10,000 Meskhetian Turks in the USA

[Flynn]

I saw a television article about a race of people known as Meskhetian Turks, they are Sunni Muslims.

The Meskhetian Turks travelled from Turkey to Georgian cities in Russia and in recent years the Russians Cossaks who have strong christian beliefs have made a resurgence on the eastern boarders of Russia and have been persecuting that ethnic group.

The turmoil, death and destruction had become so bad that they were considered to be a stateless people by the Russian government and told to leave. In 2004 the first of 10,000 Sunni Muslim of Meskhetian origin where permitted to emigrate to the USA. From what I have found out so far many of them settled into Atlanta and joined the welfare queues of that state.

I was wondering if anyone one can find out how these 10,000 Sunni Muslims have intergrated and assimilated into your communities?

[kiki5711]

Originally Posted by Flynn

I saw a television article about a race of people known as Meskhetian Turks, they are Sunni Muslims.

The Meskhetian Turks travelled from Turkey to Georgian cities in Russia and in recent years the Russians Cossaks who have strong christian beliefs have made a resurgence on the eastern boarders of Russia and have been persecuting that ethnic group.

The turmoil, death and destruction had become so bad that they were considered to be a stateless people by the Russian government and told to leave. In 2004 the first of 10,000 Sunni Muslim of Meskhetian origin where permitted to emigrate to the USA. From what I have found out so far many of them settled into Atlanta and joined the welfare queues of that state.

I was wondering if anyone one can find out how these 10,000 Sunni Muslims have intergrated and assimilated into your communities?

I live in Atlanta, and from what I've seen Mexico rules here. Haven't seen any Sunni Muslims. ANd if they are here, they're not being vocal to let everyone know they're here. I do know of one Lebanese Restaurant that I love to visit. The cook is the life of the party and has belly dancers for entertainment durring dinner.

[Flynn]

I was trying to find out if they assimilated into USA culture or whether they made their own ethnic onclave there.

The program I watched there was of inference that many of the 10,000 had alterior motives to gaining refugee status in the USA. Those motives were as varied as setting up there own state for more Sunni Muslims to infiltrating terrorists onto USA soil.

[jungleboy]

I have been gone from Atlanta for almost 5 years, but I am in constant contact with lots of family and friends on a daily basis.

To my knowledge and past experience, the M. turks will not assimilate, nor will they be accepted. This is the deep south we are speaking of. Their best bet is to keep a low profile and become baptist ! ! ! 'FACT' This is not a good time for them to roaming the streets of the USA getting negitive attention.

I have close family friends that are white people with the wrong last name (due to marriage). They are watched, monitored, and discriminated against.

[Flynn]

JB

Thanks for the input, it's late at night here and I have an early start to a long day tomorrow, after I have a good nights sleep and a hard days work tomorrow I should be in a better frame of mind to add to this discussion, cya then.

[Patrish]

I know of one woman's hubby who is a 'Turk' she calls him. He is totally Americanized, but thats because he doesnt practice his religion.

My one friend told me of a few events in which ppl she has seen were wearing turbans, and acting strange. SO perhaps their own onclave.

Depends on alot tho Flynn. Cant just put a lump on any group of ppl

[Flynn]

JB

The program I saw on Meskhetian Turks was pretty incitefull, they are a hated race of people in the Russian state of Georgia, the local inhabitents treated them as vermin for want of a better description.

Part of the program I saw a Cossack leader confiscated personal indentifacation papers from several people, a few days later another Cossack leader returned and demanded to see the identifaction papers of several leaders of the Meskhetians, when they couldn't produce the papers that the earlier Cossack had taken they were arrested for not having appropriate paper work. The beateings they suffered were very real.

The Cossacks who I had never really regarded as being affiliated with any religious group were fundamentalist christians and they were doing their utmost to drive them out of Russia. The Cossacks are now regarded as the front line defence to keep refugees from settling in the border states of Russia.

The Meskhetian Turks are Islamic and I know that the USA have been a benevolent country in the past and from what I read they have taken their fare share of reugees over the years. The things that didn't make sence to me is that Turkey and other Islamic countries in that region did not want to take them in, even the Chechen's didn't want them. They were reviled by everyone in that area.

After the September 11 disaster I didn't think that the USA government would want 10,000 refugees most of whom had no identifaction papers.







Pat

The term Turk is not a religion, it is a nationality.

[jungleboy]

I see what you mean, Flynn.