It's a weird - weird - world !

Ninety six years ago the first world war was raging.   In 1915 Turkey felt that the nation of Kurds living within it's borders was siding with the enemy, and orders were given for a brutal and systemic genocide. Well in excess of a million Kurds were marched away to their doom.

There is absolutely no doubt that this happened.  This genocide was captured on film and survivors have recounted the horrors they witnessed over the decades that followed - but Turkey has chosen to claim that all this is a lie.  They insist that this did not happen.

Now the event is taking on new life.   France is passing a law to make it a criminal offence to claim that the 1915 genocide of the Kurds did not happen.  This will be similar to the German legislation that prohibits neo-Nazis from claiming that the Holocaust is a Jewish concoction - an event that did not happen.

Turkey is outraged.  Ambassadors are being withdrawn.  Military cooperation will end.  Relations between the two countries are frosty -  and the aims of a more united Europe are fading - and this at a time when the EU is battling to stay alive and save the Euro.

The question that will baffle most people is - Why ?

Since the dawn of time there have been genocides that shame most countries of the world.  In it's heyday, the British Empire was ruthless in putting down revolts.    Here in Australia - there were instances of Aboriginal people being given poisoned flour by greedy white settlers.   History is rife with examples of genocide - and in recent times, Rwanda comes to mind.

It seems that the resurrection of this ancient event involves the intertwining of religion and politics - the twin nemesis of civilisation.    The Kurds are a homeless race that inhabit Turkey, Iraq and have members in many other near countries - including France.   The French are pandering to their Kurdish population in the hope of receiving political support - and the Turks are frightened to admit that genocide because it would strengthen Kurdish demands for their own homeland.    At the same time, the usual mix of religions adds to the furore.

We seem to be heading for a " Mexican standoff " between Turkey and France.  The only winners will be the religious fanatics - like al Qaeda - who will claim that this is an attack on Islam by the Christian side of the world.

In this supposedly " enlightened age " - it seems that nothing has really changed.   We are still stuck with the negative thinking of " the dark ages ! "