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FRENCH DENIAL OF GENOCIDE?
news.az
Nov 11 2011
Azerbaijan
by Cem Oguz, head of the Turkish Center for Strategic and International
Studies.
The remarks made (prior to, and during, his official visit to Southern
Caucasian countries last month) by President Nicholas Sarkozy regarding
the ~SArmenian genocide,~T brought an interesting debate to mind that
erupted in 2006 between Algiers and France.
Perhaps you will well remember: The French National Assembly's approval
in 2005 of a law claiming French colonialism played a positive role
in history was responsible in 2006 for substantial tension between the
two countries. The Algerian government officially called on France to
apologize for crimes committed during its colonial rule. On the 60th
anniversary of the massacres, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
not only condemned the French Army's attack on the cities of Setif
and Guelma in May 1945, which claimed the lives of 45,000 Algerians,
but also called on Paris to act responsibly. The most interesting
remarks, however, came from Amar Bakhouche, then Algerian Senate
speaker. Speaking to AB Haber.com at the time, Bakhouche complained
about Western impositions on less developed or developing countries
and urged France to clean up its own backyard before getting involved
in the Armenian allegations. He then criticized the French standpoint
on Turkey's EU membership bid, arguing that a Muslim population is
undesired in the European Union.
Since then various French politicians have made statements that add
a great deal of weight to the widely expressed view that "history
should be left to historians." Then French Foreign Minister Michel
Barnier, for instance, stated historians from both Algeria and France
had to be encouraged to work together. But the same Barnier reminded
Turkey of its duty to come to terms with its past and urged it to
recognize the Armenian "genocide." He underlined that France didn't
consider Turkish acknowledgement of that a precondition for EU entry,
but insisted his country would raise the issue once talks opened.
In 2006, to set a new course in turbulent Franco-Algerian relations,
then French foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy made an official
visit to Algeria. Signing a delayed friendship accord between
the two countries that, according to analysts, resembled the 1963
Franco-German reconciliation treaty, was to be the most crucial
undertaking on Douste-Blazy's trip. For the French government such a
treaty would have been a move to patch up relations. Yet the treaty
wasn't signed, on the pretext that both parties needed more time to
strike a deal. More importantly, a week after the French foreign
minister's visit, Bouteflika accused France of having committed
genocide during its occupation of Algeria which lasted for 132 years.
According to the Algerian president, this genocide "was not only
against the Algerian people but also against Algerian identity."
The remarks of Bouteflika, who subsequent to his speech went to France
for medical treatment at a military hospital, stirred up substantial
discontent in French domestic politics. Far-right leader Jean-Marie
Le Pen, himself with a dubious record of service in the Algerian
War, argued that accusing France of having committed genocide of
Algerian identity not only had no historical meaning but was also
an unfounded insult aimed at the country. Right-wing nationalist
Movement of France leader Philippe de Villiers attacked the French
government for what he described as its cowardice for refusing to
comment on Bouteflika's remarks. Last, but not least, Lionnel Luca,
then a deputy from the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) Party,
portrayed Bouteflika's visit as "indecent," adding that allegedly it
wasn't the first time the Algerian president had insulted France.
Douste-Blazy, too, wasn't late in responding. He accused the Algerian
president of engaging in polemics. According to the then French
foreign minister, colonialism had had a positive role as well.
Supposedly, the much-complained horrors took place only at the
beginning of the conquest. He then concluded that the recently-invented
term "genocide," as taught by philosophers and intellectuals such as
Primo Levi, should never be "overused."
Well, what do you all think? Is this also a denial by the French? Is
Mr. Sarkozy simply the proto-type of populist French politicians in
that regard?
C. Cem Oguz [email protected]
news.az
Nov 11 2011
Azerbaijan
by Cem Oguz, head of the Turkish Center for Strategic and International
Studies.
The remarks made (prior to, and during, his official visit to Southern
Caucasian countries last month) by President Nicholas Sarkozy regarding
the ~SArmenian genocide,~T brought an interesting debate to mind that
erupted in 2006 between Algiers and France.
Perhaps you will well remember: The French National Assembly's approval
in 2005 of a law claiming French colonialism played a positive role
in history was responsible in 2006 for substantial tension between the
two countries. The Algerian government officially called on France to
apologize for crimes committed during its colonial rule. On the 60th
anniversary of the massacres, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
not only condemned the French Army's attack on the cities of Setif
and Guelma in May 1945, which claimed the lives of 45,000 Algerians,
but also called on Paris to act responsibly. The most interesting
remarks, however, came from Amar Bakhouche, then Algerian Senate
speaker. Speaking to AB Haber.com at the time, Bakhouche complained
about Western impositions on less developed or developing countries
and urged France to clean up its own backyard before getting involved
in the Armenian allegations. He then criticized the French standpoint
on Turkey's EU membership bid, arguing that a Muslim population is
undesired in the European Union.
Since then various French politicians have made statements that add
a great deal of weight to the widely expressed view that "history
should be left to historians." Then French Foreign Minister Michel
Barnier, for instance, stated historians from both Algeria and France
had to be encouraged to work together. But the same Barnier reminded
Turkey of its duty to come to terms with its past and urged it to
recognize the Armenian "genocide." He underlined that France didn't
consider Turkish acknowledgement of that a precondition for EU entry,
but insisted his country would raise the issue once talks opened.
In 2006, to set a new course in turbulent Franco-Algerian relations,
then French foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy made an official
visit to Algeria. Signing a delayed friendship accord between
the two countries that, according to analysts, resembled the 1963
Franco-German reconciliation treaty, was to be the most crucial
undertaking on Douste-Blazy's trip. For the French government such a
treaty would have been a move to patch up relations. Yet the treaty
wasn't signed, on the pretext that both parties needed more time to
strike a deal. More importantly, a week after the French foreign
minister's visit, Bouteflika accused France of having committed
genocide during its occupation of Algeria which lasted for 132 years.
According to the Algerian president, this genocide "was not only
against the Algerian people but also against Algerian identity."
The remarks of Bouteflika, who subsequent to his speech went to France
for medical treatment at a military hospital, stirred up substantial
discontent in French domestic politics. Far-right leader Jean-Marie
Le Pen, himself with a dubious record of service in the Algerian
War, argued that accusing France of having committed genocide of
Algerian identity not only had no historical meaning but was also
an unfounded insult aimed at the country. Right-wing nationalist
Movement of France leader Philippe de Villiers attacked the French
government for what he described as its cowardice for refusing to
comment on Bouteflika's remarks. Last, but not least, Lionnel Luca,
then a deputy from the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) Party,
portrayed Bouteflika's visit as "indecent," adding that allegedly it
wasn't the first time the Algerian president had insulted France.
Douste-Blazy, too, wasn't late in responding. He accused the Algerian
president of engaging in polemics. According to the then French
foreign minister, colonialism had had a positive role as well.
Supposedly, the much-complained horrors took place only at the
beginning of the conquest. He then concluded that the recently-invented
term "genocide," as taught by philosophers and intellectuals such as
Primo Levi, should never be "overused."
Well, what do you all think? Is this also a denial by the French? Is
Mr. Sarkozy simply the proto-type of populist French politicians in
that regard?
C. Cem Oguz [email protected]