PanARMENIAN.Net
ANCA Condemns Awarding National Medal to Armenian
Genocide Denier
23.11.2006 16:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Genocide denier and
controversial Middle East historian Bernard Lewis was
amongst those honored by President Bush this month
with the prestigious National Humanities Medal,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA.) President Bush, joined by First Lady Laura
Bush, bestowed the medal at a November 9th ceremony
held in the White House Oval Office. Bernard Lewis,
Professor Emeritus at Princeton University in the
department of Near Eastern Studies, began his career
as a historian with an honest assessment of the
Armenian Genocide as a "terrible holocaust." He soon
reversed his position, serving as leading spokesman
for the Turkish government’s denial campaign. Lewis’
genocide denial became international news on June 21,
1995, when a French court condemned him for statements
he made during a 1993 interview with French newspaper
"Le Monde." The case, which argued that Lewis’
statements caused harm to Armenian Genocide survivors,
was filed by the International League Against Racism
and Anti-Semitism and the Forum of Armenian
Associations, representing a number of French Armenian
organizations, including the ANC of France. The Court
found Lewis "at fault," stating that, "his remarks,
which could unfairly revive the pain of the Armenian
community, are tortuous and justify compensation."
Lewis was symbolically fined one franc and "Le Monde"
was ordered to reprint portions of the French court
judgment, which appeared two days later.
"The President’s decision to honor the work of a known
genocide denier – an academic mercenary whose
politically motivated efforts to cover up the truth
run counter to the very principles this award was
established to honor – represents a true betrayal of
the public trust," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
