Hurriyet / Turkish Daily News
February 12, 2009 Thursday

ON ARMENIAN LOBBIES FIGHTING FREE SPEECH AND POLITICIANS NOT STANDING
UP FOR LIBERTY

In Washington the "mischief of factions" is in full swing in the
corridors of power to paraphrase James Madison, the father of the
American Constitution. Lobbies are hard at work and not just for
bailout money. Electoral promises were made, campaign money raised by
the well-organized Armenian interest group. Its time for reckoning.

American lawmakers would be well advised to look at recent
developments in France for a reality check. The 2001 law recognizing
the events of 1915 as "genocide" was passed. But the Armenian lobby
asked for more, namely the criminalization of the denial of
"genocide." When the bill reached the Senate in 2007, it finally
dawned on a wise few that the logical legal consequence was that
France would need to arrest and prosecute the entire Turkish
nation. Our political establishment backpedaled. The National Assembly
issued a 400-page Information Report on Nov. 18, 2008. Sobering
reading! Contrary to what some intellectuals keep trumpeting, it is
not the Armenian community who requires further protection. The report
states the risks posed by the introduction of so-called memory laws:
unconstitutionality, abridgement of fundamental freedoms, disguised
censorship through the threat of legal action, the creation of a
precedent for a "thought" crime, restriction of the fundamental
principle of freedom of scholarship. Last but not least, these laws
due to their communitarian logic could weaken the fabric of our
society. It concludes that it is not the role of Parliament to write
history. Eminent law professors have appealed for their annulment.

With a growing sense that a Rubicon against individual liberties has
been crossed, the silent French majority is now speaking out. In
growing numbers citizens are saying that "Liberty for history is
liberty for all," (2008 European historians "Appel de Blois" see
"Liberte pour lHistoire" ). The practice of state
edicted truth is not consistent with our democratic values. As Hayeks
famously commented in "The Road to Serfdom," in totalitarian regimes,
"the disinterested search for truth cannot be allowed Opinion must be
controlled." With these laws the "end of truth" in the field of
history is staring us in the face. The Armenian lobby is increasingly
looking like an Orwellian "thought" police intent on misusing the
Ministere de la Justice as a Ministry of "their Truth."

The story of socialist politician and Member of Parliament, or MP,
Dr. Jack Lang is enlightening. During a debate with historians, he
admitted candidly that MPs had mostly voted for the 2001 law "out of
electoral concerns." Hence a senior political figure essentially
admits the obvious, namely that a small dedicated minority had imposed
its "diktat" on the majority under the guise of the "common will," (28
votes in a National Assembly of 577). His eloquent defense of freedom
of expression resulted in him being targeted with a deluge of
aggressive and unjustified attacks (letters, blog comments, etc) which
forced him to retract behind a wall of political correctness. He is
only the latest victim of the situation precisely highlighted as a
"risk" in the report. A letter addressed to the former Minister by
Alexis Govcivan, a leading figure of the pro-Armenian lobby, is a
thinly disguised threat to sue. The free exchange of ideas and dissent
within its own ranks cannot be allowed. The very notion that Armenians
would apologize for the murders committed by the nationalist terrorist
organization Asala in the 1970s and 80s is abhorrent. Dr. Armen
Gavakian from the Macquarie University, Sydney had to cancel the
launch of a campaign inspired by a similar Turkish initiative
apologizing to Armenians (). The Turkish
intellectuals campaign continues to gather signatures despite the
pressure.

Almost a century after a dark period for all the peoples of Anatolia,
it is time to leave history to the historians, time to look to the
future. Turkey and Armenia have engaged in a dialogue started by the
brave steps of the two leaders and the visit to Yerevan of President
Abdulah Gul last September. History is being written where it
matters. Diplomatic efforts to normalize relations if conclusive may
open a new era of trade and prosperity, cultural exchanges between the
two nations, free debate between historians. The diasporas aggressive
lawmaking and bullying strategy may satisfy the nationalists in their
ranks but it is not helping to resolve present problems. Obstructing
progress from the prosperous and free United States and Europe is easy

Exercising judgment and leadership takes courage. When called upon to
vote on the resolution, American lawmakers should seriously ask
themselves whether the founders of their democracy had given them
powers to write Armenian and Turkish history. I hope they wont chose
to appease yet another lobby under pretence of justice and remember
George Washington’s wise words: "If the freedom of speech is taken
away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

(Sophie Quintin Adaly is a French citizen living in Tokyo who sent
this piece through "letters to editor." Views expressed here are her
own.)