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'There Is no Way to Peace; Peace Is the Way' - An Appeal to the Georgian Nation


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Our Sweet Phobias

 Aleko Tskitishvili, Editor’s Opinion

“Stand Up, Malkhaz, Abkhaz Has Come!”

Don’t Think I am joking!

These stupid words are from the songs written for Georgian soldiers. To tell the truth, I have not listened to this song; my friend told me several years ago that our soldiers sing this song when marching. For a long time I thought it was a joke and could not believe it before I saw the quotation of Adolf Hitler in one of the advertising rolls on TV-Company “Sakartvelo” funded by the Defense Ministry of Georgia.

"It must be thoroughly understood that the lost land will never be won back by solemn appeals to the God, nor by hopes in any League of Nations, but only by the force of arms – Adolf Hitler", the stupid voice is heard in the advertisement and it aims to increase “military spirit” of young reservists. Particularly stupid stress falls on the name of Adolf Hitler in the ad as if he was any of famous and honorable Georgian people Ilia Chavchavadze or Ivane Javakhishvili instead black stain of the humanity and bloody monster. My colleague Giorgi Janelidze prepared a special video-roll about this advertisement and I advise you to see it on: http://www.hridc.tv/index.php?a=view&id=336&lang=eng
 
After seeing this advertisement on “Sakartvelo TV” I believed that Georgian soldiers really sang this song in the army and still sing it: “Stand up Malkhaz, Abkhaz Has Come.”

Just imagine young generation is inspired with the fear of Abkhaz people while Abkhaz people have also been afraid of Georgians for several years already.

I think when we are speaking about phobias, first of all, we should blame ourselves and not Russia in every problem resulted from those phobias; Russia with its state policy aims to instill similar phobias in our brains.

Our failure mostly results from these phobias. We seem to have genetic fear of somebody coming and eating us up. Unfortunately, it is not true only about Abkhaz people. We are afraid of Turkish Meskhs whom we do not recognize as Georgians and call them Turks. We are afraid of Georgians from Fereidan who have particular love for their historical homeland; though we also call them Tatars because of subconscious fear. It is well-known fact that many people who repatriated in Georgia from Fereidani returned back to Iran and said they preferred to be called Gurjs in Iran than Tatars in their homeland.

And so, our energy is spent on phobias which could have been spent on love, unification and integration.

I have been reading the discussion on online-forums; users mostly speak about the blood-color and genetics of Abkhaz people; they say real Abkhaz is Georgian and there is a different tribe –Absuas who settled in Georgia long ago and they are bad guys.

This is anthropological discussions full of hatred and far from reality on which we have spent total 20 years. All this time, we have never wished to shake hands with at least one Abkhaz and to hear his sorrow and opinions.

We should not create our opinions about entire Abkhaz people in accordance to the statements of Ardzinba, Baghabsh and Khajinba; like they should not think the position of entire Georgian society is equal to the positions of Saakashvili or Irakli Okruashvili.

Despite the stupidity established in our country, I still hope that both nations – Georgian and Abkhaz peoples - still have power and resource to find ways to each other. If genetics is the main point, resource of reconciliation shall be encoded in both nations instead fear of each other.

I hope because of century-long relations. Maybe we will read our classic literature once more – “Haki Adzba” by Leo Kiacheli and “Tutor” by Akaki Tsereteli.

It was time when Georgian people trusted their most precious people and belongings to Abkhaz people – their children were brought up by Abkhaz people and according to this tradition their sons were brothers of Georgian men brought up in their families. Nowadays, we might dislike the fact that in “Tutor” by Akaki Tsereteli Georgian hero betrayed Abkhaz friend; that means Abkhaz man was more honest person than Georgian one. Although the topic of this poem is not relations between different ethnicities, historical reality is very well described in it; we see what relations we had in the 19th century.

Please, read “Haki Adzba” once more – in it Abkhaz man is very faithful to his friend and he dies for him without thinking. In this novel, role of Russia is also very well described; how it entered Abkhazia with blood and death  and starts intrigues to destroy century-long co-existence and relationship.

These intrigues are those wires now stretched on Enguri River now at the so-called border.

Unfortunately, after the bloodshed in 1990s we did not have any compromising policy in regard with Abkhaz people. These years passed in gun-blazing and pseudo-romantic dreams to drink water in Psou River.

It is clear that Russia is aggressor, occupant and soon Abkhazia and South Ossetia will join Russian Federation; that means much time is not left before these lands are completely occupied. It is clear that it is tragedy for Abkhaz and Ossetian peoples because it means complete Rusification and disappearance for them.   

But what do we offer better to Abkhaz and Ossetian peoples?

We are just waiting for them to realize the situation; we are singing stupid songs and live on the delirium of Hitler.

You will agree with me that it is unserious position and maybe we should be more sensible. Otherwise, if we really manage some day to liberate Abkhazia from Russian occupation, there we will find only ruins of houses of both Georgians and Abkhazs. 

2 Mar. '10

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