Tweet
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Dec 24 2011
Dining in Paris in the shadow of the French Parliament
As I was sitting in a chic French restaurant with friends, they asked
me about my thoughts on the latest piece of legislative attempt on
`criminalizing rejection of Armenian genocide.' I wasn't surprised by
such a legislative attempt, and yet despite my age - which is 64 - and
extensive travels, I was shocked that it was happening in France,
considered to be cradle of individual rights and liberties, chief
among them being free speech.
My French hosts explained to me that the legislative piece would incur
penalties up to 45,000 and jail time of one year. They also explained
that this was a move by President Nicolas Sarkozy for the upcoming
elections as the polls show that he is trailing some six points behind
and that he needs all the votes he can get. To me, this is just a lame
excuse. (They said they would vote for Socialists!)
Of course you can blame me for thinking this way because I have
Turkish heritage, but I am saying it nevertheless. Because of my job
in international trade, I have been in France many times, as I have
seen some things in my time.
I had the chance of living in Paris for a year at a time when some
Armenians were on trial for planting a bomb outside the offices of
Turkish Airlines in Orly that killed civilians, including French
citizens. Turkey called this action terrorism then, it would be
considered terrorism now by any shape or standard. At the time, those
on trial were claiming they took an action that was politically
motivated. That did not play well with the French court. I have seen
that they were jailed.
I have also seen that the leading thinkers of literature and other
prominent public figures giving support to those who committed the
crime at Orly. Same people who traveled with Mr. Sarkozy to Armenia
last month, applauding Mr Sarkozy in his promises to do all he could
to push Turkey to acknowledge `the genocide.'
I have also seen that other politicians, at both local and national
levels, around the world including the US, to take advantage of this
unfortunate dispute in history for political gain.
Nobody stops to think what really happened during this dark page of
history. Armenians say `it was genocide,' Turks say `it was massacre
by both sides in a war.' Well, who am I to pass judgment, right? After
all, I am Turkish by birth. I don't blame the Armenians for thinking
what they think. I don't blame them for getting politically engaged on
what they think. And, I don't really blame much the petty politicians
for them to take advantage of this history in their elective
districts. But I am very well placed to blame those politicians who
claim leadership of their people for taking them down a very dangerous
path of criminalizing freedoms.
So, it shouldn't come as a surprise, when I learned of what my French
hosts told me, that I was horrified by the fact that, in France, a
country that is claiming to be the cradle of freedoms in the Continent
and leading force of European values, I would be a criminal from now
on.
Europe is going through tough times these days for obvious reasons.
And, because the UK chose to opt out of the Eurozone decisions the
other week, Mr. Sarkozy snubbed Mr. Cameron without shaking his hand
in the hallway. If that's what leaders do, so be it. This goes to show
character, or the lack thereof, at a more personal level. But, what
leaders should not do is to limit free speech and foment discord and
hostility between respective peoples of countries in the process. I
don't know if Turks and Armenians will work out their differences any
time soon, but I am positive that Mr. Sarkozy will lose the hearts and
minds of millions in Turkey, which - I would guess - will not play out
well for the interests of either France or Turkey. And this for what:
a few votes?
Real leaders make history. Others try to rewrite them. The French
Parliament should not go down this path on December 22. If it does, I
will say to the `leader' of this nation of revolutionaries: `Shame on
you, Mr Sarkozy. Shame on you for leading your people to follow this
path!' Then I will start wondering if I will get prosecuted for saying
that: Shame on you!
(*) Naciye Sahin-Davenport is a Turkish-American businesswoman who
currently resides in Paris.
December/24/2011
From: Baghdasarian
Dec 24 2011
Dining in Paris in the shadow of the French Parliament
As I was sitting in a chic French restaurant with friends, they asked
me about my thoughts on the latest piece of legislative attempt on
`criminalizing rejection of Armenian genocide.' I wasn't surprised by
such a legislative attempt, and yet despite my age - which is 64 - and
extensive travels, I was shocked that it was happening in France,
considered to be cradle of individual rights and liberties, chief
among them being free speech.
My French hosts explained to me that the legislative piece would incur
penalties up to 45,000 and jail time of one year. They also explained
that this was a move by President Nicolas Sarkozy for the upcoming
elections as the polls show that he is trailing some six points behind
and that he needs all the votes he can get. To me, this is just a lame
excuse. (They said they would vote for Socialists!)
Of course you can blame me for thinking this way because I have
Turkish heritage, but I am saying it nevertheless. Because of my job
in international trade, I have been in France many times, as I have
seen some things in my time.
I had the chance of living in Paris for a year at a time when some
Armenians were on trial for planting a bomb outside the offices of
Turkish Airlines in Orly that killed civilians, including French
citizens. Turkey called this action terrorism then, it would be
considered terrorism now by any shape or standard. At the time, those
on trial were claiming they took an action that was politically
motivated. That did not play well with the French court. I have seen
that they were jailed.
I have also seen that the leading thinkers of literature and other
prominent public figures giving support to those who committed the
crime at Orly. Same people who traveled with Mr. Sarkozy to Armenia
last month, applauding Mr Sarkozy in his promises to do all he could
to push Turkey to acknowledge `the genocide.'
I have also seen that other politicians, at both local and national
levels, around the world including the US, to take advantage of this
unfortunate dispute in history for political gain.
Nobody stops to think what really happened during this dark page of
history. Armenians say `it was genocide,' Turks say `it was massacre
by both sides in a war.' Well, who am I to pass judgment, right? After
all, I am Turkish by birth. I don't blame the Armenians for thinking
what they think. I don't blame them for getting politically engaged on
what they think. And, I don't really blame much the petty politicians
for them to take advantage of this history in their elective
districts. But I am very well placed to blame those politicians who
claim leadership of their people for taking them down a very dangerous
path of criminalizing freedoms.
So, it shouldn't come as a surprise, when I learned of what my French
hosts told me, that I was horrified by the fact that, in France, a
country that is claiming to be the cradle of freedoms in the Continent
and leading force of European values, I would be a criminal from now
on.
Europe is going through tough times these days for obvious reasons.
And, because the UK chose to opt out of the Eurozone decisions the
other week, Mr. Sarkozy snubbed Mr. Cameron without shaking his hand
in the hallway. If that's what leaders do, so be it. This goes to show
character, or the lack thereof, at a more personal level. But, what
leaders should not do is to limit free speech and foment discord and
hostility between respective peoples of countries in the process. I
don't know if Turks and Armenians will work out their differences any
time soon, but I am positive that Mr. Sarkozy will lose the hearts and
minds of millions in Turkey, which - I would guess - will not play out
well for the interests of either France or Turkey. And this for what:
a few votes?
Real leaders make history. Others try to rewrite them. The French
Parliament should not go down this path on December 22. If it does, I
will say to the `leader' of this nation of revolutionaries: `Shame on
you, Mr Sarkozy. Shame on you for leading your people to follow this
path!' Then I will start wondering if I will get prosecuted for saying
that: Shame on you!
(*) Naciye Sahin-Davenport is a Turkish-American businesswoman who
currently resides in Paris.
December/24/2011
From: Baghdasarian