In an attempt to shed light on the current state of Chechnya and the plight of its people, the Students for World Justice committee of the Muslim Students’ Association invited Nafees Shams to speak at the Bahen Centre on Thursday. An international relief worker, Shams is a graduate of the University of Calgary and has been involved with humanitarian organizations providing relief to refugees in Bosnia, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Kosovo.
Until the 1830s Chechnyans enjoyed full autonomy over their land. In this same decade, however, Chechnya and the surrounding republics were annexed by Tsarist Russia. The racial, religious and ethnic tensions between the two groups were prevalent from the get-go, as the Chechnyans were Muslims and widely unaccepted by the main Russian Orthodox population.
Once under rule of the Russian empire, Shams described how the situation deteriorated even further, as “Stalin scapegoated the Chechnyans, shipping over 300,000 to Siberia.” After the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Chechnyan quest for independence resurfaced, leading to a war directed by Boris Yeltsin, in 1995. Although the Russian military force far surpassed that of the Chechnyans, it was unsuccessful in claiming victory over the region, suffering a humiliating defeat. A second war followed in 1998, spear-headed by a “revenge-hungry” Vladimir Putin, who bombed and destroyed the entire infrastructure, with the goal of “silencing the region once and for all.”
When asked about possible solutions to this historical conflict, Shams was pessimistic that any resolution would occur without the aid of the international community. This stems from the fact that the Russians have a serious vested interest in the oil pipeline that runs through Chechnya from the Caspian Sea. In addition there exists a desire for cultural revenge based on the humiliation faced after the Russian “defeat” in the 1999 war.
Shams described how the absolute devastation of Chechnya forced many of its people to flee to “poorly equipped and ill-kept refugee camps in surrounding republics and countries,” where many still remain.
While this shattered group awaits peace in their homeland, many Western human rights associations, such as Amnesty International, have criticized Putin’s actions. These groups, however, have been slow in succeeding with their mission as they are no longer allowed entry into Chechnya. Added to the decreasing stability of Western-Russian relations, and the aftermath of 9/11 grabbing international attention, “humanitarian aid going to Chechnya, is almost non-existent.” The Russian population, who have been kept ignorant about many truths surrounding the Chechnyan struggle have only recently started to criticize their own government. Shams espoused his belief that “the first step to the solution is to increase public awareness world wide,” because “this long fight cannot end until the international community steps in to offer relief.”
The lecture was followed by an hour-long question period, leaving participants feeling more informed on the situation. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I realize now how uninformed I was” says student Martin Rasheem. The organizers of the event, Akram Nafee and Aaida Mamuji, felt that “there was a great turn out” and the lecture was “a good first step” in accomplishing their goals of “increasing awareness within our campus and dispersing any myths propagated by the media.”
