Posted on 07/25/2004 11:24:09 AM PDT by freedom44
KRASNODAR, Russia, July 24, (IslamOnline.net) - The United States has agreed to grant citizenship to 7,000 Ahiska Muslims who will be settled in Pennsylvania, reported a Russian newspaper on Friday, July 23.
The first 11-strong batch of the Ahiska Muslims, living in the Russian province of Krasnodar, left for Geneva on Thursday, July 22, before flying to Philadelphia, reported Novie Izvestia.
It added that the Muslims would be housed near the grand mosque in Philadelphia.
The paper recalled that Krasnodar governor Alexander Tkachev was notified of the American decision on February 15.
Izvestia said the Russian government does not treat Ahiska Muslims as citizens and has not therefore given them passports or IDs.
An official in Krasnodar administration had told Interfax on Tuesday, July 20, that of the 11,999 Ahiska Muslims living in the region, 4,943 have received Russian citizenship and 744 have embarked on Russian naturalization procedures.
He added that more than 5,000 others have expressed a desire to emigrate to the United States.
Earlier, Chingiz Neiman-zade, chairman of Vatan, a Meskheti Turks association based in Georgia, said the United States had offered to accept the Ahiska Muslims living in Krasnodar as immigrants.
"On February 16, the International Migration Organization began an information program in Krasnodar to explain the terms for the resettlement of the Ahiska Muslims in the U.S.," he told Chicago Tribune on Thursday, July 22.
"The immigrants will be provided with housing and furniture, they will be helped to learn the English language and to complete formalities needed for residence in the US, which is especially important, and have been promised life-long welfare allowances for pensioners and the disabled."
Happiness
Ahiska Muslims were happy with the American offer.
"This decision marks a great change in our life", said Tepeshon Swanidze, leader of the Ahiska Muslim community in Russia.
"We thank the US administration for its humanitarian decision", he added.
Ahiska Muslims , originally hailing from Anatolia, were exiled from their homeland after Russia seized the region of Ahiska following its 1828-1829 war with the Ottoman Empire.
Many Ahiska Muslims were forced to seek refugee in Erzurum in eastern Turkey after being persecuted by the Russian Cesar for supporting the Ottoman Empire.
Facing a similar fate under the notorious Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, Ahiska Muslims fled to Uzbekistan in 1944.
One year later, they went to Azerbaijan where they currently reside.
Turkish and Azeri parliamentarians had recently appealed for an international intervention to pressure the Georgian government into allowing the return of Ahiska Muslims.
Ahiska became part of Georgia in 1918.
Actually that was the Hmong and they were from Laos.
Like I said before I will trust the President and his team, not go off half cocked about 7,000 seemingly peaceful people who have been persecuted in the past.
I am basing this on that the Ivestia(a party organ in Soviet Russia) is actually true(the isalmic website picked it from them)
These are people who have little chance of making it in the country they are in now but could end up being great citizens of this country. That's what America is, a nation of (LEGAL) immigrants.
IOW, he's being reasonable and looking at the whole story. Can't have anybody who is calm on this thread, according to SheLion.
Listen. You have a personal problem with me, then Freep Mail me. Otherwise, keep your sly remarks to yourself.
Well the analysts I was travelling with in Vietnam called the Mountainyards when we visited their village in Vietnam. I think I will take their word for it at the time being, you understand.
The US government is hell bent on bringing this country down.
No personal problem at all, just think you are going a bit overboard without knowing the whole story.
Sorry that I hurt your feelings.
Like it was when it allowed some of your no doubt immigrant reletives into the US.
Who cares what they have suffered. Let the Russians take care of them. Why should we?
Boy we have really been there for those Rhodies and South Africans haven't we?
Is our INS run by the editorial board of Mother Jones?
The government loaded up the city I live in with about 5,000 bosnian muslims.
Loud Applause!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PC Dude!!
I love it.
I guess Pennsylvania wasn't consulted first.
Kennedy didn't want to share his booze with the Irish ;)
I could never understand why the quota for Sri-Lankans was 15,000 and that for Irish was 1500.
Kennedy was worried it would mean less booze for him ;)
Well they are muslim, but do have any evidence of the charges that you have laid against the ahiska.
BTW, the welfare(according to the article) is for old people probably 65 or older and disabled.
You have no proof they burn American flags, wordhip arafat, or beat women.
But what the hey I guess knee jerking makes you feel good.
PC Dude!!
See reply #78.
Your applause sign was turned on prematurely, IMO.
Make sure you drill him about this crap, will ya?
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