The Circassian people have played a major role in the development of Jordan, and since 1921 have served as the nation’s royal guards. And, this week, one Jordanian royal in turn paid tribute to the Circassians. HM Queen Rania Al Abdullah on Wednesday visited the International Circassian Cultural Academy in Amman, where she praised the non-profit’s work in preserving the heritage of the population of the formerly independent country, located in present-day European Russia.
Her Majesty met with the organization’s board and staff members to learn more about the authority, which “aims to preserve Circassian culture and spread awareness about it, both locally and internationally”, according to the royal’s press office. The academy offers Circassian language courses, has developed an Arabic-Circassian dictionary, and is home to the 200-persons-strong Highlanders Circassian Dance Troupe. Queen Rania was treated to a performance from the group during her visit, after which she commended the academy and its famed dancers. “Your efforts in preserving the Circassian-Jordanian heritage, enriching diversity, and instilling these ideals in upcoming generations, are enhancing Jordan’s artistic culture,” the royal said.
The visit comes during a particularly busy fall for the royal, who has already attended the HeForShe IMPACT Summit in New York and the 2018 TRT World Forum in Istanbul in recent weeks. During her appearance at the latter, Queen Rania urged those around the world to continue pushing for change, as “we have come too far to quit now while we’re ahead”. “Every day, we are bombarded with evidence of suffering,” Her Majesty said, adding that “in the face of mass atrocities, too often, we fail to move decisively”. “Much of the world remains unfazed by genocide in Myanmar, where more than 25,000 Muslim Rohingya have been brutally murdered, and more than 900,000 driven from their homes.” Urging people to not resign themselves to a feeling of helplessness, Queen Rania reminded attendees that “we are capable of incredible things”.
“Even in the darkest of places, the best of humanity continues to shine through. Among the heartache, there is so much life left to cherish,” HM said. “Now is no time to disengage. Instead of despairing for all that we have lost, we must fight for the innocence we have left to protect. Our challenge today – and every day – is to confront the harshest realities of our world without losing sight of our ideals… and to remain steadfast in our refusal to accept the unacceptable.”
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