The Armenian Genocide is a controversial issue. I’ve written before about its historical value and how it has been manipulated, both by Turkey and its commercial partners to improve relations at the expense of historical fact. I’ve applauded France for standing up to the Turkish threats and acknowledging a fact that has been long ignored by many in the international community.
Yet the voting of the French Parliament on whether it should become illegal to deny the Armenian Genocide is as wrong, as controversial and as politically — and not historically or culturally — motivated as Turkey’s denial that it ever happened.
At a time when even Germany is considering dropping the post-WW2 law that forbids the public display of the nazi insignia, perhaps a token of how times have changed and how the need for freedom of speech has been gradually replacing the fear of extremism, France is making a U-turn by considering voting on what is effectively a gag order; this is not about prevention of history distortion. France has officially accepted the Armenian Genocide as a historical fact, along with many countries all over the globe. That was commendable and a sound political move on principle. This is about freedom of speech and short-term political interests.
Less than a year after the controversial islamic prophet sketches that largely exposed Europe’s inability to live up to its assumed role as a culturally and socially advanced continent, comes another politically motivated move that serves no one, but the politicians organising it.
