Zaman, Turkey
May 12 2006

‘French Parliament Seized by Armenian Lobbyists’
By Ali Ihsan Aydin, Paris
Published: Friday, May 12, 2006
zaman.com

A well-known French academic, Professor Pierre Nora, has strong
criticism for the bill advocating the imprisonment of those who deny
the Armenian Holocaust.

The respected historian told Zaman his opinions on the bill to be
discussed in the French National Parliament, and said, “The French
parliament is being held captive by Armenian pressure groups.” Nora
pointed out that the approval of the bill will end the discussions on
the Armenian genocide and added, “It is much easier to discuss the
Armenian problem in Istanbul than it is in Paris.”

Professor Nora, one of the French historians that composed a protest
letter against the proposed Armenian genocide law, said, “The bill is
a Socialist Party bid to win Armenian sympathy before the elections.”

Nora also criticized the genocide law passed in 2001 and recalled the
appearance of famous historian Bernard Lewis in court. He said these
kinds of scandalous events should not be repeated.

The French historian said “I’m afraid this bill will pass” as he
warned the Armenian problem will become impossible to discuss if it
becomes a law. Nora asserted this attempt will open the door for
other societies’ to demand similar laws, and “the past will be
imprisoned in law” as historians will be prevented from studying the
most controversial historical events.

Nora noted they founded the “Association of Freedom for History” with
a group of French academics after the French Parliament began to
discuss laws on historical issues. He expressed that they want bills
which determine what historians should teach and what should be
studied to be withdrawn. The French historian maintains this kind of
law is an attempt to form an official version of history and said:
“France has become accustomed to making such laws. But a law
restricting the freedom of historians does not suit a free country.
They can only happen in the totalitarian countries where politicians
talk about the official reality.”

Bill, a political investment

“It is easier to discuss the Armenian question in Turkey than it is
in Paris” said Nora, highlighting the conferences held for the
Armenian issue in Turkey and the Turkish government’s initiative to
create a commission of historians, which he considers significant
improvements. “The French Parliament is being taken hostage by
Armenian oppression groups,” said Nora, claiming that Armenian groups
in France are extremely powerful and well-organized, and consequently
influence politics. Nora expressed his disapproval of the `Genocide
Law’ issued in 2001, and qualified the judicial process of renowned
historian Bernard Lewis for such a case as a “scandal”.

Recalling the “guarantee” given to them by members of the parliament
whom they met with after the law on communicating the good sides of
colonialism, and the call from President Jacques Chirac to the
Parliament to remain detached from historical subjects, Nora assessed
PS’ law proposal, which disregards all of the above, as “shocking.”
While historian claims that this was a political investment of
Socialists, he said, “The only aim of the bill is to win the
sympathies of Armenians for the upcoming elections.”

Historians also strive to stop Armenian Bill

French politics are so hard to decipher that even the French
themselves have a hard time making sense of it, said a historian in
his reaction against French politicians, `The situation is so
nonsensical that one can hardly ever take a serious look at it.’

Ratification of the proposed `genocide’ bill will further complicate
the Turkish march towards membership with the European Union (EU),
said Nora, and pointed the finger at the incongruity of the PS’
effort, considering the party used to back the Turkish struggle for
an EU membership.

It is not up to French historians to speak out about the Armenian
genocide because they do not have an understanding of its specific
conditions, said Nora, as he declined to express his own ideas over
the Armenian issue, mentioning instead he is rather interested in the
French politician’s attitude towards the Armenian question.

Historians are also making an effort to stop the bill from being
enacted, said Nora, adding that the news media will hear further
statements from the historians in the near future.

As Nora stressed their ongoing efforts to keep in touch with
parliamentarians, he quoted the parliamentary group leader of the
Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) as saying in a telephone
conversation that there is no guarantee for anything yet, but there
will be every possible effort to stop it from happening. What is more
striking is the fact that 300 Armenians gathered just outside the UMP
headquarters during the parliamentary discussions over the Armenian
genocide bill.

Nora is a member of the Academic Francaise, and is widely known as a
French historian and intellectual.