Row Over Anti-revisionist Laws

[DominO123]

Never should a position be restricted. On the other hand, no one can restrict politicians to take position. That France recognized the Armenian genocide, doesn't mean that people are not free to doubt it did not happen. The denial should not be illegal, but France position should be clear, and is clear by the Law. Every nation that recognize the genocide should do it based on its own documentation. It think the law should be changed for something such: "According to French archives, what happened to the Armenians qualify as genocide."

 

 

ROW OVER ANTI-REVISIONIST LAWS

By Shirli Sitbon in Paris

 

European Jewish Press, Belgium

Jan 4 2006

 

French intellectuals are divided over a series of anti-revisionist

laws.

 

On 12 December, 19 historians signed the "Freedom for History"

petition, demanding the removal of legislation on Holocaust denial

and denial of the Armenian genocide, as well as a law that condemns

slavery as a crime against humanity. They claim the legislation

undermines their research work.

 

The call to suppress anti-revisionist laws was dismissed on 2 January

by LICRA, the league against racism and anti-Semitism and on 20

December, 32 intellectuals signed a petition entitled "let's not mix

everything up" to counter the first initiative.

 

The debate over the legislation started with the controversial 23

February 2005 law on French colonialism. Its 4th article stipulates

that teachers should tell their pupils about the positive aspects of

French presence abroad.

 

At first, this guideline did not get much public attention, though

it angered many blacks and Arabs. A few months later the media,

the opposition and many intellectuals started criticising the law,

saying it was unwise and even racist.

 

On 8 December, socialist MP Dominique Strauss-Kahn launched a national

petition against the 4th article of the 23 February law, and on 30

December he gave it to the Elysee presidential palace with 42,000

signatures, asking president Chirac to remove the amendment.

 

Those opposed to the article say the parliament should be able to

dictate an official history.

 

No limitation

 

But the 19 historians who signed the "Freedom for History" petition

want to go further. They are opposed to all laws that impose boundaries

and ask for the removal of the anti-revisionist laws.

 

Other intellectuals, such as Serge Klarsfeld and Claude Lanzmann,

consider that anti-revisionist laws do not limit historians.

 

"The three laws don't in any way limit the freedom of research and of

expression," they wrote. "Those laws only recognise certified facts

on genocide and crimes against humanity in order to fight denial and

to preserve the dignity of the victims offended by denial."

 

"Those who wish to deny the Holocaust or the Armenian genocide have

political intentions and not scientific ones," they added.

 

The National Front is in favour of the suppression of the

anti-revisionist laws.

 

Following criticism of the 23 February law, the government is

evaluating its amendment.

 

Criticism from right and left

 

French Interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy asked the young Jewish

lawyer Arno Klarsfeld to prepare a report on history, legislation and

memory. His choice was severely criticised by extreme-right newspaper

"Minute" and by the anti-racist movement MRAP, which has poor relations

with the Jewish community and Israel.

 

"Arno Klarsfeld is not competent nor legitimate for this mission

because, as a citizen of the state of Israel he is a partisan of

colonialism," said MRAP chairman Mouloud Aounit.

 

Klarsfeld answered that he was in favour of a two-state solution in

the Middle East.

 

"Maybe Mouloud Aounit is on the same line as the Iranian president

Ahmadinejad who considers Jews have no right to live in the Middle

East," said the lawyer, "the fact that both the extreme right and

the extreme left are criticising the mission I've been given is

quite reassuring."

 

http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/5044