ESSENTIAL LIES

Armenia is preparing to mark another anniversary of the "Armenian genocide" with all due pomp. The local mass media provide detailed reports on where Armenians and Armenian lobbyists plan to be on that day. While the US Congress is preparing to discuss this very Resolution 106 and while in Yerevan the number of countries which have recognized the 1915 events as "genocide" is counted, Dashnaks have already staged a torch-light procession which resembled a live newsreel from 1930s Germany. This all happens on the sidelines of a heated discussion, or more precisely, of the moralizing monologues of those who call for immediate condemnation of "any genocide", since these crimes cannot and could not be justified.

True, the Armenian lobbyists received an unpleasant surprise. According to the media, the internal affairs ministers of the European Union countries have reached agreement on the European project to condemn racism and xenophobia. They agreed to recognize the stirring up of national and racial hatred as an offence in all 27 countries of the union, according to the BBC. The agreement stipulates that stirring up hatred or violence against any group on the basis of the colour of skin, race, nationality or citizenship should be punishable by imprisonment for up to one year. Another aspect is worth noting, however. Informed sources maintain that the EU countries failed to agree on universal condemnation of the denial of genocide. The mass media most frequently mentioned denial of the Holocaust.

Nevertheless, the new draft law leaves room for "expanded interpretation", which seems to be a "loophole" when viewed against the background of the lack of consensus among historians on the 1915 events and the recognition of "genocide" by the parliaments of many European countries. Thus it cannot be ruled out that tomorrow those who doubt the Armenian version of what happened more than a hundred years ago will "do time". One way or another, the Turkish Daily News has already sounded a warning: "The European Union is close to passing a draft law on criminal liability for racism and xenophobia and Ankara fears that the law will also be applied to the "Armenian genocide".

Indeed, the facts of the Holocaust and of the genocide in Rwanda have been proved in court and there are numerous documents to support them. Still the parliaments of a number of countries have not waited for the verdict of historians and recognize as "genocide" the story of the Armenian mutinies in the rearguard of the Turkish army in 1915. The National Assembly of France even passed a draft law which envisages criminal liability for denying this version. Against this background, the Turkish authorities are bound to be worried that governments of other EU countries will feel compelled to follow the example set by France. In addition, the press secretary of the Turkish government, Jemil Chichek, noted that the draft law in question runs counter to the UN Convention and violates freedom of expression and the right of scholars to conduct research.

Although Europeans seek to reassure that the new draft law will in no way make denying the "Armenian genocide" an offence, it is quite difficult to dismiss Ankara's concerns as groundless, especially in light of the French legislators' initiative.

Further, in spite of constant calls for Turkish-Armenian dialogue, attempts to "get it started" have so far failed. For example, at the same time that European ministers began to examine the new draft law, the Armenian community of Texas opposed the organization of a "Turkish-Armenian dialogue" conference in the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Their argument was that the main objective of the conference was allegedly to deny the "Armenian genocide". The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) noted that a similar conference "Ottoman diversity and multiculturalism" was organized in Austin two weeks ago. This is how the Armenian community interpretes "dialogue" along the same lines as "peaceful settlement in Karabakh" - they understand that it should be exclusively about fulfilling Armenian conditions and demands.

However, the Federation of Armenian organizations in the Netherlands (FAON) had to urge the Dutch government not to agree with the Brussels directive on criminalizing the denial of genocide, because the document did not mention the "Armenian genocide". FAON suggested urgent consultation on the issue and called on the Dutch government not to take any irreversible measures to endorse the document unless it included a reference to the "Armenian genocide" (placed in quotes by the editorial office). The Federation's statement said: "It is absurd and unacceptable for the document not to mention the first genocide of the 20th century, which is systematically denied by Turkey in line with its policy of denial. Such a selective attitude towards historical events is a manifestation of scandalous discrimination and demonstrates an irreconcilable contempt on the part of Europe for the Armenians' tragedy. Furthermore, this shows that Europe is on its knees before Turkey's policy of denial. This also means that in its actions aimed at denying the 'genocide', Turkey has made certain progress in Europe."

Unfortunately, the developments in Brussels and Dallas have no bearing on the overall picture. The debate on the "Armenian genocide" remains a classic example of how easy it is in the contemporary world to accuse an entire nation of committing a crime and demand repentance and punishment without anyone asking for evidence to prove the case. Indeed, it is hard to imagine an ordinary court accusing an ordinary person of murder by simply speculating about a murder. In court it has to be proven first that this was murder and not a traffic accident or self-defence, that this person is indeed the culprit and so on. It is all much easier when accusing an entire nation: it is enough to utter that there was a "genocide" and then to start hitting out right and left about the "immorality" of denial. Meanwhile, it is quite obvious that European politicians use the Armenian myths to continue to support their agenda, seeking not to allow Turkey to join the European Union in order to maintain the existing leadership of France and Germany in Europe and playing off both sides. The victims of actual Armenian terror, born of the demand for "vengeance for genocide" can be forgotten for a while. It is also worth noting that it was such a "genocide" thesis that led to the Karabakh war, as Armenians believed a priori that they could not live in a Turkic-speaking country.

However, even though the dispute about what exactly happened in 1915 has continued for decades, the situation is quite different now. The Turkish authorities recently opened for scholarly research their own archives related to the 1915 events and called on European countries to follow their example. Turkey also recalled that Dashnaktsutyun's archives have also been preserved.

Indeed, one can talk forever about the Armenian mutiny which occurred in eastern Anatolia and which was provoked largely by Russian emissaries and pro-Russian elements among the Armenians themselves. More and more documentary evidence can be produced to support the case, including telegrammes sent by Armenian leaders to European capitals, which said: "We are waiting for your offensive, we will hit Turkey's rearguard." By opening their own archives and calling for the creation of a joint commission consisting of Armenian historians as well, the Turkish authorities sent a very simple and clear signal to the entire world: we have nothing to be ashamed of in our past, we have committed no crimes and are unwilling to repent for what we have not done.

Regrettably, Europe responded with draft laws criminalizing the denial of the "Armenian genocide". And Armenian lobbyists are making titanic efforts to keep the discussion in the "political" domain and never to allow a scholarly investigation of exactly what happened in Anatolia in 1915.

However, Armenia cannot completely ignore historical truth and so it does its best to come up with a similar campaign. Although historians keep reminding us that the figure of 1.5m people killed has been exaggerrated to the point where it is unbelievable, independent French journalist Jean Ekian announced the beginning of a new campaign called "The dead have names". Ekian created a website where any user can write the names of those who, according to the Armenian version, "sacrificed their lives for the native Armenian land". "By writing the names of the dead on the website www.inhomage.com we will be able to create a memorial of sorts and will keep the names of the martyrs alive for ever. By 2015 we hope to register one million names of those who fell victim to the 'genocide'. The time has come for the Armenian people to stop violence," say the campaign's organisers. 

But another fact comes to our attention here - Ekian has simply spilled the beans. By calling for the names of all those who "sacrificed their lives for the native Armenian land" he has acknowledged the presence of the "territorial issue" and the very fact of separatist mutinies in Anatolia. He has also acknowledged that the people whose names appear on the website were not at all "innocent victims killed just because of their Christianity". Futhermore, a list of names on a website is not a proof for a historian, especially given the Armenian expertise in falsifying history.

But it seems that the organizers are unfazed. Simply, in Armenian, "pro-Armenian" and European circles the "genocide" has long since been turned into a profitable political business. It is used to get grants from the diaspora, for self-promotion and the promotion of political parties, to get elected to parliament and for acquiring capital and earning a fortune.. 

They do not think about the bloody price which has been paid by more than one generation for this myth.