SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 6. Identity is alive
only when memory exists, and memory is preserved through the
transmission of cultural heritage, Cahit Aslan, Researcher at
Türkiye’s Çukurova University, said, Trend's correspondent reports from the
event.


He made the remark during a panel discussion on “Ethnic and
Cultural Diversity as a Treasure of Humanity” as part of the
international conference titled “Cultural and ethnic diversity:
lessons from history, contemporary challenges” in Shusha.


Cahit Aslan stated that currently, millions of Circassians
living in various countries around the world strive to preserve
their collective memory through family recollections, cultural
rituals, and commemorative events.


“Throughout history, Circassian identity has been understood in
various ways. In a narrow sense, it refers to the Adyghe, but in a
broader sense, it represents a supra-ethnic identity uniting many
indigenous peoples deported from the North Caucasus,” Aslan
said.


Moreover, he noted that the deportations of the peoples of the
North Caucasus, including the Karachais, Balkars, and Chechens,
carried out by the Kremlin during the Soviet period, left a deep
mark on the collective memory.


"Collective memory is not only a way of preserving the past, but
also a drive to build the future. Identity is alive only when
memory exists, and memory is preserved through the transmission of
cultural heritage. For this reason, Circassian national identity
should be viewed as a dynamic process, nourished by the past but
directed toward the future,” Aslan explained.


An international conference on the topic "Cultural and ethnic
diversity: lessons from history, contemporary challenges" is taking
place in Shusha.


The event is organized by the “Center for Cultural and Ethnic
Diversity” Public Association in partnership with the “Silk Road”
Public Association for Cultural and Historical Research.


Representatives from Azerbaijan, the U.S., France, Lithuania,
Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Türkiye, and Georgia
are participating in the conference.