Sep 24
Iran’s Ahmadinejad at Columbia University
Highlights from Ahmadinejad’s visit to Columbia University. Draw your own conclusions.
During a question-and-answer session, Mr. Ahmadinejad appeared tense and unsmiling, in contrast to more relaxed interviews and appearances earlier in the day. In response to one audience question, Mr. Ahmadinejad denied he was questioning the existence of the Holocaust: “Granted this happened, what does it have to do with the Palestinian people?”
But then he said he was defending the rights of European scholars, an apparent reference to a small number who have been prosecuted under national laws for denying or minimizing the Holocaust. “There’s nothing known as absolute,” he said.
He reiterated his desire to visit Ground Zero to express sympathy with the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, but then appeared to question whether al Qaeda was responsible. “Why did this happen? What caused it? What conditions led to it?” he said. “Who truly was involved? Who was really involved and put it all together?”
Asked about executions of homosexuals in Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad said the judiciary system executed violent criminals and high-level drug dealers, comparing them to microbes eliminated through medical treatment. Pressed specifically about punishment of homosexuals, he said: “In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.”
With the audience laughing derisively, he continued: “In Iran we do not have this phenomenon. I don’t know who’s told you that we have this.”
Thanks to the online Wall Street Journal I was able to get access to the transcript of this panel very quickly after it was done. There is no comparison in the resources and functionality that WSJ Online brings to the news industry. WSJ Online offers a very resourceful video center that has a great user-interface. With the evolution of Web 2.0, Dow Jows is making big strides to keep up.
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4 Comments so far
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The whole scenario is just weird. “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.” He also denies that Holocaust happened. There must be a huge culture gap because his opinions do not make much sense to me. Shouldn’t Ahmadinejad’s opinions reflect his country’s values? Then again, Bush’s opinions reflect only a third of the United States.
It is unbelievable that this man would be allowed into our country, let alone invited to speak at an university. The man clearly hates us. He is trying to win the hearts of the American people. I think this country’s national pride is really going downhill when you allow a man who has nuclear ambitions and has some sort of connections to the insurgents in Iraq. It is those insurgents that are killing our American people, but we try to make friends with a ruler who is sympathetic. I am glad I did not go to Columbia because I would be ashamed to be associated with this whole act.
Despite the fact that he may be attempting to win over the American people, I don’t think for an instant that it will work.
And, despite the fact that Columbia endorsed his visit, University President Lee Bollinger introduced Ahmadinejad as someone who exhibits “all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator,” stating that he is “You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated.”, in regards to his comments on the Holocaust.
I think everyone realizes this guy’s pretty damn crazy.
I guess what makes America different from Iran is that we let their Prime Minister come over and give a speech.