Evasion
Adel Bashqawi
July, 10, 2026
(AI-generated via Microsoft Copilot)
Evasion, according to the Merriam‑Webster Dictionary, is “the act or an instance of evading,” meaning the avoidance of confrontation or direct engagement. It is the art or technique of sidestepping a clash—often carried out cunningly or awkwardly, and frequently under circumstances designed to obscure responsibility.
Since the occupation and annexation of Circassia, the authorities have consistently employed mechanisms of avoidance to evade confronting key issues affecting the Circassian people across their diverse locations and backgrounds. In this context, evasion is not merely a passive act but a deliberate technique of avoiding direct confrontation or cleverly outmaneuvering an opponent—whether in political, social, or cultural spheres.
Evasiveness regarding the Circassian cause and its repercussions is neither trivial nor inconsequential. It has shaped the broader landscape of Circassian life, both during the Russo‑Circassian War and after the fighting officially ended on May 21, 1864. The indigenous inhabitants were isolated within illegitimate colonial‑settler entities—initially under military administrations that later evolved into quasi‑civilian bodies, yet remained firmly under the control of security agencies affiliated with the Federal Security Service.
This evasiveness constitutes a tactic—an art—employed by the ruling authorities to semi‑normalize the situation with the original inhabitants of the region. Their aim was not only to seize the homeland but also to normalize relations with the Circassians who remained, forcing them to adapt to an imposed reality.
The Circassian citizens who stayed in their homeland faced some of the harshest treatment human beings can endure. Through deception and manipulation, the occupiers exploited the indigenous population. A formula of systematic, staged policies was imposed upon them, compelling acceptance of the occupation, its instruments, and its unjust laws—amounting to a form of domestication, as if taming horses.
This normalization encompassed political, cultural, and economic dimensions across all aspects of life, ensuring that Circassian communities scattered throughout their homeland remained subject to authoritarian rule. These policies disregarded the necessity for Circassians to live as a unified community within a coherent geographic area or to maintain political unity—or even basic social and cultural connectivity.
Having addressed the evasiveness of the occupiers, it is also necessary to note the evasiveness practiced by their proxies—those operating within or alongside the governments of the local autonomous entities established in the occupied part of Circassia in the Northwestern Caucasus.
Some individuals engage in futile evasiveness—a practice that exposes them easily. Rather than acknowledging that truth aligns with boldness, they avoid confronting real and pressing issues. Such behavior is often perceived as hypocrisy or dishonesty. Many resort to evasive tactics to preempt accountability, believing that clumsy avoidance will shield them from scrutiny. Yet their actions are easily recognized for what they are: fruitless attempts to escape responsibility.
In short, these influential figures—acting from various cultural, social, and political positions—work against the interests and rights of the very nation they have disowned and whose history they have repudiated. Instead of empowering their fellow nationals to claim and reclaim their legitimate rights in accordance with international laws and norms, they prioritize their own selfish, personal interests.
