The Armenian genocide: The EU is picking the wrong battle
by Gareth Cartman
A law, proposed by the Socialist party, has been voted through the
Assemblée Nationale today. Turkey is furious, as is the EU. However,they
forget one thing - the holocaust is banned in many countries across
Europe. Time to be less selective with our memories.
A little perspective. Holocaust denial is illegal in the following
countries:
- Austria (6 month to 20 years prison sentence)
- Belgium (maximum one year sentence or a fine)
- Czech Republic (6 month to 2 years prison sentence)
- France (maximum two year sentence or a fine)
- Germany (maximum five year sentence or a fine)
- Israel (maximum five year sentence)
- Lithuania (maximum ten year sentence)
- Poland (maximum three year sentence)
- Romania (6 month to 2 year sentence)
- Slovakia (maximum three year sentence)
- Switzerland (maximum 15 month sentence or fine)
Today, French socialists have voted through a law that will make denial
of the Armenian holocaust illegal as well, with a one year jail sentence
and a fine. Not wishing to take part in a debate that
they morally could not win, the UMP refused to take part, making the
actual vote (106-19) something of a cakewalk for the Socialists.
The reaction has been hostile. Firstly, the Turks have taken to the streets in protest outside the French embassy in Ankara. There has been talk of a boycott of French products, which the government moved to deny quickly - stressing that the people would make that choice. The government then went on to mention that French companies would be viewed unfavourably when seeking to enter markets in Istanbul.
France has reconfirmed its commitment to dialogue with Turkey and has stressed that the passing of this law will in no way hinder talks regarding accession to the EU, to which France has always been relatively favourable.
EU spokesmen have spoken furiously against the law today. Quoted in
Libération, British Lib-Dem vice-president for the Turkish delegation,
Andrew Duff, said that it was a sad day for liberal ideas
in France, and that the Assemblée Nationale had rejected the fundamental
rights of freedom of speech. Voltaire must be turning in his grave, he
said.
While the EU is attempting to force Turkey to overturn its own laws which "offend the Turkish identity" (and mentioning the Armenian Genocide is a possible method of offending this identity), it feels that the French law will hinder negotiations. Indeed, if Turkey is to promote freedom of speech by overturning their own law, this law in France hardly gives the Turks the best example of how to do so.
Jacques Chirac - the man who started the debate by declaring in
Yerevan that the Turks must acknowledge the genocide - has been
strangely quiet on the issue. Chirac has been strongly against
historic laws, throwing France's colonial glorification out of the law
books, acknowledging the role the Harkis played for France in the
Algerian war and revising the pensions of colonial-origin soldiers
recently.
The majority of historians agree that the genocide of the Armenians did indeed take place.
Not just the majority, but almost every single historian.
To its credit, even Turkey has welcomed a debate on the subject and university professors have acknowledged that the genocide did take place.
Between 1915 and 1917, over 1.5 million Armenians were massacred as the Ottoman Empire drew to a bloody close.
The genocide took place.
Of that there can be no doubt.
Today's law may not be the most necessary law in the world, and it may not be the most popular, but the EU are picking the wrong battle. While voices against this law claim that it will hinder negotiations, it should indeed help negotiations. Concerned only with its own negotiations and business, the EU ignores the fact that holocaust denial is illegal in most countries across Europe - why should denial of the Armenian genocide cause such a problem?
This is not about freedom of speech - holocaust deniers or
revisionists frequently take their claims to the European Court using
the Freedom of Speech Law as the basis of their ultimate defence.
They are thrown out of court each time. Besides, what use is freedom of
speech when it is to deny the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians?
If Turkey has pretentions to EU accession, then the EU will be all the better for its eventual inclusion.
But the EU cannot and must not accept Turkey unless it acknowledges the genocide.
The law passed today is not foolish, useless or even vain.
It is necessary - and not without precedent.
Remember.
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