Mokhe is a mountainous village in Adigeni municipality. The majority of its population are Muslim Georgians, which resettled from Adjara Autonomous Republic during the soviet era. Orthodox Georgians also live in the village.
The controversy between the two communities started after the local government decided to make a library in a half-ruined building in the village. The muslim population claimed the building used to be a mosque in the past. They assume the state plans to open a club in the building instead of the library, which will seriously insult their religious feelings.
The building was reconstructed at the same time as the local population had a protest rally, which resulted in police officers detained several protesters and put in detention for several days. It is noteworthy that the muslim community excluded the possibility of negotiations before the detainees were released.
When our organization arrived in the village, it was still easy to notice the tension, which had started a few days before. Both parties claimed they were not offended by the opposite party, they just protested discrimination on religious motives. Both Orthodox and Muslim communities had similar positions regarding the controversy. Orthodox people stated that the mosque functions not only in their village but also in every neighboring village. The construction of an orthodox church has started in the village Mokhe recently, but before that, local Orthodox people had to walk several kilometers to get to the church.
Our organization interviewed the local population to find out the details of the controversy.
Tsiala Rekhviashvili has been living in Mokhe since 1940s. Her family was resettled from Chiora village, Oni municipality in Racha region, together with several neighbors. The elderly woman said people from Adjara autonomous republic purchased the abandoned houses of the families resettled from Racha at a very low price and settled in the village since then. “When our people arrived here in 1944, it was late autumn, almost winter. This semi-constructed building was full of harvest. The second floor was wooden – they most likely used it as a warehouse. The building was constructed before the Soviet Union era, at the time when this area was occupied by Turkey. This fact are really bothering us. We accepted the situation because we did not want to annoy our neighbors. We really love our neighbors because religion does not matter in close relations. Neighbors should support each other during hard times. I am not their enemy but I do protect what is mine.”
Temur Beridze, which is a muslim and director of Mokhe public school, talked with the representatives of the media sources and the non-governmental organization Human Rights House Tbilisi. According to his information, the building, which was functioning as a culture house for the past few years in the village center, was originally a mosque constructed by Muslim Meskhs. The building lost its function after Meskhs were resettled. They used it as a warehouse during the communist regime and later turned it into a culture house which maintained this status for the past 7-8 years. The school director claims that when both muslim society started a religious life, they were refused to enter the culture house. “We protested the functioning of the culture house. Also to have a library in the former building of a mosque. We do not complain about opening anything else there. If somebody claims something else, it is a provocation. We only requested to get a roof on the building and protect it from ruining because it is a religious building even if it is not functioning…”
On the other hand orthodox people claim the building is constructed with special stones, which were usually used for the construction of churches. Temur Beridze categorically denies this information. “As for the church stones, I, as a Muslim person, believe it is not right. But since Orthodox neighbors have similar position, we, the entire Muslim community, agree to invite competent institutions to estimate the origin of the stones. We spoke about inviting experts but did not send official request about it. We do not doubt that whoever looks at the building, will immediately get convinced that it was a mosque. The façade of the building clearly shows it.”
School teacher Eter Tagvadze recalled her childhood. “When I was a school-girl in 9-10th grade this building was functioning neither as a mosque nor as a culture house. There was an icon of St. Mariam inside the building and I, together with my palls and adults, used to light candles there. I remember this tradition from our predecessors, which are not alive now. I am 60, I cannot clearly recall it, but it was either a church, or the building was constructed with church stones. This building is also sensitive for the orthodox community. So we should invite expertise, which will thoroughly examine the building. If it is both a mosque and a church, we all will keep silence and allow the local authority to open a library there”
Mr. Beridze said there was a teachers’ house and a boarding school in the school area. The boarding school lost its function 15 years ago, before he became interim and then acting director of the public school. “Both buildings were on the edge of collapse. The Ministry of Economy sold it to the Patriarchate of Georgia, which started the construction of a church in the area this summer. We do not protest construction of a church in the village. None of the Muslim community members will ever protest construction of a church. Trust me, I say the truth.”
Although the old man Jumber Rekhviashvili speaks about peaceful and friendly co-existence, he cannot help criticizing some aspects of their everyday life. “Christian people disappeared in every village. Where they settled the inhabitants cannot stand people who are different. First of all, they do not like when neighbors have pigs. It is a topic of controversy in everyday life though we continue living in a friendly environment. Mokhe village has similar problems as other villages do. They want everybody to go to the East. If it continues, they will soon occupy every village in the district.”
Mr. Onise is a muslim, and the oldest teacher in Mokhe Public School. He kept silence for a long time during our meeting. Finally, he could not help for tears coming and to hold back years of supressed emotions, and said: “How easily they found funds [70 000 lari] for the reconstruction of the building and to seize the mosque from us?! They could perfectly construct a library separately with those money. Is it not more expensive to renovate a half-ruined building than to build a new one? It is religious discrimination. Are we not brothers?! A huge church was constructed here. They say a million lari was spent on it. Let them pray there with happiness. You can pray there but let me also pray in the mosque. Everybody should have right to pray wherever he wants. If you show that you are better than I am because you are a tolerant orthodox, then I should also have the right to go there. My children, it is impossible to do a similar thing by force. I come from Adjara. Our people live in every district of Georgia. Are we illiterate? Show me a Muslim person in the authority of at least one municipality, in the Parliament or in the Ministry? I cannot continue praying on my knees.
We found a professional ethnographer among the local Orthodox population, which shared his information about the issue with us. Koba did not tell us his full name and clarified that although the construction of a mosque was planned in the village in 1920s, even first floor was not finished before 1944. Since then the building lost its function and they used it as a warehouse. As for the stones, Koba denied the information provided by Orthodox neighbors and said it is ordinary stones, produced by Armenian artisans.
It is noteworthy that representatives of the Muslim community do not accept the so-called compromising offer from the local authority to construct a library in the disputed building. They agree only to get a roof on the building and leave it without function. We realized the controversy has been in this place for a long time. “I am a lonely mother and grateful to them for often helping me in hard times, but this problem must be resolved. Our generation should not leave this problem to our children,” Eter Tagvadze said and left the village center with the hope of a better future, where her orthodox children and grandchildren will play together with Muslim friends in peace.
The controversy between Muslim and Orthodox communities in Mokhe village happened on October 18. Now, based on the decision of the government, the reconstruction activities are stopped, and it is unknown when they will continue and what the function of the disputed building will be.
Giorgi Janelidze
