http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2007/01/19/hrant-dink-shot-dead/

http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/10/14/nobel-prize-winner-denounces-french-genocide-bill/

Many Holocaust deniers claim their work falls under a “universal right to free speech”, and see these laws as a confirmation of their own beliefs, arguing that the truth does not need to be legally enforced. Some people who do not deny that the Holocaust occurred nevertheless oppose such restrictions of free speech, including, despite her legal battle with David Irving, Deborah Lipstadt. Another prominent opponent of the laws is Noam Chomsky.

[…]

Other acts of genocide have met similar attempts to deny and minimize. Gregory H. Stanton, formerly of the US State Department and the founder of Genocide Watch, lists denial as the final stage of a genocide development: “Denial is the eighth stage that always follows a genocide. It is among the surest indicators of further genocidal massacres. The perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies, try to cover up the evidence and intimidate the witnesses. They deny that they committed any crimes, and often blame what happened on the victims.

However, it’s worth pointing out that even though recognition of the Holocaust is widespread, the criminalization of denial isn’t.

Holocaust denial is illegal in a number of European countries: Austria (article 3h Verbotsgesetz 1947), Belgium (Belgian Negationism Law), the Czech Republic under section 261, France (Loi Gayssot), Germany (§ 130 (3) of the penal code) also the Auschwitzlüge law section 185, Lithuania, The Netherlands under articles 137c and 137e, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland (article 261bis of the Penal Code). In addition, under Law 5710-1950 it is also illegal in Israel.

Anyway, it’s an interesting question and not least because denial of the Holocaust and the Genocide isn’t illegal in Armenia.

Indeed, when the idea of making denial of the Genocide illegal in Armenia following statements by the Israeli Ambassador was proposed, the Prime Minister made a point of resisting such calls arguing there was no need to criminalize denying the undeniable.

Still, the idea that Turkey will display a knee-jerk reaction to possible passage of the French bill and close up all discussion there is worrying. Then again, the EU should be on that case so maybe they can’t, I don’t know.

Armenian Students Salute France Over Genocide Bill

Hundreds of students rallied outside the French embassy in Yerevan Friday to thank France’s parliament for passing a bill that would make it an offence punishable by jail to deny that Armenians suffered a genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks.

Chanting “Long live France!” and waving French and Armenian flags, they marched through the city center in two separate demonstrations organized by the student organizations of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and another youth organizations.

“We express our sincere gratitude to our French friends and welcome this historic step,” an organizer of the first rally representing the Social Democratic Hnchakian Party said, reading out a petition outside the embassy building in central Yerevan.

http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2006/10/391614B6-ACCA-4E64-AA42-AC247B615076.ASP

EU Says French Bill ‘Not Helpful’

The European Union on Friday criticized a French bill that would make it a crime to deny that the World War I-era killings of Armenians in Turkey were genocide, describing it as counterproductive at a critical stage in Turkey’s EU entry talks.

“We don’t think that this decision at this moment is helpful in the context of the European Union’s relations with Turkey,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said. “This is not the best way to contribute to something we think is important.”

On Thursday, French lawmakers - in a 106-19 vote - approved a bill that would criminalize denying the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I amounted to genocide, but the bill still needs to be approved by the French Senate and the president to become law. Turkey denounced the French lawmakers’ decision, saying it would harm bilateral relations.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the bill, “instead of opening up the debate, would rather close it down, and thus have a negative impact.” “We don’t achieve real dialogue and real reconciliation by ultimatums, but by dialogue. Therefore, this law is counterproductive,” Rehn told reporters.

http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2006/10/DFC8ED85-13DC-4470-A65F-8A127B1150E6.ASP

Anyway, as I said, I think the bill would have been better if it had excluded academia. Basically, as with the Holocaust, the truth is undeniable anyway, and to try to make believe it didn’t happen would make anyone who did look pretty stupid.

Still, time will tell. Firstly, the bill might not even pass the Senate. Secondly, we have yet to see how Turkey reacts in terms of closing down the small spaces that did emerge recently for discussion and debate within society on its past.

Armenians should be exploring new avenues & approaches to facilitate Genocide recognition.

Anyway, one difference between denial of the Holocaust and the Genocide is simply that Germany has ackowledged its past whereas Turkey hasn’t. What Dink and others fear is that discussion in Turkey will be even harder now.

Seems to me that the debate here is rather how to get Turkey to do that i.e. as a natural but slow process within Turkish society or through measure like this which have more to do with a large ethnic Armenian electorate and French opposition to Turkey’s EU bid than anything else.

Time will tell.

To be honest, I don’t think this bill is going to change much, and it hasn’t even been approved by the Senate yet so it might not even become law. On the other hand, I’d feel happier with it if Devedjian’s clause safeguarding academic research were in there somewhere.