Armenian Genocide bill in France
Well, once again the Turks are sitting there tearing their hair out. If they shut up about the bill in France, they have no chance of blocking it and it becomes illegal to deny the Armenian Genocide in France. If they raise a fuss, which is the route they have chosen, they create massive publicity regarding the genocide and the whole issue. So all day on CNN and BBC the Armenian Genocide and the bill have been prominent news, almost 100 years later. When will they learn that if they just stop denying it none of this would happen, and the whole region would be better off? They'd be like the Germans today, who are viewed as having made proper reparations and having properly apologized. Anyway, it's a good show... it's great to watch them squirm from the mess they've made. The bill just passed the lower house in France and now goes on to the upper house. Armenia is also moving to make it illegal to deny the genocide. I quite agree that France should make it illegal, though here I wonder if it is necessary? In any case, I do find it strange that Hrant Dink and Elif Safak are against the bill in France, saying it does not help the cause in Turkey. I cannot pretend to understand the Turkish psyche as well as them, but I am sick of Turkey being babied because of its "strategic" importance.
Here in Yerevan the temprature is cooling off, and the last of the visitors are starting to drift home. No more shorts weather for a long time. I'm already considering my winter plans :-)
Here in Yerevan the temprature is cooling off, and the last of the visitors are starting to drift home. No more shorts weather for a long time. I'm already considering my winter plans :-)
posted by Raffi K. at 4:14 PM
11 Comments:
Shafak and Dink are against it, in my opinion because it contradicts all the principles of freedom of speech.
I by no means support the despicable propaganda perpetrated by Turkish denialists in recent years but think that this bill passed in France has exactly the same effect as the Turkish bill that imprisons writers and historians for insulting Turkishness....
To add insult to injury: Orhan Pamuk has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature today....
Amot indzi, you've been faster than me !!! ;o)
This one more step done is indeed soo nice ! :o)
I can at least confirm that since 2 weeks and for a change, french people saw many many echoes in medias (press, tv, radio) about Chirac's Hayasdanoum declarations on the genocide that has to be recognized by Turkey, and Turkish pressure about it and the law of today.
So big OKKHH to them !
Even if it's still aggrava
This issue is a tough call.
On the one hand it's very satisfying to see Turkey throw a tantrum and have it's dirty past exposed internationally.
On the other hand, I think that you can make no excuses for limiting freedom of speech. Jews do tactics like this, and all it does is piss people off rather than garner support.
Please comment at BBC's Have Your Say as the Turks with their denials outnumber.
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=4247&&edition=1&ttl=20061012154950
So I arrived in DC the other day and as I'm going to sleep, I turn the radio on to NPR to talk me to sleep (no I'm not obsessed, I just like falling asleep to talking) and suddenly they started talking about the Bill in France. But of course, the angle they cover is the Turkish reaction, almost justifying it as if the Bill is so outlandish. I woke up the next morning to the same coverage. There was a slight mention about Orhan Pamuk, but mostly they talked about how Turkey is outraged by such a bill. Welcome back to America, Arsineh! (just a 2 week trip... will log later)
If there is freedom of speech, how come people still sue each other for "slander"?
What if someone was denying the Holocaust? Ya... we can't even imagine that because it seems RIDICULOUS, right? Same here.
It's about time there is some consequence for Turks spreading lies and re-writing history.
Bravo France.... Darosuh mer aboushneroon... :)
I think it is a step too far. Most probably this law will get rejected on a higher level.
I think people in France should be allowed to disagree, regardless how misinformed or unethical their opinions are.
It will be a disaster if we will have a similar law in Armenia as that will be no different to the laws in Turkey. This will only create a negative publicity. Almost nobody who lives in Armenia or who is connected to Armenia in some way would consider denying the genocide anyway.
Stella
Even though I am totally for the acceptance of the Armenian Genocide, to control the beliefs of the people is a dangerous thing, no government should be given that power, after all power corrupts. People should have freedom to make their own beliefs, no one should interfere with that in any way.
Freedom of speech does not mean absolute freedom to hate speech and in almost all free democracies of the world there are some type of restrictions to hate speech. So those of you crying about freedom of speech, realize that denial of the genocide is categorized by scholars as hate speech.
Stella.. let's not be naive.. have you forgotten the ambassador of Britain denying the genocide in Armenia.
Also, let's not fools and compare this potential law in France vs "insulting Turkishness in Turkey"... you should already know how the Turkish law is used at will and its consequences
The Armenian Genocide was an extremist act, the effects of it on our families have been extreme, and the Turks have been really extreme about denial of this epic event.
So why are we being so afraid to accept an extreme measure taken the French government, as a stand against all of this? What kind of mild and moderate legislation is going to change anything in response to all this? Who's freedom of speech are we protecting by being opposed to this bill? I mean is there anyone who is on the side of truth whose freedom is going to be thwarted by this legislation?
I undersand the logic and reasoning of those who object to this bill, but life has taught me that each situation requires it's own logic and reasoning.
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