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Energy Publisher
Dec 18 2011
France to criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide
Saturday, December 17, 2011
by Martin Barillas
French president Nicholas Sarkozy's party has introduced legislation
in that nation's legislature that would make illegal the denial of the
infamous genocide perpetrated against Armenians and other Christians
by the government of Turkey during the Second World War in 1915. This
would make it a crime on par with denying the historicity of the
Holocaust, perpetrated by the Germany's National Socialist government
before and during the Second World War. Historians estimate that
approximately 1.5 million Armenians died at the hands of the Turks, at
the time ruled by the last of the Ottoman rulers. This was a planned
and concerted effort by the erstwhile government of Turkey that was
overthrown by Kemal Ataturk and replaced by a nationalist and
secularist government. Turkey continues to deny that it ever happened.
Turkey has long been plaqued by irredentist nationalist movements,
especially on the part of ethnics Kurds, even while the government
appears to become ever more Islamist in cast.
(child victim of Armenian genocide)
The now before France's National Assembly will be debated on December
22. It is believed by sources in the French capital that the bill will
be passed. The new law would call for one year of prison and fines of
as much as 45,000 euros for those who deny the historicity of the
Armenian genocide. This punishment would be on par for that is exacted
for denial of the Holocaust. It was in 1990 that the Holocaust-denial
bill was passed.
Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan severely criticized the proposed
legislation. At a press conference in Ankara, Prime Minister Erdogan
suggested that France should limit itself to looking into its own
history of massacres in Algeria and Rwanda.
France is firmly opposed to extending EU membership to Turkey, due it
the latter's supposed "democracy deficit." This deficit has actually
increased under Turkish prime minister Erdogan. Besides Turkey's
reiterated insistence that the megadeath of Armenians occurred within
the context of a civil war in which the Ottomons were ejected, rather
than a planned genocide, France has noted that Turkey continues to
allow persecution of minority groups such as the Kurds, as well as
Greek and Armenian Christians. Sources in Ankara warn that should the
bill be passed by the French National Assembly, Turkey will retire its
ambassador to Paris.
Over the last few years, the fears of Christians living in Greece has
been piqued by the murder of a Catholic priest and a Protestant
minister. It was a Turk who attempted to murder Pope John Paul II in
the 1980s, while in the 1950s Turkish mobs ransacked the homes of
Greek Christians living in Istanbul. It was also Turkey that invaded
the island of Cyprus in the 1970s, seizing half the island as well as
property abandoned by Greek Cypriots and then handing it over to
Turkish settlers.
Turkey is a NATO ally of both France and the United States, but that
relationship - forged during the Cold War - has been strained of late,
especially because since the effective chilling of relations between
Turkey and Israel.
http://www.energypublisher.com/a/SKKKEMVLMP31/65533-France-to-criminalize-denial-of-the-Armenian-Genocide
Dec 18 2011
France to criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide
Saturday, December 17, 2011
by Martin Barillas
French president Nicholas Sarkozy's party has introduced legislation
in that nation's legislature that would make illegal the denial of the
infamous genocide perpetrated against Armenians and other Christians
by the government of Turkey during the Second World War in 1915. This
would make it a crime on par with denying the historicity of the
Holocaust, perpetrated by the Germany's National Socialist government
before and during the Second World War. Historians estimate that
approximately 1.5 million Armenians died at the hands of the Turks, at
the time ruled by the last of the Ottoman rulers. This was a planned
and concerted effort by the erstwhile government of Turkey that was
overthrown by Kemal Ataturk and replaced by a nationalist and
secularist government. Turkey continues to deny that it ever happened.
Turkey has long been plaqued by irredentist nationalist movements,
especially on the part of ethnics Kurds, even while the government
appears to become ever more Islamist in cast.
(child victim of Armenian genocide)
The now before France's National Assembly will be debated on December
22. It is believed by sources in the French capital that the bill will
be passed. The new law would call for one year of prison and fines of
as much as 45,000 euros for those who deny the historicity of the
Armenian genocide. This punishment would be on par for that is exacted
for denial of the Holocaust. It was in 1990 that the Holocaust-denial
bill was passed.
Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan severely criticized the proposed
legislation. At a press conference in Ankara, Prime Minister Erdogan
suggested that France should limit itself to looking into its own
history of massacres in Algeria and Rwanda.
France is firmly opposed to extending EU membership to Turkey, due it
the latter's supposed "democracy deficit." This deficit has actually
increased under Turkish prime minister Erdogan. Besides Turkey's
reiterated insistence that the megadeath of Armenians occurred within
the context of a civil war in which the Ottomons were ejected, rather
than a planned genocide, France has noted that Turkey continues to
allow persecution of minority groups such as the Kurds, as well as
Greek and Armenian Christians. Sources in Ankara warn that should the
bill be passed by the French National Assembly, Turkey will retire its
ambassador to Paris.
Over the last few years, the fears of Christians living in Greece has
been piqued by the murder of a Catholic priest and a Protestant
minister. It was a Turk who attempted to murder Pope John Paul II in
the 1980s, while in the 1950s Turkish mobs ransacked the homes of
Greek Christians living in Istanbul. It was also Turkey that invaded
the island of Cyprus in the 1970s, seizing half the island as well as
property abandoned by Greek Cypriots and then handing it over to
Turkish settlers.
Turkey is a NATO ally of both France and the United States, but that
relationship - forged during the Cold War - has been strained of late,
especially because since the effective chilling of relations between
Turkey and Israel.
http://www.energypublisher.com/a/SKKKEMVLMP31/65533-France-to-criminalize-denial-of-the-Armenian-Genocide