Author: Kajoyan Gevork

WE ARE NOT HOSTAGES BUT CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY

Turkish Daily News
Turkish Press Yesterday
Sept 27 2006

Milliyet yesterday reported that a group of Turkish citizens of Greek
and Armenian origin condemned the Justice and Development Party (AKP)
government for withdrawing a law proposal on returning the property of
non-Muslim associations and the main opposition Republican People’s
Party (CHP) for demanding that the principle of "reciprocity" be
applied for Turkish minorities in other countries.

A group of approximately 100 Turkish citizens of Armenian and
Greek ethnicity issued a statement reading, "We equally condemn the
government, which openly admits that it has taken up our rights as
citizens only as a requirement of the European Union accession process,
and the opposition, which holds the view that this society’s diversity
should be leveled by assimilating minorities. We would like to tell
them [the opposition] that this mentality, which demands "reciprocity,"
is a confession that they see us as hostages; the system they envision
is not that of a democratic republic. We invite both the government
and the opposition to absorb the values of a democratic republic and
to act accordingly."

E.P. WITHDRAWS CALL FOR RECOGNITION OF SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Turkish Press
Sept 27 2006

STRASBOURG – General Assembly of EP withdrew its call on Turkey
to recognize so-called Armenian genocide as a pre-condition for
EU membership.

A huge part of the parliamentarians of Socialist, Liberal and Green
groups at EP had asked amendment of this article which took place
in EP’s Turkey report. The call for amendment was accepted with 320
votes against 282 votes.

Voting is still continuing for the report which was prepared by Dutch
parliamentarian Camiel Eurlings.

PLATVOET BELIEVES PROGRESS POSSIBLE IN QUESTIONS OF MISSING PERSONS IN CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2006 16:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Making progress in questions of the missing in
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia is possible, Rapporteur of the PACE
Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population Leo Platvoet believes,
says a PACE release. After a visit to Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhazia,
Platvoet is more optimistic to the prospect of progress.

The release says that having visited Baku, Tbilisit and Yerevan
in June 2006, Leo Platvoet arrived at an opinion that the parties
interested want to engage in that issue not from the political,
but humanitarian point of view.

The PACE Rapporteur remarked that ICRC mechanisms were apt and the
parties agreed over the core issue – making the lists of the missing
comply and collecting data on persons, who died. Finally, Platvoet
said that respective committees should work more closely to attain
progress soon.

OPEN LETTER TO KURDISTAN’S PRIME MINISTER NECHIRVAN BARZANI
By Xemgine Welat

Kurdish Media, UK
Sept 26 2006

Dear Mr. Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani,

As a Kurd, I am so honored to see the promising developments in
the southern part of our homeland and also to see you as the Prime
Minister of a unified Kurdish government. I have no doubt that you
will serve our nation in the best possible way.

As the Kurds of the North (of Kurdistan) who are victims of cruel
denial and suppression policies of the Turkish state and deprived
of basic human rights, we turn our hope to southern Kurdistan and
expect you to take some steps for 25 million Kurds in the biggest
part of Kurdistan.

As you well know, we still can not speak Kurdish freely or get
education in our mother tongue. Our language can not have any channels
to survive and flourish. Due to this, the situation of the Kurdish
language is getting worse by the day and speakers of our beloved
language are decreasing gradually. Even in the capital city, Amed,
the daily social, cultural and political life is in Turkish.

Needless to say, PKK is just as guilty as the Turkish state for not
paying enough attention to the Kurdish language and culture and not
prioritizing it. As Dr. Ismail Besikci states in one of his recent
interviews, PKK uses the words Kurd and Kurdistan quite often,
yet it has always used Turkish in its publications. There is also a
significant amount of Turkish on Roj TV despite the worsening language
issue; TV officials don’t seem to take any precautions on this matter.

While this is the gloomy picture of the North, we are enthusiastically
looking forward to seeing good news from you about the world’s most
oppressed language, the Kurmanji Kurdish dialect. It is a Kurdish
dialect spoken by more than 25 million Kurds and subjected to countless
repression; it wasn’t ever allowed to live freely, to be the language
of academia, or be studied in universities except in the tiny Kurdish
community in Armenia. Its speakers have always been tortured, beaten
and killed; singers and writers were always persecuted. As a result of
such brutal policies, millions of Kurds are not able to speak their
mother tongue and the numbers of Kurmanji speakers seem to be dying
day by day.

Your Excellency,

As the Prime Minister of Kurdish Regional Government, we expect
your government to take immediate measures to protect Kurmanji from
disappearing all together. In my opinion, a Kurmanji conference
should be organized, for instance in Duhok, as soon as possible with
the participation of Kurmanj linguists, academicians, and writers to
determine the strategies needed to keep Kurmanji alive and ways to
flourish it.

In addition, some funds should be arranged in order to publish Kurmanji
books, newspapers, magazines and learning materials such as CDs and
computer programmes.

Such suggestions can be increased but must be prioritized in accordance
with most urgent ones. While, as I mentioned before, we are expecting
excitedly, for you to make the misfortunate situation of our beloved
Kurmanji better, we are shocked by the recent news coming from the
south. Kurmanji, which you call Behdini over in the south, has no value
and status. Although the amount of Kurmanji speakers in the South is
not much less than the Sorani speakers, it is very disappointing that
the Iraqi Kurdish leaders and politicians treat it like a step-son.

According to Permanent Committee on Geographical Names
( nymy%20of%20Northern%20Iraq.pdf)
the amount of Sorani speakers is 2.8 million (10.6% of Iraqi
population) whereas the amount of Kurmanji speakers is 2.2 millions
(8.4 of Iraqi population). Despite the fact that there is little
difference in the figures of the statistics, it is very saddening to
see Kurmanji be put in this position.

Furthermore, it is no doubt that Kurmanji is the widely spoken dialect
of the Kurdish language spoken by 75% of all Kurds. It is also the
only dialect spoken in all four parts of Kurdistan, while Sorani is
only spoken in two parts; some parts of Iraqi Kurdistan and Iranian
Kurdistan.

If Kurdistan is one and Kurdish people are brothers, then there
should be more respect and value for Kurmanji, and thus Kurmanji
speakers. It is obvious that Kurdish people can not have a common
language by ignoring Kurmanji or trying to lower its value. For this
reason it is a shame to recently come across what we have been hearing
and seeing all that is being discoursed in the news and the media.

First of all, there is an obvious intention to remove Kurmanji/Behdini,
where this removal includes the removal of Kurmanji even from classes
in the Behdinan region and make all classes Sorani.

Secondly, we have read with great enthusiasm that, on behalf of the
Kurdistan Regional Government, you signed an agreement with Microsoft
as a participant of a world wide Windowsa Kurdi (Kurdish Windows)
initiative. I, along with a number of other Kurds, felt honored and
pleased to see such a development. Yet, like millions of Kurmanji
speaking Kurds, it devastated me to hear that this Microsoft Windows
will only be in Sorani with Arabic letters which means we, the Kurds
of Turkey, will not be able to utilize such a product. I hope what
has been reflected in the media is not true and that your government
has made a deal with Microsoft for a Kurmanji Windows as well.

We have to understand the situation at hand was the doing of our
enemies and those whose wish is to divide Kurds. To further the work
of such enemies, that is by banning and removing Kurmanji, we are not
progressing in any way but rather retreat the accomplishments we have
made over the years. To make official such a decision will further
deteriorate the unity the Kurds have experienced. Such an action is
being done at the expense of the majority, where democracy fails to
work and absolutism seems to prevail.

Your Excellency,

I am a proud Kurd and I love anything related to Kurds and Kurdistan.

Although I am a Kurmanji Kurd, I also learned some Sorani not because
it is superior or special, but because it is a part of my language. I
love all Kurdish dialects and spend a great number of hours trying to
learn more about them. Yet, our beloved Kurmanji, which was passed down
to us by Ehmede Xani, Melaye Ciziri, Feqiye Teyran, Ehmede Beyazidi,
Cegerxwin and beautiful voices of Mihemed Arife Ciziri, Hesen Ciziri,
Eyshe Shan, Meryemxan, Mihemed Shexo, Karapete Xacho, Sheroye Biro,
Kawis Axa and many others seems to come to a downfall for reasons we
can overcome. It is our nationalistic and patriotic duty to preserve
and promote it and pass it to future generations. At this point,
the biggest responsibility falls onto Your Excellency’s shoulders and
the hard working Kurdish politicians like yourself since you are the
Prime Minister of the only free part of the homeland and along with
your colleagues are the hope for all Kurds in South Kurdistan.

I wholeheartedly hope and believe that your government will take
necessary measures to preserve and develop Kurmanji and that Kurmanji
Microsoft Windows will be the first step in this direction.

Patriotically Yours,

Xemgine Welat

Xemgine Welat can be contacted on: [email protected]

MATTHEW BRYZA: EU AND TURKEY CAN REACH CONCESSIONS

Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 25 2006

"The process of Turkey’s adhesion to the European Union should
continue, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State on Europe and Eurasia
Matthew Bryza said in an interview with the Greek "Eleftherotypia"
newspaper.

Turkish "Zaman" daily reports that Bryza assessed as "positive" the
atmosphere in Ankara, Cyprus and European capitals connected with
the regulation of the Cyprus issue. "I think Turkey and EU can reach
concessions if no one wants the train taking Turkey to the European
Union derail," Bryza declared.

BREAKING IN BREAKAWAY REPUBLICS
Alan Kasayev

RIA Novosti
25/09/2006 13:22 MOSCOW

Although 15 years have passed since the dissolution of the Soviet
Union, the Russian, European and, to a degree, international public
are still undecided over the future of its most forlorn remnants –
the breakaway republics of Nagorny Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia
and Transdnestr.

When the former Soviet republics proclaimed independence and joined
the United Nations, nobody in that organization and outside it
wondered whether the rights of the new members of international law
were legitimate. It was at that time that Georgia, Moldova, Armenia
and Azerbaijan appeared on the political map as independent entities.

Those autonomous republics incorporated in the former Soviet republics
that were dissatisfied with the process spoke up against it. The
result was wars, which they won, but only de facto.

Officially, they are breakaway, unrecognized states, a status they
are desperately trying to shed.

The outcome of the Transdnestr referendum was predictable for the
republic’s population, Moldova, Russia, and many countries in Europe
and America. More than 90% of the population confirmed their desire
to continue building an independent state with a view to joining
Russia. Unfortunately, little will change for them in practical terms.

Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE, the European Union and the United States
have tried, separately and jointly, to settle relations between the
recognized Moldova and unrecognized Transdnestr. The latest idea
provided for maximum autonomy of Transdnestr as part of Moldova,
with its own parliament, interior offices and a kind of national guard.

These Transdnestr institutions are to be preserved if Moldova joins
the EU (hypothetically) and NATO (probably), or proclaims neutrality.

The possibility did not materialize, because of the actions of either
Transdnestr or Moldova or Russia. It does not matter now who was to
blame, because everyone is now waiting to see what will happen after
the referendum.

It is much easier to predict what will not happen. The military
conflict will not escalate, because Moldova will hardly want, or be
able, to fight anyone now. No decision will be made to incorporate
Transdnestr into Russia, because they do not have a common border,
and neighboring Ukraine does not need additional pockets of instability
on its border.

So why was the referendum held? The Transdnestr authorities want
to create a powerful internal impetus for a new stage of their
unrecognized existence. Besides, the referendum was expected to
remind the world about the Transdnestr and other similar problems
within the former Soviet borders, notably South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

These former autonomous republics of the Georgian Soviet Socialist
Republic want to resolve their age-old problems. South Ossetians want
to reunite formally and culturally with North Ossetians. Abkhazians are
proclaiming to Russia and the rest of the world their unwillingness
to be part of Georgia. The bloody clashes of 1991-1993 actually
resulted in independence for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but the
international community continues to consider them parts of Georgia,
although belligerent and separatist ones.

South Ossetia has scheduled a referendum on its status for November
12. It can be marred by bloodshed, which is an unacceptable price
for independence. The unstable Georgian government might proclaim
the referendum illegitimate and plan a powerful lightning military
strike to resolve the problem.

Meanwhile initiators of referendums hope that the population’s will
expressed in them will be respected by international organizations.

The recent referendum in Montenegro resulted in a new state that
became a UN member. A referendum in Kosovo is approaching, which may
create another recognized state in the Balkans. The United States
and the European Union, leading sponsors of the Kosovo peace process,
do not conceal their interest in this outcome. At the same time, they
refuse to support similar referendums in Transdnestr and South Ossetia.

Nagorny Karabakh somehow stands out among self-proclaimed republics.

Unlike Abkhazia, Transdnestr, and South Ossetia, it has long been a
separate issue on the international agenda due to active involvement
of a UN member state, Armenia. But the Nagorny Karabakh issue
strengthens the position of those who believe that we are witnessing
another escalation of a very important problem in global politics,
and theoretical and practical international law. When shall we be
guided by the UN Charter’s fundamental principle on a nation’s right
to self-identification and when do we abide by the 1975 Helsinki
Declaration, which guarantees European borders from changing?

Since the UN was established in 1945, over 70 new countries have
appeared in the world, or one sovereign member a year on average.

Each time a candidate needed an influential sponsor to achieve
international recognition. The Soviet Union used to be one during
the de-colonization era. When its influence faded, the United States
continued in this role. In fact, the Helsinki agreements have been
violated many times since 1989, first in Yugoslavia, then in East
Germany, and later in the Soviet Union. But the UN still recognized
them as legitimate. Does it mean that the Montenegro and Kosovo
scenario is in line with today’s mainstream global policy and that
Transdnestr, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and, perhaps, Nagorny Karabakh
will be recognized?

This outcome is not at all certain. In the 1990s, national and
territorial changes were accompanied by the collapse of the world’s
bipolar structure and supported the emerging unipolar world with
America’s hegemony. The reforms in the Balkans do not so much follow a
scenario of the U.S., which fully dominated the world just five years
ago, as they abide by the interests of the new international power
center represented by the stronger EU. With Washington’s consent,
of course. So…

So the fate of true independence and recognition of Transdnestr
and other territories around Russia will not be decided through
referendums. It will depend on whether Russia becomes a real partner
for the EU and the U.S., at least in Greater Europe, from the Atlantic
to the Urals, in the near future. So far we have seen Moscow’s powerful
advance towards the heights of global politics. But there is still
a long way to go. Russia has recovered a consultative vote with the
right of veto. Neither the European Union nor the U.S.

can settle the Kosovo issue or any other national and territorial
problem without taking Moscow’s opinion into account. But they are
still unable to fully accept its views. So the best decision is not
to make any unequivocal decisions.

The most important goal is to prevent a bloodshed. Moscow, Washington
and Brussels agree on this. Will they be heard in Chisinau, Tiraspol,
Tbilisi and Tskhinvali?

SURPRISE AKP MOTION DERAILS SEMINARY REOPENING

The New Anatolian
Sept 22 2006

Plans by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party government to
reopen the Heybeliada Seminary to Orthodox worshipers from around the
world were blocked yesterday by dissent from within the party itself
as well as opposition parties.

Debates were sparked after an unexpected motion, submitted by Industry
and Commerce Minister Ali Coskun, was passed, and created tension
within the AK Party as well.

AK Party deputies grew wary about the motion after warnings from main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputies, but the fact
that the motion was submitted by Coskun troubled AK Party deputies.

The AK Party’s deputy group leader said on Wednesday that the bill
was to be amended on Thursday. However yesterday debates on the
bill on private educational institutions were postponed. AK Party
officials stressed that the motion was submitted by Coskun, adding,
"Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is abroad and Education Minister Huseyin
Celik is outside Ankara. The ministers should solve the issue among
themselves after Gul and Celik return to Ankara. The motion to amend
the bill can be debated on Tuesday."

At the session yesterday, which wasn’t attended by Celik because he
was on a domestic visit with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
Industry and Commerce Minister Ali Coskun submitted an unexpected
motion. Coskun’s motion wasn’t disclosed to either ruling Justice and
Development (AK) Party or main opposition Republican People’s Party
(CHP) deputies. The motion about the seminary was passed after a
rapid vote by Deputy Parliament Speaker Sadik Yakut, who chaired the
session. Following that, the CHP deputies claimed that the 1923 Treaty
of Lausanne had been violated, as well as the reciprocity principle
with Greece.

The motion submitted by Coskun proposes a change in the definition of
minority schools. "Minority schools: Preschool, primary and secondary
education institutions founded by Turkish citizens that belong to
non-Muslim minorities, are protected under the Treaty of Lausanne and
educate students with Turkish nationality or foreign nationals who
belong to minority groups or are of the same religion and ethnicity
as a minority group," said the motion.

The motion proposes the removal of the phrase "founded by Greek,
Armenian and Jewish minorities" from the second article of the
bill, saying that it is necessary to do so to harmonize it with the
terminology of the Treaty of Lausanne. The reasoning for the motion
said that the terms "Greek" and "Armenian" are ethnic, while the term
"Jewish" is religious. Coskun said, in the reasoning for the motion,
that the related articles of the Treaty of Lausanne don’t say that
students who belong to non-Muslim minorities and aren’t Turkish
nationals can’t attend minority schools.

CHP Deputy Mustafa Gazalci asserted that the motion expanded the
scope of minority schools, adding, "The Treaty of Lausanne may have
been violated. The Foreign Ministry’s opinion should be sought. The
principle of reciprocity might have been violated. The motion would
make it possible for all people belonging to non-Muslim minority
groups to set up schools and for the establishment of schools that
foreign national students could attend."

True Path Party (DYP) Deputy Ummet Kandogan also criticized Coskun,
saying, "We look at the motions you submit; what’s the reason
for Coskun’s interest in foreigners? I claim that if this bill
were proposed by another party in power, you would demolish this
Parliament. I know all of you. What’s happened to you that you remain
silent when such a motion is brought up? Why do you insist on making
mistakes?"

For his part, CHP Sinop Deputy Engin Altay asserted that the bill
opens the way for missionary schools. After Altay said, "The bill
makes electricity and water prices for private schools the same as
for public schools. Make it the same as for mosques; it’s cheaper,"
the AK Party asked him whether he has anything against mosques. In
reply, Altay said, "I don’t know whether you believe enough to question
me. Don’t ever attempt to teach us Islam."

"That’s enough of things imposed by the European Union," said Altay.

"My pride is hurt by them. I support EU accession, but it hurts
my pride to harm our national interests. I believe these aren’t
harmonization but mortgage laws."

The motion would allow Greek, Armenian and Jewish students, who
aren’t Turkish citizens, to attend minority schools in Turkey. CHP
deputy group leader Haluk Koc asked whether the term "Greek" will be
removed from minority schools in Turkey, like "Turkish" was removed
from schools in Western Thrace, Greece.

Justice Commission member Orhan Eraslan accused the AK Party of
secretly opening seminaries. Eraslan claimed that the motion was
passed at the request of the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate to
accept foreign students of the same religion and ethnicity, to reopen
the seminary, which closed down because there weren’t enough students
at the school. Eraslan said that the AK Party government previously
allowed the election of foreign members to the patriarchate’s Holy
Synod assembly and that the Fener Greek patriarch uses the title
"Ecumenical Greek Patriarch of Constantinople."

"When will the Constantinople Greek state or a Byzantine Orthodox one
be established on the historical peninsula after these adjustments?"

asked Eraslan. "Are you aware that the changes violate the Treaty of
Lausanne? When will you stop taking orders from the patriarch?"

ARMENIA CELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 21, 2006 Thursday

Combined reports

President Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan on Thursday on the occasion of the 15th
anniversary of Armenia’s independence celebrated on Thursday.

"Armenia was and remains Russia’s reliable friend and ally. The two
countries are united by long -standing traditions of cooperation,
we have close cultural and spiritual contacts. I am confident that
the Russo-Armenian relations will develop in future in the spirit
of mutual understanding aimed at further deepening of strategic
partnership and the relationship between the countries- allies,"
Putin said in the message.

On Thursday morning a military parade was held in the central square
of Yerevan devoted to the 15th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

President Robert Kocharyan, other members of the Armenian government,
head of the Armenian Apostolic Church Catholics Garegin II and
President of self-proclaimed Karabakh republic Arkady Gukasyan were
standing on a rostrum decorated in red-blue-orange colors of the
Armenian state flag.

Defense Minister, Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Serzh
Sarkisyan inspected troops lined up on the parade grounds and
congratulated the troops upon the 15th jubilee. Then, the Armenian
national anthem was played, and fifteen artillery salvoes were fired.

Planes of the Armenian Air Force performed aerobatic flights, leaving
a tail of smoke that had a shade of the Armenian tricolor flag. The
audiences watched flights preformed by Russian Mig-29 jets sent from
the 102nd Russian Air Force base stationed in Armenia in accordance
with the Russo-Armenian interstate agreement.

The gala show included a parade of armored vehicles, missile and
artillery troops and Air Defense troops that belong to the United
Air Defense troops of the CIS. All the aircraft and ground military
hardware used in Armenia are either of Soviet or Russia’s make, and
most of the Armenian officers are graduates of military schools of
the former Soviet Union and Russia.

A brass orchestra of the Armenia Defense Ministry crowned the gala
parade in Yerevan.

LES HISTORIENS FACE AUX LOIS
par Ixchel Delaporte

L’Humanite, France
23 septembre 2006

Etait-il opportun d’adopter des lois memorielles ? Quel peut en etre
l’impact sur la recherche historique ?

Village du Livre

" La loi doit-elle dire l’histoire ? " Avec Claude Mazauric,
historien. Nicolas Offenstadt, historien.

Elisabeth Roudinesco, historienne de la psychanalyse.

Tout a commence avec la loi du 25 fevrier 2005 sur les rapatries,
exigeant dans son article 4 que soit enseigne le " rôle positif " de
la colonisation. De nombreux historiens denoncent ce texte, exigeant
l’abrogation de l’article (qui a ete declasse depuis par le Conseil
constitutionnel), en refusant de se voir imposer " une histoire
officielle " visant a minimiser les mefaits du colonialisme. Dans
le prolongement de cette large mobilisation, dix-neuf d’entre eux
signent un appel au gouvernement intitule " Liberte pour l’histoire "
et reclamant " le droit et la liberte " de travailler dans le respect
d’une separation de l’Etat et de la connaissance. Ils ne mettent donc
pas seulement en cause la loi du 25 fevrier 2005, mais reclament
l’abrogation de la loi Gayssot du 13 juillet 1990 qui interdit le
negationnisme de la Shoah, celle du 29 janvier 2001 reconnaissant
l’existence du " genocide armenien ", et celle encore du 21 mai 2001
qui qualifie la traite negrière de crime contre l’humanite.

" La loi Gayssot fait du negationnisme un delit. Du coup, lorsqu’on
debusque le negationnisme inconscient de ceux qui dissimulent leurs
opinions, on se fait attaquer en justice pour diffamation. C’est ce qui
m’est arrive ! À mon sens, l’existence de la loi empeche de demasquer
les negationnistes et de produire des analyses interpretatives
sur l’histoire ", avance Elisabeth Roudinesco, historienne de la
psychanalyse et signataire de l’Appel des dix-neuf.

La loi devient alors une arme a double tranchant.

À côte d’elle, les historiens Claude Mazauric et Nicolas Offenstadt
s’opposent a l’idee de ranger toutes les lois memorielles dans le meme
sac. " On a dit qu’elles etaient toutes mauvaises parce que l’Etat
n’avait pas a entrer dans les affaires historiennes. Si je defends
l’autonomie de notre discipline, je ne peux pas accepter de faire
abstraction des valeurs qu’exprime un texte legislatif. Cela voudrait
dire que l’historien pourrait se placer au-dessus de ce que portent
les lois. C’est indefendable ", estime Nicolas Offenstadt, enseignant
a Paris-I et vice-president du Comite de vigilance face aux usages
publics de l’histoire. " Une societe ne peut pas vivre sans fixer
des normes, juge pour sa part Claude Mazauric, professeur emerite
a l’universite de Rouen. Il remarque que si quelques historiens
ont nie l’existence de la Shoah, le negationnisme n’est pas un
travail d’histoire. " Qu’un depute communiste ait considere que ce
negationnisme relevait d’un comportement politique et qu’il etait
necessaire de reaffirmer des valeurs republicaines ne me choque pas ".

Alors, quid de la loi du 25 fevrier 2005 jugee inacceptable et
combattue par une grande majorite de chercheurs et enseignants ?

Cette loi faisant l’apologie du colonialisme, a la difference des
autres, ne relève pas du fait mais de l’ideologie. " Valoriser
les aspects positifs de la colonisation, c’est precisement cela le
colonialisme ", remarque Claude Mazauric. Pour lui, les signataires
de la petition " Liberte pour l’histoire " s’erigent en penseurs de
ce qu’est l’histoire. " Ils se posent comme un ordre " qui cherche
par une delegation d’autorite et de pouvoir a definir le travail
des historiens. " C’est le propre du corporatisme que de nier
l’intervention de l’Etat et de valoriser le pouvoir autonome de ceux
qui savent et de ceux qui definissent les normes ", remarque-t-il
en estimant qu’il appartient au debat public de discuter des verites
historiques. Pour autant, Elisabeth Roudinesco n’a de cesse d’insister
sur " les effets pervers " des lois historiques, " a l’image des
demandes de dommages et interets des descendants d’esclaves ou des
Armeniens ". En matière de recherche, tout doit pouvoir etre mis
en cause, conteste ou nie, resume-t-elle, alors que l’existence et
le maintien de textes contraignants empechent progressivement les
querelles interpretatives. Nicolas Offenstadt juge pour sa part
inutile de porter le fer contre des lois qui denoncent l’esclavage
ou le negationnisme. " Du point de vue du travail de l’historien,
ces trois lois, contrairement a celle sur la colonisation, ne posent
aucun problème ". Et de conclure : " On ne peut pas mettre toutes
les lois sur le meme plan ".

–Boundary_(ID_Vlew9u8lpntUvGkzXjib7Q)–

SAKI IS HEAVEN FOR THE DISABLED

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Sept 21 2006

This summer 14 disabled liberation soldiers, members of Vita NGO, got
a treatment in the resort town of Saki in Ukraine. We talked to Edward
Andrian, disabled liberation soldier, who has recently returned from
Saki. "I’m very satisfied with the trip. Though first we had problems
with renting apartments, we found comfortable rooms and stayed there
in groups," he said. This is Edward’s second treatment in Saki. About
6-7 people were in Saki for the first time.

"We who were there for the second time helped our friends who were
there for the first time to orient. In the beginning it was difficult
for them, but then they got used. The doctors were very careful and
attentive," said Edward. They stayed at the sanatorium until midday.

"Then we walked in the town, in groups or alone, shops, markets,
cafes … We were encouraged by the thought that Saki was built for
disabled people," said Edward. They also visited Sevastopol on July
31. The local Armenian community provided transport and organized a
party for them.