Circassian people, the author had the honor to interview Aibek Napso, director of the Circassian Heritage Center, via Zoom. Ebeck gushed about the history, traditions, and culture of the Circassian people, and there was a hint of pride in his eyes. The Circassians are an ethnic group from the northwest of the Caucasus, who were formerly Christian and converted to Islam in the 17th century. In the mid to late 19th century, after the Russian Empire conquered the Caucasus where they lived, killing 1.5 million Circassians, 90% of the 1.5 million.
Circassians who survived this massacre telemarketing list were expelled, not It was at this time, in the late 1870s, that the Lesser Circassians migrated to territories then part of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, including Palestine, which is now Israel. This history of forced displacement has resulted in today's approximately 7 million Circassians living in different countries, with nearly 90% living outside the Caucasus, most notably in Turkey; in addition, approximately 800,000 Circassians live In their homeland, but dispersed in three different countries, where they form a minority; Ebeck mentions that the Circassians are the only people in the world whose majority is dispersed outside their homeland (Note 6 ).
Circassians_in_Ceremony_Studio_Adam Circassians in Israel｜Photo Credit: Studio Adam In Israel, this group lives in the village of Kfar Kama (nearly 3,500 people) in northern Israel, and Rehaniya (nearly 1,300 people) near the northern city of Safed. In British Mandate Palestine, the Circassians supported the Jews when conflict between Jews and Arabs increased. The Circassians also fought alongside the Jews in the 1948 Israeli-Palestinian War. Beginning in 1958, men in the community served in the IDF, making them the only Muslims serving compulsory service in the IDF (Note 7).