The following steps can be taken to upgrade the
status of Circassian in Jordan in the short- and medium-term and enhance its
prestige, in addition to boosting and extending the gamut of Circassian
language usage. Some of these measures are immediately implementable with
minimal effort and cost. Others are more involved and medium-term, but still
they can be done if the will to action is obtained and the requisite resources
are made available. Systematic and sober implementation of these measures
should give a considerable boost to the status and prestige of Circassian and promote
its use amongst both the old and young.
The Circassian Charity Association (CCA) can play a
leading role in effecting a linguistic and cultural revival since it runs the
Prince Hamza School, which has a core centre of children who enjoy some
knowledge of the Circassian language and where already there are mechanisms on
the ground for teaching the Circassian language. Concerted efforts by concerned
parties would upgrade the status of Circassian in the School and improve the
levels of competence that could be attained by the students. Dr. Ülle Rannut’s work on the Circassian
language situation in the School and how to boost the status of the language, Minority
Language Policy in the Middle East: Circassian Language Maintenance in Jordan,
should be designated and assigned as the blueprint for effecting these
transformations.[1]
It is fortunate that there are no restriction
whatsoever on the use of the Circassian language by the Circassians in the
cultural and literary spheres in Jordan. therefore, the only challenges facing
the Circassian community in this regard is the will to action and the technical
know-how to effect the required measures and bring into action viable
mechanisms for language maintenance and development.
1. Promote the use of the Circassian language:
a. Use (attractive)
signs and plates (for doors and gateways) in Circassian (besides other languages) at
all Circassian institutions in Jordan. This ‘symbolic’ step could be supported
and sponsored by the Circassian Charity Association (CCA) in co-ordination and
co-operation of the other Circassian institutions (Prince Hamza School, Al-Ahli
Club, Al-Jeel Club, Circassian kitchen, etc.). Symbolism is very essential and
powerful in such an endeavour. The implementation of this measure could be construed
as the inauguration of a new phase of concern and consideration for the mother
tongue.
b. Establish
a language centre that both prepares materials in Circassian on the Circassian language
and provides instruction in the language on a wide scale for both children and
adults. Initially, instructors could be employed from the Circassian language
staff at Prince Hamza School. Later, the graduates of universities in the
Caucasus (sent on scholarships) could gradually take over these tasks.
c. Provide
the students at Prince Hamza School with adequate, even handsomely produced
text-books and language materials. This entails the selection, printing and
distribution of these books. Support from the Ministry of Education in Jordan
could be solicited in this regard.
d. Perhaps
thought should be given to establish bilingual media outlets in Circassian
and other languages as a long-term goal. A bilingual newspaper and radio
station are possible with enough resources. Bilingual publication of the
Nart Magazine is however possible as an immediate measure.
e. Set up
a traditional Circassian guest-house (hesch’sch; хьэщIэщ) at the Circassian Charity Association (CCA), whereby ‘traditional
minstrels’ (джэгуакIуэ; jegwak’we) can display their wares
(proverbs and sayings, toasts, stories, songs, the tenets of Circassian customs
and traditions, etc.). Each night a theme is broached and people are encouraged
to attend and take part. Talented people could be persuaded to act as minstrels.
f. Spread
awareness about the importance of learning and teaching Circassian amongst parents and students
using multiple methods (flyers, lectures, electronically, at school, etc.). The
time to start to teach children Circassian is upon birth. A child could easily
learn more than one language (three are possible) as a mother tongue. The
limitation in this regard is purely on the part of parents, not the children.
2. Make it pay to know Circassian:
a. Make it a
policy to hire people in Circassian institutions that speak and write
Circassian. For example, the CCA could employ a person proficient in
Circassian to make Circassian copies of CCA correspondences, make a Circassian
version of the CCA website, translate some articles in Nart Magazine into
Circassian so that the magazine could eventually turn into a bilingual
publication, etc. In addition, the menu of the Circassian kitchen –Samovar –
could also be provided in Circassian, etc.
b. Establish
2-3 scholarships a year for students (competent graduates of Prince Hamza School) to
study Circassian language and literature at universities in the Caucasus
(Nalchik and Maikop). The graduates would be guaranteed good work at the CCA or
School. They could be provided posts as school lecturers and cultural workers. This
group of specialists in the Circassian language and literature could
Potentially effect a transformation in the fortune of the Circassian language
in Jordan.
c. Make
Circassian a principal and compulsory subject in Prince Hamza School. This might need
co-ordination with the Ministry of Education in Jordan. Also, provide
instruction in selected subjects in Circassian, i.e. teach the topics in
Circassian. Don’t leave Circassian as just another subject to be learnt.
3. The Caucasian connection:
a. Strong
and productive Connections should be fostered with educational and cultural
institutions in the Caucasus (ministries of education, ministries of culture,
universities and colleges, cultural institutions, etc.). Books published in the
Caucasus could be marketed in Jordan to upgrade the status of Circassian and
boost literacy in Circassian. Working visits by linguists and culturalists from
the Caucasus should be encouraged to provide consultations on how to develop
and disseminate the language and to give lectures on the Circassian language.
This would send out a strong signal to the Circassian community in Jordan of
the importance of Circassian.
b. The
Circassian republics have considerable linguistic and cultural resources (books, text-books, media
materials, etc.) that could utilized. If the people in the Caucasus feel the
diaspora’s interest in the Circassian language and culture, this would feed
positively into increased general interest in them in the homeland. Ultimately,
the corrosion of language and culture in the homeland, should it happen, would
be much more serious than their loss in the diaspora, this being said without
detracting from the gravity of the situation in the diaspora.
4. The political dimension:
Although some people might want to keep away from any
issue that might have political connotations, language survival is ultimately a
political matter. There is only so much that the Circassian community can do on
its own to stem the tide of assimilation and loss of language and culture.
Official institutional support is most crucial in this regard, and it has to be
solicited without causing undue consternation. Shying away from this task is
not an option.
a. Although
the Circassians are not considered a minority in Jordan, but are full members
of society with equal rights and responsibilities as other citizens of Jordan,
special consideration should be given by the government to Circassian issues
that are connected with language and culture. A case could be developed to petition
the Jordanian government to provide support and sponsorship for the Circassian
language and culture. The Circassian language should be viewed as one of
the important cultural manifestations in Jordan that warrant conservation. The
cultural heritage of the Circassians should be promoted as an integral part of
Jordanian culture. Diversity and variety enrich the cultural texture in Jordan.
b. The
figureheads of the Circassian community (current and ex-ministers, members of parliament,
senators, high-ranking officials, ambassadors, industrialists, etc.) should
be made aware of this effort and kept up-to-date of its developments. Their
suggestions and support are indispensable to the success of this endeavour. The
championing of Circassian causes associated with language and culture at the
official level should not be viewed with trepidation. This should send out a
signal that the Circassians respect and appreciate their heritage, and are not
ashamed of it.
[1] Dr. Ülle Rannut is a well-known international language policy
researcher and authority on the promotion of minority languages at the
Institute of Estonian Language and Culture, Tallinn University, Tallinn,
Estonia. She conducted research in Jordan on the status of Circassian and produced
a report entitled Minority Language
Policy in the Middle East: Circassian Language Maintenance in Jordan, and
published an article ‘Circassian Language Maintenance in Jordan’ in an
international journal.
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