Georgia(ns) - The women of the Pankisi Gorge
The Pankisi Gorge is located in the North-East of Georgia.
The region is populated by Kists, refugees from the Chechnya wars and Georgians who live in a few villages along the Pankisi river. Kists are Chechens who settled in Georgia more than two centuries ago. The fall of Soviet Union and the two Chechen Wars brought instability and fueled the religious transformation of this small community. As in many other regions across the globe, Saudi-backed Salafism has gained momentum in the valley, symbolized by the brand new mosque on the main road in Duisi, the main village. And meanwhile, Islamic Sufism is losing ground.
The valley had a terrible reputation of being a nest for terrorists since 2000, a reputation that was amplified recently as one of the major commander of Isis in Syria, Omar al-Shishani, was from here and a high rate of young men travelled to Syria.
But, willing to counter this trend and restore a positive image of their community, some women are fighting and resisting to the many negative forces that the region is facing. They are named Makvala, Khato, Raisa, Markha, Sona and we met them last August…
A group of old ladies is trying to perpetuate Zikr, a Sufi ritual which leads to a form of trance. Another group fights for the beauty of local culture and has created Aznash ensemble, a women’s choir that has performed in many countries (including France). Other women are struggling against the stigmatisation and isolation of the region by developing ecotourism. They fought for peace and cohabitation when refugees from Chechnya settled and today they fight against state neglect by distributing food during Ramadan to needy families. All of them with their actions are the actors of the slow changing of the valley.
With Clément Girardot, journalist