Genocide negation cases increasing among school students in France

March 22, 2010 - 20:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Genocide negation cases are increasing among school students in France.

In one of Strasbourg schools, music teacher set the homework of Charles Aznavour's Pour toi Armenie song, having handed out the lyrics, containing references to Armenian Genocide, as well as a note on the first genocide of the 20th century. The fact displeased Turkish student Edanur Gedik, who refused from learning the song and started negating the Armenian Genocide. In reply, the teacher stated that if Turkey seeks to become EU member, it has to acknowledge Genocide in the first place, Zaman reported.

France is among the countries where Genocide negation is punishable.

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.