“In such countries, genocide is not too important…”

— François Mitterrand

Comments about Rwanda attributed to President Mitterrand by Philip Gourevitch in "Reversing the Reversals of War," The New Yorker, 26 April 1999.
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François Mitterrand 9

21st President of the French Republic 1916–1996

Charles Foster Johnson (1953) American musician

January 6, 2009 http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32367_Emerson-_Why_Does_The_New_York_Times_Love_Hamas&only

“It didn’t end there [with genocide]. They passed law after law‚ taking land from our people. Yet investors never left the country. When they passed the Land Act of 1913‚ investors never left the country. Investors came into the country.”

Julius Malema (1981) South African political activist

On 4 March 2018, at the launch of the EFF's election registration campaign, Standard Bank arena, Johannesburg. As quoted by Nico Gous in Land in SA was taken through ‘genocide’ and will be returned: Malema https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2018-03-04-land-in-sa-was-taken-through-genocide-and-will-be-returned-malema/, Sunday Times (4 March 2018)

“As for 'cultural genocide', if there's any going on these days, it's the genocide of the Britannic inheritance — in North America, in the Antipodes, in Blair's Britain.”

Mark Steyn (1959) Canadian writer

The slyer virus: The West's anti-westernism (2002)

“Armenians, as a people that have survived the Genocide, have a moral duty towards mankind and history in the prevention of genocides. We have done and will continue to do our best to support the persistent implementation of the Genocide Convention. Genocide cannot concern only one people, because it is a crime against humanity.”

Serzh Sargsyan (1954) Armenian politician, 3rd President of Armenia

Speech by President Serzh Sargsyan in the Chatham House British Royal Institute of International Affairs http://www.president.am/events/news/eng/?search=Chatham+House&id=898 (February 10, 2010)

“This ain't rock'n'roll. This is genocide!”

David Bowie (1947–2016) British musician, actor, record producer and arranger

Diamond Dogs
Song lyrics, Diamond Dogs (1974)

“The claims of an Armenian Genocide are not based on historical facts. If the history of the period is examined it becomes evident that in fact no such genocide took place.”

Cenk Uygur (1970) Turkish-American online news show host

"Column: Historical Fact or Falsehood?", The Daily Pennsylvanian (20 November 1991) http://www.webcitation.org/68YqvmgSY; but see: "Rescinding Daily Pennsylvanian Article" https://tytnetwork.com/2016/04/22/rescinding-daily-pennsylvanian-article/ by Cenk Uygur (22 April 2016).

“…it's not possible for a Muslim to commit genocide”

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (1954) 12th President of Turkey from 2014

November 2009 "Sudanese President Bashir's visit to Turkey in limbo" http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=a-muslim-can-never-commit-genocide-erdogan-defends-bashir-2009-11-08, Hurriyet Daily News (November 8, 2009)
Also translated as "it is not possible for those who belong to the Muslim faith to carry out genocide". https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/nov/11/erdogan-muslims-turkish-sudan-gaza

“Of course reading and thinking are important but, my God, food is important too.”

Iris Murdoch book The Sea, the Sea

Source: The Sea, the Sea

“Immigration is everyone's business: it is one of the most important national issues. The idea that it is too dangerous to be debated is a mockery of democracy. It is too important not to debate.”

Geoffrey Blainey book All for Australia

All for Australia (1984)

“Condoleezza Rice: I think that these historical circumstances require a very detailed and sober look from historians and what we've encouraged the Turks and the Armenians to do is to have joint historical commissions that can look at this, to have efforts to examine their past and, in examining their past, to get over their past.
Adam Schiff:… you come out of academia… is there any reputable historian you're aware of that takes issue with the fact that the murder of 1.5 million Armenians constituted genocide?
Condoleezza Rice: Congressman, I come out of academia, but I'm secretary of state now and I think that the best way to have this proceed is for the United States not to be in the position of making this judgment, but rather for the Turks and the Armenians to come to their own terms about this.
Adam Schiff:… Why is it only this genocide? Is it because Turkey is a strong ally? Is that an ethical and moral reason to ignore the murder of 1.5 million people? Why is it we don't say, "Let's relegate the Holocaust to historians" or "relegate the Cambodian genocide or Rwandan genocide?" Why is it only this genocide that we should let the Turks acknowledge or not acknowledge?
Condoleezza Rice: Congressman, we have recognized and the president recognizes every year in a resolution that he himself issues the historical circumstances and the tragedy that befell the Armenian people at that time…
Adam Schiff:… You recognize more than anyone, as a diplomat, the power of words. And I'm sure you supported the recognition of genocide in Darfur, not calling it tragedy, not calling it atrocity, not calling it anything else, but the power and significance of calling it genocide. Why is that less important in the case of the Armenian genocide?
Condoleezza Rice: Congressman, the power here is in helping these people to move forward… And, yes, Turkey is a good ally and that is important. But more important is that like many historical tragedies, like many historical circumstances of this kind, people need to come to terms with it and they need to move on.
Adam Schiff:… Iran hosts conferences of historians on the Holocaust. I don't think we want to get in the business of encouraging conferences of historians on the undeniable facts of the Armenian genocide.”

Condoleezza Rice (1954) American Republican politician; U.S. Secretary of State; political scientist

Appropriations hearing before the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs http://schiff.house.gov/news/press-releases/schiff-presses-secretary-of-state-rice-on-armenian-genocide-recognition, March 21, 2007.

“In such countries, genocide is not too important…”

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François Mitterrand 9

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