AMSHEN ARMENIAN ORGANIZATION CONCERNED OVER FATE OF KHEMSHINS OF KRASNODAR REGION

Pan Armenian News
04.05.2005 04:14

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Amshen Armenian friendly association is deeply
concerned over the fate of Khemshins (Armenians whose ancestors
were converted to Islam), Yerkramas, newspaper of Armenians of
Russia reports. According to chairman of the public organization
Ivan Krbashian, the Khemshins were for the fourth time refused in
registration. In Ivan Krbashian’s opinion, the main reason for the
rejection is the religious affiliation of Khemshins. With activities
of the kind the representatives of the Chief Department of the Federal
Registration Service on the Krasnodar region cause the appearance
of one more nation leaving Russia as political refugees. It is not
a secret that the International Migration Organizations engaged in
resettlement of Turks-Meskhetians from the Kransodar region to the
US are preparing analogous projects on migration of Kurds-Kurmanjis
and Khemshins. To note, after forced islamization of the Armenian
population of Amshen in Western Armenia (now territory of Turkey)
in the middle of the 17-th century an ethnic group of people, who
came to call themselves as Khemshins, appeared. Presently about 1000
reside in the Krasnodar region of Russia. The problem of determination
of the ethnic affiliation of the Khemshins is mostly connected
with their domicile. The Khemshins of Turkey realize the ethnic and
language difference from Turks, however the Turkish policy suppresses
their aspiration for the formation of ethnic self-consciousness.
Khemshins of Russia comprehend their kinship with Armenians.