaliste
saranno spazzate via!
TERZO COMPITO:
LOTTARE PER IL SOCIALISMO!
(per contatti: voceoperaia@...)
=============================================================
STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
Predrag Tosic <p-tosic@...> wrote
> Meaning, basically, of the same origin as the Basques?
You're right, Predrag. Also, the Iberian, pre-Roman, component is still
present in Spanish and
Portuguese (correct me, João, if I am wrong) languages: sounds as the
typical double /RR/, so
unpronounceable for english speaking people, for example.
>
> Frankly, I did tend to believe that most of the NORTH Caucasus
> indigenous peoples were Turkophonic.
You can have a look to this map, about Ethnography in the North
Caucasus.
http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Marina/6150/ethno.jpg
>
> What other modern nations/ethnos belong to this group?
You can find Circassians (Cherkess) in Jordan (they are becoming a
powerful lobby group) and
Syria, but no longer in places as Kosovo Polje because they were forced
to leave to the Republic of
Adigeya (their ancestral homeland), inside Russian Federation, "thanks"
Albanian terrorism.
>
I enclose a pretty good article from a good Jordan friend.
------------------------
Circassians in Kosovo Polje in the Yugoslav Federation
The following article was extracted from "Les Tcherkesses du Kosovo
Polje en Yougoslavie" by
Niko Zupanic in The Journal of The International Institute of
Anthropology, the Paris session, first
section. It was translated and edited by Amjad Jaimoukhaf, a Circassian
intellectual from Jordan.
The ethnographers and historians are aware that the homeland of the
Circassians is along the
basin of the Kuban river in Ciscaucasia. They inhabited the
north-western part of the Caucasus.
The Circassians were divided into many tribes that spoke mutually
intelligible dialects:
Natuqwazh, Shapsugh, Abzakh, Bzhadugh, Hatuqwai, Beslanay, Mokhosh,
Temirgoy, Zhanay,
Egherukoy, Ubykh and Kabarday.
Their collective name was probably corrupted by the Turks from the
ancient Greek name
'kerxetai'. In the middle ages, the Russians used to refer to them by
the name Kossogh, which is
related to Kasag, the name by which the Ossetians call the Kabardians,
but also the Circassians
in general. The self designation of the Circassians is Adygha, which is
believed by linguists to be
related to the old name Zyghoy (strabon). It is believed that the
'Iazyghi', who were installed in
the territory between the rivers Tisa (Theiss) and the Danube not long
after the birth of Christ,
were a group of Zyghoy from the Caucasus, which name was transformed in
European Sarmatia by
adding first the prefix a- and then ia-.
The Circassians were until the 13th century a.d. pagan and free. They
were then subjugated by the
Georgians and christianised. In the first half of the 15th century they
overthrew the Georgian yoke,
but they were in continuous battle with the Tatars and they lost their
territory in the north.
Towards the middle of the 16th century the Kuban became their northern
frontier, because in 1570,
Ghirai, the khan of the Tatars, defeated them in a battle on the banks
of middle Kuban and forced
them to embrace Islam. Until that time, the Circassians settlements
stretched northwards to the
river Kama and some scattered groups were even found as far as the mouth
of the don.
The Circassians switched their religious allegiance very easily
according to the circumstances.
They had a superficial knowledge of Christianity and they were a mixture
of semi-pagans,
demi-muslims and some Christians.
The Circassians have always been distinguished by their intrepidity and
equine skills. They strictly
observed a code of hospitality and blood vengeance. The songs and tales
of the east celebrate the
beauty of Circassians maidens.
The Circassians put up a fierce resistance in their war with the
Russians, but they were eventually
defeated in 1864. Many of them were forced to leave their country and
resettle in the ottoman
empire: in Syria, Asia minor and the Balkan peninsula. Only a few
remained in their homeland,
about 110,000 people.
The majority of the Circassians who were established in the Balkan
peninsula were sent by the
ottoman authorities to the frontiers of the ancient duchy of Serbia to
reinforce its position there
and to terrorise the Serbs. During that time the Circassians were
established in Kosovo Polje
where the author visited them in 1924 and 1929. He counted about fifty
families, or about 250
people, for the majority had left for Asia minor and Syria.
The Circassians are very interesting for the Serbs, because the first
bearers of the name Serb
were aboriginal in the Caucasus, probably Circassians who crossed the
don at the time of the great
Sarmatian migration, together with the Ants, the Zichi (Kissi), the
Chorvats, the Vals, etc. They
co-mingled with the Slavs and established the first tribal
organisations. Undoubtedly these
Caucaso-sarmatian horsemen were assimilated in the mass of the Slav
population, but the names
of the tribes and the primitive structure of the state still exist to
this day.
>From their original Slav homeland at the confluence of the upper and middle Dniepr and of the
Pripet and the Boug, the Serbs immigrated to the confluence of the
middle Elbe and the Saale,
whence a group, which had a military organisation, resettled in Illyria
[NOTE from Javier: it's
pathetic the way Kosovo Albanian are trying to fake History, claiming
themselves to be
"descendants of the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Dardanians". See
http://www.unpo.org/member/kosova/kosova.html ] It was probably in 626
a.d., when
Constantinopla was besieged by the Avars and the Persians, that
Hercules, the Byzantine emperor
implored Samo, the Grand Duke of the Slavs, for help. The Croats and the
Serbs moved to the
Balkan peninsula, attacked the Avars from behind, delivered the Slavs
(Yugoslavs) who were
living there and saved Constantinopla, the Byzantine empire and eastern
Christendom.
After defeating the Avars, the Serbs established themselves in the
interior of Illyria at the lower
end of the indigenous Slavs. At their arrival in Illyria, the Serbs
spoke the same language as the
Serbs of Lusace, but being fewer in number than the native population,
they were linguistically
assimilated and they lost their north-west Slavic language.
The Circassians, who used to be one of the three principal nations in
the Caucasus, speak a
Japhetic language, which is not related to any other language group.
This means that they are not
Aryan, since these speak Indo-European languages. They may be allied to
the Basques in the
Pyrenees, who, before the advent of the Indo-Europeans, formed one
section of an organic chain
of related nations that stretched from Spain to the Caucasus. Those
nations were the Iberians, the
Legurs, the Etruscans, the Rets, the Pelasgians (an ancient pre-Aryan
race, which used to be
widely spread over the coasts and islands of the eastern Mediterranean
and Aegean, and believed
to have occupied Greece before the Hellenes), the Kars, the
Cappadochians, the Amazons (a race
of female warriors alleged to have existed in Scythia) , the Khalybs,
the Colchians, etc. These
peoples were violently replaced by the Indo-Europeans.
The circassians in Kosovo Polje are to be found in the following
villages: Gornje Stanovce, Donje
Stanovce, Velika Reka and Milosevo. Before the Turko-Serbian war of
1877-1878, there were
about 12,000 Circassians in the region. After the war the overwhelming
majority immigrated to
Syria and Asia minor. In 1912 and 1918 more people moved out, and the
author estimated that there
were only 250 circassians in the province by 1929. The present
population is estimated at 1,000.
References:
1. Niko Zupanic, 'Les Origines des Serbes', the origins of the Serbs.
Second session of the
International Institute of anthropology, pp. 227-229. Paris, 1926.
2. Niko Zupanic, 'Bela Srbija'. Zagreb, 1922; Les Serbes a Srbciste
(Macedoine), au vii siecle.
Extrait du Byzantion, t. Iv, p. 277-280. Liege, 1929.
3. T. R. Djordjevic, 'Cerkezi u Nasoj Zemlji', the circassians on our
territory. Glasnik Skopskog
Naucnog Drustva, t. Iii, p. 143. Skoplje, 1928.
------------
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
soldati KFOR durante le perquisizioni a Mitrovica
* Scambio di accuse tra RF di Jugoslavia e NATO ("The Times of
India"/Reuters)
* Pesanti critiche dalla Cina all'atteggiamento di KFOR/UNMIK in Kosmet
* Comunicato del Partito Democratico della Serbia sull'appoggio
statunitense all'irredentismo panalbanese
* Italia: Comunicato di Voce Operaia sulla situazione a Mitrovica
* C'ERANO UNA VOLTA... "Circassians in Kosovo Polje in the Yugoslav
Federation" - storia sconosciuta di una delle comunita' nazionali
spazzate via dal Kosmet per mano dell'UCKFOR
---
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YUGOSLAVIA LODGES SHARP PROTEST WITH UN SECURITY COUNCIL
Yugoslavia lodged a sharp protest with the United Nations Security
Council late Monday on the occasion of the latest dramatic developments
in Kosovska Mitrovica which have been caused by ethnic Albanian
terrorists, but also members of the international force KFOR with their
arrogant behavour and brutal action of house-searching Serb districts of
this town in Serbia's Kosovo province.
The letter, sent to Security Council President Arnoldo Listre, the
Argentinian Ambassador, by the head of the Yugoslav mission to the
United Nations, Ambassador Vladislav Jovanovic, most strongly protested
and demanded that the council take immediate measures toward a
normalization of the situation in this town, immediately to curb the
terrorism of ethnic Albanians, vandalism, and lynching and liquidation
of Serbs and other non-Albanians.
The very course of events and building up of tensions confirm that this
is a pre-conceived action in which ethnic Albanians of Kosovska
Mitrovica, led by terrorists of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army,
were joined by thousands of ethnic Albanians who arrived from Pristina,
the letter said.
It is perfectly clear that the concentrated attack was planned with the
objective of banishing Serbs, Montenegrins, Goranians, Muslims of Slav
extraction, and ethnic Turks from Kosovska Mitrovica, the only remaining
multi-national and multi-confessional town in Kosovo, in order to
complete the process of ethnic cleansing of non-Albanians who live in
isolation in enclaves in this Serbian province, said the letter.
Yugoslavia has already warned the Security Council on previous occasions
against the fiasco and inability of KFOR and UNMIK to realize their
obligations stemming from Resolution 1244, as well as the
Military-Technical Agreement.
In spite of Yugoslavia's warning and the fact that most of the Serb and
non-Albanian population have already been banished from Kosovo,
witnessed by these very same security forces and the civilian mission,
the KFOR and UNMIK have not only failed to do anything to prevent the
terrorism of ethnic Albanians and acts of vandalism, but have very often
been accomplices in these heinous acts.
The latest aggravation of the situation in Kosovska Mitrovica is due to
the totally unprovoked arrogant behaviour of KFOR towards Serbs in that
town, said the letter, proceeding to describe the destructive and brutal
behaviour of KFOR U.S. and German troops who broke down doors and
windows on schools and private houses in their house-search.
The action had evidently been planned in advance. U.S. troops arrived
from Gnjilane, and among them were ethnic Albanians in KFOR U.S.
uniforms, who were recognized by the local population.
Press representatives also appeared to be on the spot, reporting in
Albanian, as well as several crew of foreign TV stations. Leaflets were
dropped from a helicopter, urging Serbs to surrender their allegedly
concealed weapons.
The latest abuse of the about 4,500 Serbs in Kosovska Mitrovica is yet
more proof of the political double standards of the KFOR mission, warned
the letter sent by Yugoslavia to the Security Council.
---
Times of India
Wednesday 23 February 2000
Belgrade dismisses West's allegations on Kosovo
By Julijana Mojsilovic
BELGRADE: Yugoslavia dismissed Western officials' allegations that it
was stoking tensions in and around Kosovo and accused them on Tuesday of
supporting Albanian "terrorists" in the province.
"These people are behind the terrorism and separatism of Kosovo
Albanians. They have created the Kosovo Liberation Army and a crisis in
the Balkans to expand NATO to the region," Yugoslav Information Minister
Goran Matic said.
He was speaking a day after battles broke out between Western
peacekeepers and rioters when thousands of ethnic Albanians tried to
storm across a bridge in the centre of the flashpoint Kosovo city of
Mitrovica to reach the province's largest remaining Serb enclave.
On Sunday, NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping troops clashed with Mitrovica's
Serbs, angered by the troops' search of homes for weapons following
shootings and grenade attacks which killed nine people, both Serbs and
Albanians.
Richard Holbrooke, US ambassador to the UN, said in New York on Monday
that trouble was being fomented by the Yugoslav government, which was
forced by last year's NATO air war to surrender control of Kosovo.
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said on Monday the military
alliance was also monitoring a Yugoslav troop build-up in other ethnic
Albanian areas of southern Serbia and would not tolerate a new conflict
there.
NATO Supreme Commander General Wesley Clark, visiting Albania, also
expressed concern about the area.
Matic counterattacked by accusing Holbrooke, Robertson and Clark of
wanting to expel remaining Serbs from Mitrovica in order to gain control
of a mine near the city, saying they were "in a gold rush".
"The three are demanding from ethnic Albanians to expel the remaining
non-Albanians from Mitrovica in order to get hold of the richest gold
mine in the Balkans," Matic said.
But it would not succeed, he said, adding that "Serbia is not
California".
He was referring to the Trepca lead and zinc mining complex, which
exploits ore also containing gold and silver. The complex is situated
north of Mitrovica in a Serb-dominated area. Serbia still controls four
of some 17 Trepca mines in Kosovo.
"These people are now doing everything to cover up their crimes," Matic
said of the leaders of NATO countries which took part in the
March-to-June air campaign against Belgrade.
The state news agency Tanjug reported that Yugoslavia lodged a sharp
protest with the UN Security Council late on Monday. "Yugoslavia has
already warned the Security Council on previous occasions against the
fiasco and inability of KFOR and the UN mission in Kosovo to realise
their obligations stemming from resolution 1244 as well as the
Military-Technical Agreement," it quoted the Yugoslav letter as saying.
(Reuters)
---
www.serbia-info.com/news
"Jiefan Jun Bao": West stirs ethnic Albanians up against Serbs
February 23, 2000
Concern for escalation of violation in Kosovo and
Metohija
Beijing, February 22nd - Chinese military daily
"Jiefan Jun Ban" condemned today "incapability of KFOR
and UNMIK in Kosovo" and appealed to the world
community to "prevent ethnic Albanian terrorism under
the auspices of the UN".
Reacting to "the latest separatist actions of ethnic
Albanian separatists in Kosovo, the military daily
warned that "West deliberately stirs up anger of
ethnic Albanians towards the Serbs in
Kosovo-Metohija".
"It is necessary to create the conditions for
political solution of Kosovo issue with full respect
of sovereignty and territorial integrity of FRY and
consistent implementation of the UN Security Council's
Resolution 1244", stressed today Chinese
representative for press Ju Ban Tzao, referring to the
latest wave of crime in Kosovo.
"It is obvious that the situation in Kosovo has
deteriorated since the arrival of the UN military and
civil mission last June", stated Ju, stressing this
was preceded by the NATO aggression against
Yugoslavia, headed by the US.
"The use of force against sovereign Yugoslavia not
only violated the UN Charter and the principles of the
international standards, but also turned out to be
utterly dangerous example of interference with the
interior business of a sovereign country" stated Ju,
expressing "China's deep concern regarding the
escalation of violence in Kosovo".
The military daily points out that "the inclined
policy of KFOR and UNMIK exerted pressure on Serbs and
supported ethnic Albanian extremists which created
additional tension in Kosovo".
"Tolerant attitude of KFOR and UNMIK towards extreme
ethnic Albanians now returns as a boomerang to the UN
military and civil mission in Kosovo" says Jiefan Jun
Bao, reminding that terrorist organization KLA is not
disarmed, but only transformed into so-called "Kosovo
Protective Corps".
"The world community insists on the fact that Kosovo
is an inseparable part of Yugoslavia, which
additionally enraged ethnic Albanian extremists due to
their separatist idea on independent Kosovo",
emphasizes the military paper.
Jiefan Jun Bao reminds that Yugoslavia has warned the
UN that the attacks of ethnic Albanian terrorists to
date have already caused tragic consequences and
victims in Kosovo.
Yugoslavia demands that the Security Council urgently
takes most energetic measures in order to immediately
stop the attacks on unprotected Serb population, says
Jiefan Jun Bao.
Bias of West and incapability of KFOR and UNMIK must
change fundamentally their transparent attitude and
consistently implement the Security Council's
Resolution 1244, otherwise they will face a dead-end
situation in inflamed Kosovo, warns the military
paper.
---
>
>Right-and Albright was just in Tirana on February 19 to meet with
>Hashim Thaci.
>http://news.excite.com/photo/img/r/albania/usa/20000219/tir09
>
>
>inf-@... wrote:
>original article:http://www.egroups.com/group/sorabia/?start=3307
>> Albright, Holbrooke and Clark Lead Albanians
>>
>> NATO and Washington have been warning for days that a solution to the
>> problem in Kosovska Mitrovica must be found. Since the exodus of more
>than
>> 200,000 Serbs and the harassment of those who remained in the
>province
>> resolved the Kosovo issue, Washington believes that the only thing to
>be
>> done is to cleanse the last significant Serb enclave by expelling the
>Serbs
>> from Mitrovica. It is important to note that the Mitrovica enclave is
>the
>> one linking Kosovo with the rest of Serbia. Washington is apparently
>> determined to carry out a U.S. plan in which only an ethnically
>"pure,"
>> Albanian Kosovo can be considered truly multi-ethnic.
>>
>> For that purpose, an Albanian march on Mitrovica was organised. Just
>like it
>> promoted several Albanian terrorists and criminals to high-ranking
>military
>> officers and diplomats in Rambouillet only to demilitarise them later
>and
>> turn them into commanders, political leaders and state dignitaries,
>> Washington has now decided to head the Albanian march on Mitrovica.
>Its true
>> goal is to ethnically cleanse the town of the Serbs rather than
>liberate it.
>>
>> The Albanian masses involved in the campaign on Mitrovica were not
>led by
>> Albanian criminal politicians like Hashim Thaqi, but rather the very
>top of
>> the U.S. diplomatic and military elite. After all that happened in
>Kosovo
>> before the eyes of the whole wide word, Madeleine Albright termed as
>> "tragedy" the events in Mitrovica only. Richard Holbrooke said that
>> Mitrovica was the hottest spot in Europe, and Wesley Clark guaranteed
>that
>> NATO would take "appropriate measures" to avoid the final division of
>> Mitrovica. Thereby, the trio making Washington's iron fist confirmed
>that it
>> was behind the Albanian march and barbarism of U.S. soldiers of KFOR
>in the
>> north of Mitrovica. Tomorrow, it can easily support another "Flash"
>or
>> "Storm" thanks to which Mitrovica would no longer be a divided town.
>To say
>> the truth, it would be a Serbless town, just like the whole of Kosovo
>after
>> all. Those on the Serb side failing to see this are both politically
>blind
>> and irresponsible.
>>
>> Belgrade, February 22, 2000
>>
>> Information Service of the Democratic Party of Serbia
>>
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Group Moderator: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.
>page at http://www.egroups.com/list/sorabia
>for more informations about current situation in Serbia
http://www.sorabia.home.dhs.org
>
>
---
Comunicato di VOCE OPERAIA
22 febbraio
Uno spettacolo raccapricciante si è consumato a Kosovska Mitrovica sotto
gli occhi di chi li aveva aperti. Issando bandiere albanesi, Nato, UE, e
USA, i seguaci dell¹UCK (frazione Taci) hanno inscenato una marcia per
sradicare dal Kosovo non soli i serbi, ma tutte quelle minoranze,
nazionali e politiche, che rifiutano l¹albanizzazione forzata. Non si
tratta soltanto di ³pulizia etnica², abbiamo a che fare con una pulizia
sociale e politica, di una rappresaglia fanatica dal chiaro segno
reazionario e filo-occidentale. Ci vengono in mente tutti quei pagliacci
di sinistra che durante i bombardamenti NATO, con la scusa di difendere
i diritti albanesi, hanno sostenuto l¹UCK come legittima forza di
liberazione nazionale considerando, proprio come i regimi imperialisti,
il governo di Belgrado come il nemico numero uno. Allora dicevamo a
questo signori che la maggioranza degli albanesi del Kosovo, volenti o
no, erano un popolo di Crumiri (Crumiri, per chi non lo sapesse, erano
qui tunisini schierati coi colonialisti francesi durante la lotta per
l¹indipendenza) i quali, se avessero avuto la meglio, non avrebbero
affatto costruito un Nazione, ma un casino coloniale sotto diretto
protettorato NATO. Questi signori hanno avuto il ben servito.
Lo diciamo così, tanto per la cronaca, non perché speriamo in un loro
ripensamento. L¹autocritica non presuppone solo l¹intelligenza, ma
l¹onestà intellettuale, qualità che hanno lasciato sfracellare al suolo,
assieme alle bombe all¹uranio impoverito sganciate sulla Iugoslavia dai
bombardieri occidentali.
Dichiarazione di Voce Operaia
Sin dal giugno scorso, subito dopo gli Accordi di pace di Kumanovo, le
milizie dell¹UCK, sotto l¹ombrello e l¹indifferenza delle truppe
NATO-Kfor, hanno dato una sistematica caccia ai cittadini serbi, rom,
gorani (e albanesi anti-UCK), provocando la loro espulsione in massa dal
Kosovo. Questa vendetta, che ha gia¹ provocato centinaia di morti
e migliaia di feriti, contrariamente a quanto affermano i reticenti e
pudici mass media, non e¹ soltanto una ³pulizia etnica², èla seconda
fase della guerra civile che contrappone il nazionalismo kosovaro
filo-NATO e filo-USA a TUTTI coloro che si rifiutano di sottomettersi
alla supremazia dei nazionalisti più fanatici e di trasformare il
Kosovo e la Iugoslavia in protettorati della NATO.
Costretti a vivere in piccole enclaves, i serbi sono stati costretti,
anche a causa della complicita¹ delle truppe occidentali con i miliziani
dell¹UCK, ad autodifendersi per non soccombere. Nelle ultime settimane
la pressione dei nazionalisti albanesi oltranzisti si è concentrata su
Kosovska Mitrovica dove vivono, nel settore nord, assieme alla comunità
serba, rom, albanesi e altre minoranze. Queste comunita¹ dopo essere
state sottoposte ad ogni tipo di vessazione e umiliazione, sono state
fatte bersaglio di attacchi armati sanguinosi che hanno causato, nelle
ultime settimane, decine di morti. Le truppe Kfor hanno lasciato correre
e sono intervenute in forze solo quando gruppi armati serbi hanno
inflitto colpi pesantissimi alle forze UCK decidendo la chiusura del
ponte che collega le due parti della citta¹. La comunita¹ serba non
puo¹ essere lasciata sola: piaccia o no essa e¹ ora un avamposto non
solo cotro l¹UCK, ma pure contro l¹occupante NATO!
E¹ una trincea nella lotta contro l¹imperialismo!
Intenzionati a spazzare via ogni serbo dal Kosovo, i centri dirigenti
dell¹UCK dell¹ala di Taci, da Pristina, hanno cosi¹ ordinato una marcia
su Kosovska Mitrovica con l¹obbiettivo di occupare la parte nord della
citta¹. I manifestanti, tanto per far capire con chi stanno e in chi
sperano, innalzavano numerose bandiere degli USA, della NATO e della
Gran Bretagna e gridavano slogan invocando un piu¹ deciso impegno
nord-americano in Kosovo per fare piazza pulita dei serbi.
Nel momento in cui la marcia si avvicinava a Kosovska Mitrovica, le
truppe NATO sono state poste nella massima allerta, anche perche¹ quelle
iugoslave avevano fatto altrettanto ammassandosi ai bordi del Kosovo. Le
notizie dell¹ultima ora segnalano che la marcia degli albanesi,
attestatasi sul ponte oltre il quale centinaia di serbi formavano un
presidio, ha fatto dietrofront anche grazie all¹interposizione delle
truppe NATO-Kfor. Il peggio e¹ stato dunque per ora evitato. Ma solo
per ora.
E¹ infatti evidente che in Kosovo la NATO non ha mantenuto alcuna sua
promessa: non c¹è pace, non c¹è alcuna convivenza,
non c¹è alcuna tolleranza multietnica. Cio¹ a causa anzitutto del
tentativo degli albanesi UCK di cacciare tutti gli oppositori, tra cui i
serbi. E non ci sara¹ mai fino a quando la NATO continuera¹ a
sostenerli. E¹ infatti nell¹interesse della NATO che il Kosovo sia
ingovernabile, cosi¹ si potra¹ giusitificare un¹occupazione militare
permanente.
E questo e¹ l¹altro fattore devastante: la NATO non vuole rispettare gli
Accordi di pace (che prevedono che il Kosovo sia riconsegnato alle
autorita¹ iugoslave). Cio¹ portera¹ ad una nuova esplosione del
conflitto, poiche¹ il governo di Belgrado, almeno fino a quando non
cadra¹ in mano alle opposizioni filo-occidentali, e¹ deciso a far
rispettare gli accordi del giugno 1999.
Non ci sara¹ pace nei Balcani fino a quando la NATO vorra¹ imporre il
suo dominio!
PRIMO COMPITO:
RISPETTARE GLI ACCORDI DI KUMANOVO! FUORI LA NATO DALLA IUGOSLAVIA E
DAI BALCANI!
Non ci sara¹ pace fino a quando ogni nazione non avrà dignità e il
diritto di autodeterminarsi su basi
democratiche!
SECONDO COMPITO:
AUTODETERMINAZIONE IN UNA FEDERAZIONE ANTIMPERIALISTA!
Ci sara¹ pace solo quando saliranno al potere governi operai e popolari
e tutte le cricche capitaliste
saranno spazzate via!
TERZO COMPITO:
LOTTARE PER IL SOCIALISMO!
(per contatti: voceoperaia@...)
=============================================================
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Predrag Tosic <p-tosic@...> wrote
> Meaning, basically, of the same origin as the Basques?
You're right, Predrag. Also, the Iberian, pre-Roman, component is still
present in Spanish and
Portuguese (correct me, João, if I am wrong) languages: sounds as the
typical double /RR/, so
unpronounceable for english speaking people, for example.
>
> Frankly, I did tend to believe that most of the NORTH Caucasus
> indigenous peoples were Turkophonic.
You can have a look to this map, about Ethnography in the North
Caucasus.
http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Marina/6150/ethno.jpg
>
> What other modern nations/ethnos belong to this group?
You can find Circassians (Cherkess) in Jordan (they are becoming a
powerful lobby group) and
Syria, but no longer in places as Kosovo Polje because they were forced
to leave to the Republic of
Adigeya (their ancestral homeland), inside Russian Federation, "thanks"
Albanian terrorism.
>
I enclose a pretty good article from a good Jordan friend.
------------------------
Circassians in Kosovo Polje in the Yugoslav Federation
The following article was extracted from "Les Tcherkesses du Kosovo
Polje en Yougoslavie" by
Niko Zupanic in The Journal of The International Institute of
Anthropology, the Paris session, first
section. It was translated and edited by Amjad Jaimoukhaf, a Circassian
intellectual from Jordan.
The ethnographers and historians are aware that the homeland of the
Circassians is along the
basin of the Kuban river in Ciscaucasia. They inhabited the
north-western part of the Caucasus.
The Circassians were divided into many tribes that spoke mutually
intelligible dialects:
Natuqwazh, Shapsugh, Abzakh, Bzhadugh, Hatuqwai, Beslanay, Mokhosh,
Temirgoy, Zhanay,
Egherukoy, Ubykh and Kabarday.
Their collective name was probably corrupted by the Turks from the
ancient Greek name
'kerxetai'. In the middle ages, the Russians used to refer to them by
the name Kossogh, which is
related to Kasag, the name by which the Ossetians call the Kabardians,
but also the Circassians
in general. The self designation of the Circassians is Adygha, which is
believed by linguists to be
related to the old name Zyghoy (strabon). It is believed that the
'Iazyghi', who were installed in
the territory between the rivers Tisa (Theiss) and the Danube not long
after the birth of Christ,
were a group of Zyghoy from the Caucasus, which name was transformed in
European Sarmatia by
adding first the prefix a- and then ia-.
The Circassians were until the 13th century a.d. pagan and free. They
were then subjugated by the
Georgians and christianised. In the first half of the 15th century they
overthrew the Georgian yoke,
but they were in continuous battle with the Tatars and they lost their
territory in the north.
Towards the middle of the 16th century the Kuban became their northern
frontier, because in 1570,
Ghirai, the khan of the Tatars, defeated them in a battle on the banks
of middle Kuban and forced
them to embrace Islam. Until that time, the Circassians settlements
stretched northwards to the
river Kama and some scattered groups were even found as far as the mouth
of the don.
The Circassians switched their religious allegiance very easily
according to the circumstances.
They had a superficial knowledge of Christianity and they were a mixture
of semi-pagans,
demi-muslims and some Christians.
The Circassians have always been distinguished by their intrepidity and
equine skills. They strictly
observed a code of hospitality and blood vengeance. The songs and tales
of the east celebrate the
beauty of Circassians maidens.
The Circassians put up a fierce resistance in their war with the
Russians, but they were eventually
defeated in 1864. Many of them were forced to leave their country and
resettle in the ottoman
empire: in Syria, Asia minor and the Balkan peninsula. Only a few
remained in their homeland,
about 110,000 people.
The majority of the Circassians who were established in the Balkan
peninsula were sent by the
ottoman authorities to the frontiers of the ancient duchy of Serbia to
reinforce its position there
and to terrorise the Serbs. During that time the Circassians were
established in Kosovo Polje
where the author visited them in 1924 and 1929. He counted about fifty
families, or about 250
people, for the majority had left for Asia minor and Syria.
The Circassians are very interesting for the Serbs, because the first
bearers of the name Serb
were aboriginal in the Caucasus, probably Circassians who crossed the
don at the time of the great
Sarmatian migration, together with the Ants, the Zichi (Kissi), the
Chorvats, the Vals, etc. They
co-mingled with the Slavs and established the first tribal
organisations. Undoubtedly these
Caucaso-sarmatian horsemen were assimilated in the mass of the Slav
population, but the names
of the tribes and the primitive structure of the state still exist to
this day.
>From their original Slav homeland at the confluence of the upper and middle Dniepr and of the
Pripet and the Boug, the Serbs immigrated to the confluence of the
middle Elbe and the Saale,
whence a group, which had a military organisation, resettled in Illyria
[NOTE from Javier: it's
pathetic the way Kosovo Albanian are trying to fake History, claiming
themselves to be
"descendants of the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Dardanians". See
http://www.unpo.org/member/kosova/kosova.html ] It was probably in 626
a.d., when
Constantinopla was besieged by the Avars and the Persians, that
Hercules, the Byzantine emperor
implored Samo, the Grand Duke of the Slavs, for help. The Croats and the
Serbs moved to the
Balkan peninsula, attacked the Avars from behind, delivered the Slavs
(Yugoslavs) who were
living there and saved Constantinopla, the Byzantine empire and eastern
Christendom.
After defeating the Avars, the Serbs established themselves in the
interior of Illyria at the lower
end of the indigenous Slavs. At their arrival in Illyria, the Serbs
spoke the same language as the
Serbs of Lusace, but being fewer in number than the native population,
they were linguistically
assimilated and they lost their north-west Slavic language.
The Circassians, who used to be one of the three principal nations in
the Caucasus, speak a
Japhetic language, which is not related to any other language group.
This means that they are not
Aryan, since these speak Indo-European languages. They may be allied to
the Basques in the
Pyrenees, who, before the advent of the Indo-Europeans, formed one
section of an organic chain
of related nations that stretched from Spain to the Caucasus. Those
nations were the Iberians, the
Legurs, the Etruscans, the Rets, the Pelasgians (an ancient pre-Aryan
race, which used to be
widely spread over the coasts and islands of the eastern Mediterranean
and Aegean, and believed
to have occupied Greece before the Hellenes), the Kars, the
Cappadochians, the Amazons (a race
of female warriors alleged to have existed in Scythia) , the Khalybs,
the Colchians, etc. These
peoples were violently replaced by the Indo-Europeans.
The circassians in Kosovo Polje are to be found in the following
villages: Gornje Stanovce, Donje
Stanovce, Velika Reka and Milosevo. Before the Turko-Serbian war of
1877-1878, there were
about 12,000 Circassians in the region. After the war the overwhelming
majority immigrated to
Syria and Asia minor. In 1912 and 1918 more people moved out, and the
author estimated that there
were only 250 circassians in the province by 1929. The present
population is estimated at 1,000.
References:
1. Niko Zupanic, 'Les Origines des Serbes', the origins of the Serbs.
Second session of the
International Institute of anthropology, pp. 227-229. Paris, 1926.
2. Niko Zupanic, 'Bela Srbija'. Zagreb, 1922; Les Serbes a Srbciste
(Macedoine), au vii siecle.
Extrait du Byzantion, t. Iv, p. 277-280. Liege, 1929.
3. T. R. Djordjevic, 'Cerkezi u Nasoj Zemlji', the circassians on our
territory. Glasnik Skopskog
Naucnog Drustva, t. Iii, p. 143. Skoplje, 1928.
------------
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