Former French Culture Minister can't decide on Armenian Genocide
The Armenian community of France urged former French Culture Minister to explain his position on the Armenian Genocide issue.
Jack Lang, a Socialist politician and a staunch supporter of the Armenian genocide bill that was passed by the French Parliament in 2001, retreated from his position when appearing in a Web-broadcasted video record of an October 11, 2008 debate with the Liberte pour l'histoire (Freedom for History) association, a group led by historian Pierre Nora.
"I passed the first resolution of the National Assembly on the recognition, in quotes, can we say, because it is also necessary that historians do their work, the Armenian genocide. I voted because I thought it was an act of moral and repair history, and given the absolute refusal of the Turkish government to accept any discussion, any debate on this subject, it seemed to me the French National Assembly could perform this act. I do not know if I react the same way today, but in any case I have voted. And at the time, I was chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, so I am doubly guilty, if I may say, MP and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. However, I am prepared with force against the second law on Armenia, already at that time I committed a crime, vis a vis the instructions of my own group, I refused to vote as a text monstrous," he said.
Lang claimed that the parliamentarians voted for the law not because of their allegiance to a nation or a history, but in order to garner votes and labeled the 2001 bill that recognized the Armenian genocide denial as a horrible mistake.
Moved by these remarks, Alexis Govciyan, president of the Federation of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), addressed an open letter to the parliamentarian, requesting him for an explanation.
As a response to the stormy reaction of the Armenian community, Lang, who is currently on a visit to Japan, said he is "saddened by the dishonest campaign orchestrated against him."
"I do not have to get into argument with anyone. I do not need to be taught a lesson," he told AFP.
"I will work for international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, specifically by Turkey," he said.
Jack Lang, a Socialist politician and a staunch supporter of the Armenian genocide bill that was passed by the French Parliament in 2001, retreated from his position when appearing in a Web-broadcasted video record of an October 11, 2008 debate with the Liberte pour l'histoire (Freedom for History) association, a group led by historian Pierre Nora.
"I passed the first resolution of the National Assembly on the recognition, in quotes, can we say, because it is also necessary that historians do their work, the Armenian genocide. I voted because I thought it was an act of moral and repair history, and given the absolute refusal of the Turkish government to accept any discussion, any debate on this subject, it seemed to me the French National Assembly could perform this act. I do not know if I react the same way today, but in any case I have voted. And at the time, I was chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, so I am doubly guilty, if I may say, MP and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. However, I am prepared with force against the second law on Armenia, already at that time I committed a crime, vis a vis the instructions of my own group, I refused to vote as a text monstrous," he said.
Lang claimed that the parliamentarians voted for the law not because of their allegiance to a nation or a history, but in order to garner votes and labeled the 2001 bill that recognized the Armenian genocide denial as a horrible mistake.
Moved by these remarks, Alexis Govciyan, president of the Federation of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), addressed an open letter to the parliamentarian, requesting him for an explanation.
As a response to the stormy reaction of the Armenian community, Lang, who is currently on a visit to Japan, said he is "saddened by the dishonest campaign orchestrated against him."
"I do not have to get into argument with anyone. I do not need to be taught a lesson," he told AFP.
"I will work for international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, specifically by Turkey," he said.
