Here is some issues from "Le monde", a french newspaper, center-left and
well-reputed, about the "abbe Pierre". I apologize for the translation, it
becomes from an automatic translator and is shortly checked. Moreover, as you
know, I'm poorly English speaking.

----------------------------------------------
Le Monde, 22 April 1996


The abbot Pierre confirms its endorsement to its old friend Roger Garaudy, sued
for negation of crimes against the humanity for its book "founder Myths of the
Israeli policy".

The ABBOT PIERRE confirms its endorsement to Roger Garaudy.  It left him free to
publish the letter that it addressed to him (Le Monde, 20 April).

At the end of 1995, the former directing communist published  "founder Myths of
the Israeli policy" , a work in which it sustained that no convincing argument
had been opposite the  "historians criticize" , in other words deniers.  The
abbot Pierre recognizes to not have read the book from the beginning to the end
and asserts to have ignored what was "La Vieille Taupe"(*), the denier's
publisher who, the first, published the book of Roger Garaudy (Le Monde, 31
January).  He admits in addition to have no knowledge about the history of the
Shoah such that it developed since the one half century.

However, he estimates that it's entirely normal that we have been carried to
exaggerate after the II war. "I was again in Auschwitz six months ago, it was a
plate that there had been four million dead since today to the figure is of a
million, then the four figure millions was exaggerated.  It is necessary to take
into account the upheaval that was ours after the war.  And elsewhere, although
I do not contest the six figure millions of Jewish victims in all, my
abomination would be the same in face of a a million.  To this degree of horror,
there is no longer mathematics!  "  Very aware of the swirl that this affair is
going to provoke, "during some days", according to him, the abbot Pierre reminds
that it "risked its skin " under the Occupation, to pass Jews in Switzerland.
Today, he asserts to be affraid for Israel so the policy of this State appears
"suicidal " to him.  "The argument employed by the Israeli policy is the Earth
promise" , but  "didn't the violence suppress the promise?".  " If I promise you
my car, and if you, in the night, come to kill the guardian, to force carry them
and to seize you the promised car, how can remain that promise remains a
promise? " , said he.

Regretting, like Mr. Garaudy, the  "fold" of the Jewish people since Constantin
(fourth century), he tells how much he deplores the absence of missionary action
"of Jewish milieus as I like, that have a surly fidelity to the Bible and to the
Talmud - even if some are
indifferent but ethnically Jews" .  " The Earth promise meant for me the whole
earth, he adds, and Jews would have to become the promoters of the monotheism,
and I am pained to no see it.  I conceive that Jews need a sort of Vatican.  But
from there until this accumulation of sufferings inflicted to Palestinians!  "
Its dream:  three Vatican - a Jew, a Christian and an Islamic - in Jerusalem. 

Friday, Mouloud Aounit, general secretary of the Movement against the racism and
for the friendship between peoples (MRAP), expressed its "consternation in front
of the attitude of a great man becomed the accomplice of of a denier's
enterprise.  The April, 25th, will be pleaded the affair opposing Roger Garaudy,
defended by Me Jacques Verges.


COMMENT (of Le monde)

DISMAYING

The first reaction to the endorsement of the abbot Pierre to the perusal denier
of Roger Garaudy, it is the incredulity.  One can not
believe that the founder of communities Emmaus, who always combats the racism
under all forms, could bring the tiniest credit to the aberrations of the
philosopher.  One can not believe that deniering could come in the mind of the
of this great resistant, helping many Jews to pass the Spanish and Swiss
frontiers.

One can not believe that the abbot Pierre, who vows a surly enmity to Jean-Marie
Le Pen, whose it qualifies the party head-on national
negation, could have the lesser sympathy for a theme of the extreme right wing.
Is it then did by a friendship who the dregs to Roger Garaudy  "since more of
forty years" , and has it blinded fallaciously left to seduce by the so-called
"quest of absolute" of the former communist converted to the islam?  The abbot
Pierre recognized that he only  "covered" the book of Mr. Garaudy and its letter
of endorsement appears as it had been  "blown" by a certain surrounding.  With
him eighty years, already left to take by its naive fire in the past, he is
perhaps more influenceable.  
But the abbot Pierre confirmed its caution.  The incredulity becomes
consternation.  Does the apostle of the homeless, sacredness from the Frenchmen
as the man who  "counts the most" by the polls, have fully conscience of the
reach of its purposes?

Does it realize that to the evening of an exceptional life he is involved, for
the time first, in a detestable combat, who can shame him
forever?

--------------

Le Monde, 23 April 1996


The ABBOT PIERRE QUALIFIES THE NEGATIONNISM OF PUNGENT DECEIT TO HAVE
brought its endorsement to Roger Garaudy, who is in front of a complaint with
civil part constitution for negation of crimes against the
humanity, the abbot Pierre tried, Sunday 21 April, to pacify the emotion aroused
by its declarations (Le Monde, 21-22 April). In a comunique, the foundator of
Emmaus asserts that he considers  "the deniering and revisionnism as
intellectual deceits and morals that it is necessary at all costs to combat" .
The abbot Pierre precises however that "assimiler works of Garaudy, seeker
and historian, to deniers and revisionists would be an imposture ".

On its side, the Swiss Jean Ziegler, who signed a letter of endorsement to Roger
Garaudy, declared us, Monday 22 April, to
condemn" with the largest firmness all the undertaken or purposes revisioonists
aiming to deny or to minimize the genocide of the Jewish people by the nazis".
He insures that its endorsement letter to Mr. Garaudy  "expressed the staunch
respect ahead its combat against fundamentalisms, and notably the Muslim
fundamentalism" .

--------------------------

I hope it could be interesting,

Milos.

From CompuServe.COM!100644.317  Thu Apr 25 09:28:43 1996
Date: 25 Apr 96 12:22:18 EDT
From: Miloslav BILIK <100644.317@CompuServe.COM>
To: "\"Kenneth McVay OBC\"" 
Subject: Re: Abbe Pierre
Message-ID: <960425162218_100644.317_JHB30-1@CompuServe.COM>

Le Monde, numero du 21-22 avril 1996, page 9.

TITRE: L'abbe Pierre confirme son soutien aux theses negationnistes de Roger
Garaudy.
Sous-titre: Le fondateur d'Emmaus, qui persiste et signe, evoque les
"exagerations" de l'apres-guerre.

L'abbe Pierre confirme son soutien a son vieil ami Roger Garaudy, poursuivi en
justice pour negation des crimes contre l'humanite pour son livre "Les mythes
fondateurs de la politique israelienne", qui contient des theses ouvertement
negationnistes. Personnalite figurant parmi les plus populaires aupres de
Francais, l'anne Pierre critique la politique israelienne, qu'il juge
"suicidaire", et evoque un "repli" du peuple juif. Le MRAP, qui a poursuivi en
justice Roger Garaudy, a fait etat de sa "consternation".

L'ABBE PIERRE confirme son soutien a Roger Garaudy. Il a laisse ce demier libre
de rendre publique  la lettre qu'il lui avait adressee (Le Monde du 20 avril).
Fin  1995,  l'anclen  dirigeant communiste avait publie "Les Mythes fondateurs
de la politique israelienne", un ouvrage dans lequel il soutenait qu'aucune
argumentation convaincante n'avait ete opposee aux "historiens critiques",
autrement dit negationnistes. L'abbe Pierre reconnait n'avoir pas lu le livre
d'un bout a l'autre et affirme avoir ignore ce qu'etait La Vieille Taupe,
l'editeur negationniste qui, le premier, a publie le livre de Roger Garaudy (Le
Monde du 31 janvier). Il admet en outre n'avoir pas connaissance de
l'historiographie de la Shoah telle qu'elle s'est developpee pendant un
demi-siecle.

Cependant, il estime qu' "il est tout a fait normal que nous ayons ete portes a
des exagerations apres la guerre. J'etais encore a Auschwitz il y a six mois, la
ou l'on avait inscrit sur une plaque qu'il y avait eu quatre millions de morts.
Puisqu'on est revenu aujourd'hui au chiffre d'un million, c'est que le chiffre
de quatre millions etait exagere. Il faut tenir compte du bouleversement qui
etait le notre apres la guerre. Et d'ailleurs, bien que je ne conteste pas le
chiffre de six millions de victimes juives en tout, mon abomination serait la
meme face a un million. A ce degre d'horreur, on n'est plus dans les
mathematiques !" Tres conscient des remous que cette affaire va provoquer,
"pendant  quelques jours", selon lui, l'abbe Pierre rappelle qu'il a " risque sa
peau ", sous l'Occupation, pour faire passer  des  juifs en Suisse.
Aujourd'hui, il affirme trembler pour Israel tant la politique de cet  Etat lui
parait "suicidaire". "L'argument employe par la politique israelienne est celui
de la Terre promise", or "la violence n'a-t-elle pas supprime la promesse ?".
"Si je te promets ma voiture, et si toi, dans la nuit, tu viens tuer le gardien,
forcer les portes et t'emparer de la voiture promise, que peut-il rester de la
promesse ? ", dit-il.
Regrettant, a l'instar de M. Garaudy le "repli" du peuple juif depuis Constantin
(quatrieme siecle), il dit aussi combien il deplore l'absence d'action
missionnaire  "des  milieux juifs que j'aime, qui ont une fidelite farouche a la
Bible et au Talmud -meme s'il y a des indifferents qui sont ethniquement juifs".
"La Terre promise signifiait pour moi la terre entiere", ajoute-t-il, "et les
juifs auraient du se faire les proselytes du monotheisme, et je suis peine de ne
pas le voir. On concoit que les juifs aient besoin d'une sorte de Vatican. Mais
de la jusqu'a cette accumulation de souffrances infligees aux Palestiniens !"
Son reve: trois Vatican - un juif, un chretien et un islamique - a Jerusalem...

Vendredi, Mouloud Aounit, secretaire general du Mouvement contre le racisme et
pour l'amitie entre les peuples (MRAP), a exprime sa "consternation devant
l'attitude d'un grand monsieur qui se fait le complice d'une entreprise
negationniste". Le 25 avril doit etre plaidee l'affaire opposant Roger Garaudy,
defendu par Me Jacques Verges, au MRAP, qui a depose une plainte pour infraction
a la loi reprimant la negation des crimes contre l'humanite.

COMMENTAIRE du journaliste du Monde en encadre (Michel Castaing)

CONSTERNANT

La premiere reaction au soutien de l'abbe Pierre a la lecture revisionniste de
Roger Garaudy, c'est l'incredulite. On ne peut pas croire que le fondateur des
communautes  Emmaus, qui combat depuis toujours le racisme sous toutes ses
formes, puisse apporter le plus infime credit aux aberrations du philosophe. On
ne peut pas croire que le  negationnisme vienne ne serait-ce qu'effleurer
l'esprit du grand resistant qu'il a ete, aidant de nombreux juifs a passer les
frontieres suisse et espagnole. On ne peut pas croire que l'abbe Pierre, qui
voue une farouche inimitie a Jean-Marie Le Pen, dont il qualifie le parti de
"Front de negation nationale", puisse avoir la moindre sympathie pouur un theme
de l'extreme droite. 

Est-il alors aveugle par une amitie qui le lie a Roger Garaudy "depuis plus de
quarante ans", et s'est-il fallacieusement laisse seduire par la pretendue
"quete d'absolu " de  l'ancien communiste converti a l'islam ? L'abbe Pierre a
reconnu qu'il n'avait fait que "parcourir" le livre de M. Garaudy et sa lettre
de soutien parait lui avoir ete "soufflee" par un certain entourage.A
quatre-vingt-ans celui qui s'est, dans le passe, deja laisse emporter par sa
fougue naive, est peut-etre plus influencable. 

Car l'abbe Pierre a confirme sa caution. On passe alors de l'incredulite a la
consternation. L'apotre des sans-logis, sacre comme le Francais qui "compte le
plus" par les sondages, a-t-il pleinement conscience de la portee de ses propos
?

Se rend-il compte qu'au soir d'une vie exceptionnelle il s'engage, pour la
premiere fois, dans un combat detestable, qui peut le tacher a jamais ?

--------------
Le Monde, numero du 23 avril 1996, page 12

Titre: L'ABBE PIERRE QUALIFIE LE NEGATIONNISME DE TROMPERIE

APRES AVOIR apporte son soutien a Roger Garaudy, qui fait l'objet d'une plainte
avec constitution de partie civile pour negation de crimes contre l'humanite,
l'abbe Pierre a tente, dimanche 21 avril, d'apaiser l'emotion suscitee par ses
declarations (Le Monde date 21-22 avril). Dans un communique, le fondateur des
Compagnons d'Emmaus affirme qu'il considere "les negationnismes et
revisionnismes comme tromperies intellectuelles et morales qu'il faut a tout
prix combattre". L'abbe Pierre precise cependant qu'"assimiler les travaux de
Garaudy, chercheur et historien, aux  negationnismes et revisionnismes serait
imposture".

De son cote, l'essayiste suisse Jean Ziegler, qui avait signe une lettre de
soutien a Roger Garaudy, nous a declare, lundi 22 avril, condamner "avec la plus
grande fermete toutes les entreprises ou propos negationnistes visant a nier ou
a relativiser le genocide du peuple juif par les nazis".Il assure que sa lettre
de soutien a M. Garaudy "exprimait le respect eprouve devant son combat contre
les integrismes, et notamment l'integrisme musulman".


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The Abbe Pierre Statements.
Courtesy of Nizkor Almanac Website, via Miloslav Bilik, from Le Monde.
English translation reedited by Gila Ansell Brauner, Pedagogic Center,
Joint Authority for Jewish Zionist Education.

----------------------------------------------
Le Monde, 21-22 April 1996, page 9

TITLE: Abbot Pierre confirms his support for Roger Garaudy's denial
theses.
Subtitle: The founder of "Emmaus", ever-active, whose signature is
there, talks of the "exaggerations" made in the post-war period.


Abbot Pierre confirms his support for his old friend Roger
Garaudy, now under litigation for denial of crimes against humanity in
his book, "Basic Myths of Israeli Policy", which contains overt
[Holocaust-ed.] denial theses. Himself one of the most popular figures
among the French public today, the Abbot criticises Israeli policy,
which he judges to be "suicidal" and talks of a "shrinking" of the
Jewish people. The "MRAP" [Movement against Racism and for Friendship
among Peoples -ed.], which brought the charges against Roger Garaudy,
has expressed its "great concern".

ABBOT PIERRE confirms his support for Roger Garaudy and gave the
latter leave to publish the letter he wrote to him (Le Monde, 20
April). At the end of 1995, the former communist leader published
"Basic Myths of Israeli Policy" , a work in which he sustained that no
convincing counter-argument had been produced to those of the
"critical historians", in other words, that is to say, the deniers.
The abbot admits to not having read the book from beginning to the end
and to not knowing anything about "La Vieille Taupe", the
revisionist-publisher who first printed Roger Garaudy's book (Le Monde,
31 January).  In addition, he admits having no knowledge about the
historiography of the Shoah as it has developed over the half century.

He believes, however, that it is only natural that we tended to
exaggeration after the Second World War. "I was in Auschwitz only six
months ago, and saw a plaque with the inscription mentioning four
million dead. Since the accepted figure today is one million, that of
four million was an exaggeration.  One needs to take into account
our upheaval after the war.  Furthermore, although I do not contest
the figure of six million Jewish victims in all, I would be equally
horrified by one million.  On this scale, mathematics are irrelevant."
Highly conscious of the "storm" that this affair would raise, "for a
few days", in his opinion, Abbot Pierre reminds us that he "risked his
life" under the Occupation, to help Jews cross into Switzerland.
Today, he claims, he trembles for Israel, so "suicidal" does this
State's policy appear to him.  "The claim laid by Israeli policy is to
the Promised Land", but,  "has not violence outweighed the promise?".
"If I promise you my car, and you come one night, kill the guard,
break into it and steal this promised car, what remains of the
promise?", he asks.

Expressing his regret, as did Mr. Garaudy, over the "shrinkage" of the
Jewish people since the Constantine era (fourth century), he recounts
how much he deplores the absence of missionary activity "in Jewish
circles I hold so dear, with their unswerving fidelity to the Bible
and the Talmud - even if some who are ethnically Jewish remain
indifferent".  "To me, the Promised Land implies the entire Earth;"
he adds, "and Jews should become the proselytes of monotheism; I
am pained not to see it. It would seem that the Jews need a sort of
Vatican.  But from that to the enormous sufferings inflicted upon the
Palestinians!" His vision is of three Vaticans - one Jewish, one
Christian and one Islamic - all in Jerusalem...

On Friday, Mouloud Aounit, general secretary of the Movement against
Racism and for Friendship between Peoples (MRAP), expressed its
"astonishment at the attitude of a great man turned accomplice of of a
denial activity.  On April 25th, the case will open against Roger
Garaudy, defended by Monsieur Jacques Verges, and instigated by the
MRAP, which laid charges of violation of the law forbidding the denial
of crimes against humanity.


COMMENT by Le Monde journalist (Michel Castaing) in frame.

DISMAY

The first reaction to Abbot Pierre's support for Roger Garaudy's
denial literature is one of incredulity.
It is difficult to believe that the founder of the Emmaus communities,
who always fought racism in all its forms, could afford the least
credit to the philosopher's aberrations.
It is difficult to believe that denial could even fleetingly enter the
mind of this great Resistance figure, who helped so many Jews across
the Spanish and Swiss frontiers.
It is difficult to believe that Abbot Pierre, the avowed and sworn
enemy of Jean-Marie Le Pen, whose party he terms the "national denial
Front", could have the least sympathy for a theme which belongs to the
extreme right wing.

Is he then blinded by a forty-year plus friendship with Roger Garaudy
and has he allowed himself to be enticed by the so-called "quest for
the absolute" of the Islamic convert and former communist?  Abbot
Pierre admitted that he only read Mr. Garaudy's work superficially,
while his letter of support appears to have been "fed" to him by a
certain company of people.  At eighty years of age, already duped
in the past because of his naive enthusiasm, is he perhaps more
susceptible to influence?

But Abbot Pierre confirmed his words of warning.  This incredulity
deepens to profound concern. Is the apostle of the homeless, elevated
to holiness as the Frenchmen who "matters most", [according to the
polls] fully aware of the implications of his words?

Does he realize, that in the fall of an exceptional life, he is
involved, for the first time, in a despicable battle which could
tarnish his name forever?

                         --------------

Le Monde, 23 April 1996, p.12


Title: ABBOT PIERRE QUALIFIES DENIAL AS DECEITFUL. AFTER declaring his
support for Roger Garaudy, now facing civil charges for denial of
crimes against humanity, Abbot Pieree attempted, on Sunday 21 April,
to calm the passions aroused by his statements (in Le Monde, 21-22
April). In a comunique, the founder of the Emmaus Companions asserts
that he views "denial and revisionism as intellectual and moral
deception, to be fought at all costs". Abbot Pierre specifies,
however, that "to assimilate Garaudy's works, as a researcher and
historian, to denial and revisionism would be false".

For his part, Jean Ziegler, the Swiss writer who signed a letter of
support for Roger Garaudy, told us, on Monday 22 April, that he "most
firmly condemned all revisionist activity or ideas whose purpose
is to deny or to minimize the genocide of the Jewish people by the
Nazis". He assures us that his letter of support to Mr. Garaudy,
"expressed his respect for the latter's battle against all
fundamentalisms -- and Muslim fundamentalism, in particular" .

--------------------------

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