University Will Let Ahmadinejad Speak

Columbia Says It Won't Call Off Planned Appearance By Iranian President

(CBS/AP)  Columbia University said it does not plan to call off a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad despite pressure from critics including the City Council speaker, who said the Ivy League school was providing a forum for "hate-mongering vitriol."

The Iranian president is traveling to New York to address the United Nations' General Assembly. He was scheduled to appear Monday at a question-and-answer session with Columbia faculty and students, as part of the school's World Leaders Forum.

City Council speaker Christine Quinn called Thursday for the university to rescind the invitation, saying "the idea of Ahmadinejad as an honored guest anywhere in our city is offensive to all New Yorkers." She said he was coming to the city "for one reason - to spread his hate-mongering vitriol on the world stage."

Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust "a myth" and called for Israel to be destroyed.

His planned appearance at Columbia also was condemned by Jewish groups including the Jewish Defense Organization, which described Ahmadinejad as "the Hitler of Iran."

But Columbia spokesman Robert Hornsby said Thursday that there was no plan to cancel the appearance, though the university dropped plans for an Ahmadinejad speech last year due to security and logistical problems. The decision came after a Jewish activist group blasted the university over the invitation.

Columbia President Lee Bollinger, in announcing Ahmadinejad's upcoming appearance, described the event as part of "Columbia's long-standing tradition of serving as a major forum for robust debate." He said the Iranian president had agreed to answer questions on Israel and the Holocaust.

Ahmadinejad's trip to New York ignited debate earlier this week over his rejected request to lay a wreath at ground zero. The State Department calls Iran a state sponsor of terror, and politicians and families of Sept. 11 victims were outraged that its president might visit the site of the 2001 terror attacks.

Police rejected Ahmadinejad's request, citing construction and security concerns. In an in interview to air Sunday on 60 Minutes Ahmadinejad indicated he would not press the issue but expressed disbelief that the visit would offend Americans.

"Why should it be insulting?" Ahmadinejad asked 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley.

"Usually you go to these sites to pay your respects. And also to perhaps air your views about the root causes of such incidents," Ahmadinejad said. "I think that when I do that, I will be paying … my respect to the American nation."

[yo_marc]

People were concerned about free speech when that kid got tazered ... I''d be more concerned if we didn''t let the Iranian pres speak.

[madisongirl-2009]

Isn''t this the same univeristy that ran off a conservative speaker last year???

Liberals DO NOT believe in free speech
Liberals belive in "political correctness"

sad, but true

[eggy1620]

This visit would set a much needed example to the rest of the world that the leader an enemy of the US can come to the US without being arrested, detained, tried, etc. I would like to see what would happen to Bush if he went to Iran. Really, I%u2019d like to see it. Can he please go?

[einsteinian-2009]

Let the man speak. At best, all he can do is throw flowers at America, whether sincere or not. At worst, he can only put his foot in his mouth once more and prove yet again ON THE WORLD STAGE, that he is a racist pig.

[einsteinian-2009]

To eggy1620:

I second your motion!!

[madisongirl-2009]

madisongirl,
Are you not PC at work?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by jh6379 at 09:55 AM : Sep 21, 2007


To: jh6379

ABSOLUTELY NOT

I''m well known for speaking my mind when everyone else at work is afraid to; and my boss says he admires me for that.

xoxoxoxoxo

REPOST

Isn''''t this the same univeristy that ran off a conservative speaker last year???

Liberals DO NOT believe in free speech
Liberals belive in "political correctness"

sad, but true

[madisongirl-2009]

madisongirl,
Are you not PC at work?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by jh6379 at 09:55 AM : Sep 21, 2007


To: jh6379

ABSOLUTELY NOT

I''m well known for speaking my mind when everyone else at work is afraid to; and my boss says he admires me for that.

xoxoxoxoxo

REPOST

Isn''''t this the same univeristy that ran off a conservative speaker last year???

Liberals DO NOT believe in free speech
Liberals belive in "political correctness"

sad, but true

[madisongirl-2009]

madisongirl,
Are you not PC at work?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by jh6379 at 09:55 AM : Sep 21, 2007


To: jh6379

ABSOLUTELY NOT

I''m well known for speaking my mind when everyone else at work is afraid to; and my boss says he admires me for that.

xoxoxoxoxo

REPOST

Isn''''t this the same univeristy that ran off a conservative speaker last year???

Liberals DO NOT believe in free speech
Liberals belive in "political correctness"

sad, but true

[mbpfrance]

My first reaction is hell no! But when you think of it - calmly.....let this *** come and stand at the WTC memoriam site! Surround him with Americans who are resolved to freedom and justice! Let him and all the others who doubt our strength and resilience as a nation witness that no matter who or what takes us on- we shall overcome and prevail!

But accepting him as a nation that hosts the UN is totally different than a University that receives tax dollars to exist! It is disgusting to me that Columbia should endorse him as a speaker! A man who outright rejects the ''holocaust'' and openly threatens the nation of Israel HAS NO PLACE IN NYC, period!

Maybe all the Jewish held funding of Columbia chairs, scholarships and foundations should look elsewhere! As Columbia has proven to be simply not worthy of those considerations or benefits!

[cmo12345]

Free speech is a constitutional right for CITIZENS of the United States. Not visiting presidents of nations "suspected" (and I emphasize suspected because there is no proof, but is still worth mentioning) of aiding terrorists.

[reallybill-2009]

"Free speech is a constitutional right for CITIZENS of the United States. Not visiting presidents of nations "suspected" (and I emphasize suspected because there is no proof, but is still worth mentioning) of aiding terrorists."

Actually, this is not true. Any person stepping onto American soil is fully protected by the constitution, whether or not they are a citizen of the United States of America.

[afmca]

I agree .. let the man speak. Dialogue is good .. hopefully the audience is educated enough to seperate fact from fiction. Both Republicans and Democrats forget that the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and assembly. Democrats stop dialogue because of bowing to the alter of political correctness; while the Republicans stop dialogue because they lack the intellectual curiousity to explore opinions outside their narrow beliefs. To gain insight one must converse with both friend and foe.

[guamguer]

Why are we so afraid to let the man speak? dialogue and debate is the only way to solve problems. No, I guess we would rather go to war to be the bully and show our strength. We are such hypocrites. We tell our kids not to fight and to resolve disputes in a civil matter but yet we as a government cannot talk with adversaries. We cannot keep on setting double standards and expect to persuade people to our side.

[whitbyr3]

Let the man speak! But, only in his own country!

[clestes-2009]

OK let''s look at what Ahmadinejad has actually said and did and compare it to the Bush whitehouse.

Ahmadinejad says the holocaust is a myth. That is his opinion and he is entitled to it. A lot of people say it. He said Israel should be wiped off the earth. That is also an opinion. Many other people believe it too. He never said Iran was going to do it.

Has Ahmadinejad invaded another country on trumped up lies about WMD? No, but Bush did.

Is Ahmadinejad responsible for the death of 1 million civilians because of the trumped up invastion? No but Bush is.

Is Ahmadinejad causing huge problems for his allies by forcing them to take in millions of refugees? No but Bush is?

Is Ahmadinejad responsible for the sectarian cleansing and the huge humanitarian crisis now engulfing the middle east? No but Bush is.

Has Ahmadinejad declared that he is ready to play the rules set out by the UN? Yes, but Bush doesn''t.

Did Ahmadinejad release captured sailors unharmed, while Bush continues to imprisons hundreds of prisoners with no proof of anything? Yes all that is true.

So who here is the real devil? Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush in all the questions above.

[ronaldstark]

clestes...you should move to Iran and see how much better it is being ruled by an angel (Ahjmed..whatever) or the devil(as you put it) bush.
Would you like to be stoned to death for holding hands with a woman in public that is not your wife...

[rematenaj]

Why do we allow this man in our country at all! Our policital correctness will be our downfall.

[one_american]

Here are two things that Ahmadinejad has repeatedly and consistantly said in the recent past, while he was in Iran:

"Death to Israel".

and

"Death to the Great Satan, America".

And now Columbia wants to give the Persian midget a podium in which to speak his sweet little lies into the ears of his swooning far-left fans, so he can continue to carry out his plans.

Just how big of fools can the far-left liberals be?

What will it take for the moonbats to wake up out of their delusional dreams?

An atomic mushroom cloud, maybe?

[signof4]

Glad I don''t have a kid going to Columbia. If I did, they wouldn''t be there after this semester. This is a real left wing commie university. Shameful.

[secundus2]

It is always appropriate to give a man with flawed, hate-filled or deranged notions the opportunity to expose his defects in public. Ahmedinejad will turn on the charm and and try to sweet talk folks at the university, but they will understand that his threats and warlike actions are saved for his audiences back

[signof4]

Columbia President Lee Bollinger, in announcing Ahmadinejad''s upcoming appearance, described the event as part of "Columbia''s long-standing tradition of serving as a major forum for robust debate."

That is, unless they are conservatives or people interested in upholding US immigration law. In those cases, the ''robut debate'' is squashed......like the good commies they are.

[gopack443]

City Council speaker, who said the Ivy League school was providing a forum for "hate-mongering vitriol."

was she talking about Bush or Ahmadinejad? Bush still gets to talk here right?

[skyhawk761]

clestes...you should move to Iran and see how much better it is being ruled by an angel (Ahjmed..whatever) or the devil(as you put it) bush.
Would you like to be stoned to death for holding hands with a woman in public that is not your wife...



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

Posted by RonaldStark at 11:22 AM : Sep 21, 2007

Or would you rather live in a country that tells g a y s they do not have the same rights as other citizens or that still holds blacks as second class citizens or maybe live under a President that does not want to fund a bill for under insured children. We need to clean up our own *** house before we *** about others.

[skyhawk761]

I should have stated in my earlier post that I don''t like the man and I also don''t think he should be anywhere near our country. Just so you are not confused, I am talking about Ahmadinejad and not Bush though you could make the same argument for Bush!

[prinzowhales]

secundus2--Which ''threats'' and which ''war-like actions''? It is not Iran that has military bases in over 100 countries. It is not Iran that is fighting two wars, one for oil, the other for Opium on either side of Iran. It is not Iran that has hundreds of nuclear weapons aimed at the rest of the world. It is not Iran with the "Samson Option" which threatens to destroy God''s creation if its war against mankind is thwarted.

It was the US that overthrew the Democratically elected government of Iran over 50 years ago. It was the US that supported the Shah and the SAVAK terrorists and torturers. It was the US that supported Saddam Hussein in a war of aggression, against the Nuremberg Principles against Iran.

It is the Corporatist Regime in Washington that is full of hate, that supports torture and terrorism and serves only the narrow fascist interests of the Anglo-American Oligarchy against the interests of the American people.

[name_verify]

So Columbia will allow Holocaust deniers the opportunity to teach to their students, in the name of "internationalism". The loonie left knows no shame.

[aa36042]

Prinzowhales %u2013 try and stop us. Maybe if the society and culture you value didn%u2019t walk around bare foot playing in dirt I would have a little more sympathy for you. maybe if your culture valued women, art, sport, education and voting rights for all I would have some sympathy for you. Maybe if your society made some actual advances in science or medical research instead of floating on the technology we produce, and you then rip off I would feel for you. Your thinking is as backward as can be..and I can only point to the realities of the world around us to illustrate that. You are a conspiracy theorist and it is your exact type of thinking that leaves an entire region stuck in the dark ages, yelling about all the wrongs done to you rather than using yor own fortitude to travel to space, embrace art, music and sport and to actually have concrete opinions and discretion instead of the need to make excuses for cockroaches in bare feet that blow up pregnant women at bus stops..your dirt.

[v_1618]

LIVE LONGER MOHMOUD AHMADINEJAD... WHEN AHMADINEJAD SAID HE''LL ATTACK BACK WHAT''S THE PROBLEM. BECAUSE IF ISRAEL OR THE U.S. ATTACKS IRAN WHAT DID YOU EXPECT TO RECEIVE BACK? ROSES COME ON .. HE''S IN HIS RIGHT TO DEFENED HIS PEOPLE THAT''S ALL, THE REAL CUESTION IS WHY ISRAEL OR U.S. WANTS TO ATTACK IRAN.? THE WMD IS A LIE THE MILITIAS IN IRAQ IS A LIE TOO ..THIS IS THE LINK ABOUT THE LAST REPORT OF MICHAEL WARE ABOUT THE IRAQ WAR . BY THE WAY MICHAEL WARE FROM CNN IS THE BEST GREAT REPORTER ABOUT THE IRAQ WAR HE TELLS ONLY THE ABSOLUT TRUTH..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLcgqHeU14M

[colonieny]

SHAME.

5000 women were stoned to death after the fall of the SHAH ( thanks to listless Carter). That is they were buied up to their hips, wrapped in bed sheets, and then pelted with an endless barage of stones, rocks and bolders, until one blow after another causes concussion, internal bleeding, superfial bruises, broken skull, bones, finger... This is still the NORM. And the UNiversity wants this EVIL man who represents an EVIL regime to spew his ideas ?
Ditto for GAYYYS Rights, JEWS and CHRISTIANS alike.
SHAME.

[drinuk]

For the sake of hundreds of thousands of innocent people don''t you think it would be a very good idea that this man should sit down with OUR illustrious leader and sort out their problems. They are not our problems, they are their problems, political, financial and ideological.
Lock ''em both up in a cell and do not let them out until ordinary folk everywhere are assured of their safety.

[one_american]

Here are two things that Ahmadinejad has repeatedly and consistantly said in the recent past, while he was in Iran:

"Death to Israel".

and

"Death to the Great Satan, America".

And now Columbia wants to give the pathologically lying Persian midget a podium in which to speak his sweet little lies into the ears of his swooning far-left fans, so he can continue to carry out his plans to destroy the world as we know it.

Just how big of fools can the far-left liberals be?

What will it take for the moonbats to wake up out of their delusional dreams?

An atomic mushroom cloud, maybe?

[one_american]

DETAILED PROOF WHAT AHMADINEJAD IS TELLING IRAN:

"In several recent speeches, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad outlined Iran''s nuclear policy and set forth his vision regarding the interrelationship between Iran and the West.

In a speech about Iran''s nuclear program, Ahmadinejad declared that Iran has become a global power, and that it would place its nuclear technology at the service of those determined to confront the U.S. and other Western countries. He announced that Iran was now successfully operating over 3,000 centrifuges, continued to downplay the impact of the U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran, and reiterated Iran''s official stance of refusal to freeze its nuclear activity. Ahmadinejad also harshly censured senior Iranian officials who had called for compromise with the West on Iran''s nuclear program out of fear of a possible U.S. attack on Iran, hinting that they were traitors.

In addition, Ahmadinejad declared that the world was now at an historic turning point. The history of the West, he said, had reached its end, and the appearance of the Hidden Imam, heralding the era of Islamic Shi''ite rule, was nigh. Thus, he called on the nations of the world to rise up against the hegemony of the West, headed by the U.S., and predicted the imminent collapse of Israel, which he called "Satan''s standard-bearer.""

http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA38907

THE ATTACK ON ISRAEL AND AMERICA IS COMING, ACCORDING TO AHMADINEJAD, STARTING ON OCTOBER 12.

[madisongirl-2009]

madisongirl,
Are you not PC at work?
--------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
--
Posted by jh6379 at 09:55 AM : Sep 21, 2007


To: jh6379

ABSOLUTELY NOT

I''''m well known for speaking my mind when everyone else at work is afraid to; and my boss says he admires me for that.

xoxoxoxoxo

REPOST

Isn''t this the same univeristy that ran a conservative speaker off the stage last year???

Proving that

Liberals DO NOT believe in free speech
Liberals believe in "political correctness"

sad, but true

[mbcsmith]

Posted by v_1618 at 12:17 PM : Sep 21, 2007

Try to learn English before passing on your propaganda. Member of Kuds? Can''t speak out at home? Want to stone a few women? Iran been bery bery goot to me.

[bizzzz-2009]

"An African-American member of the Minuteman Project who was harassed and taunted with the "N-word" during a speech at Columbia University has filed police reports as the first step in a lawsuit against the New York City institution.
Angry protesters led by a radical open-borders group hurled racial insults and turned their backs on Marvin Stewart during an Oct. 4 speech hosted by the campus''s Young Republicans Club.
IS COLUMBIA GOING TO ACTUALLY LET AHMADINEJAD SPEAK OR OUR THEY GOING TO GIVE HIM THE RESPECT AS THEY GAVE MARVIN STEWART AND THROW THINGS AT HIM AND SHOUT RACIAL SLURS AT HIM LIKE SAND MONKEY.
Columbia University is filled with a bunch of radical dissidents who are too stupid to realize that Ahmadinejad would throw them in prison if they were in Iran. That''s how frigging stupid they are.

[adgart]

madisongirl... Stop mongering. Hate-mongering, fear-mongering, general mongering. Your comment...

"Isn''''t this the same univeristy that ran a conservative speaker off the stage last year???

Proving that

Liberals DO NOT believe in free speech
Liberals believe in "political correctness"

sad, but true"

...proves nothing. For proof, you need incontrovertible evidence to support your claim. Because ONE university might have barred ONE speaker, does NOT mean all Liberals are against American rights and ideals.

To further debunk your own vitriolic message, my own university has a LONG-STANDING HISTORY of barring liberal, gay, pro-choice, or anyone else they deem to be unacceptible from speaking on their campus. At least ONCE A YEAR this happens.

So, if I use your own argument against you...

Conservatives NEVER support free speech.
Conservatives believe in censorship.
Conservatives believe in keeping a closed mind and narrow outlook.

Be wary when you say you have proof. Your comments, however, were indeed... sad, but true to you.

[adgart]

"An atomic mushroom cloud, maybe?"

Why, One_American, are you threatening us with one? It was, after all, one of your ilk who blew up a federal building in our own country not that long ago. Or, had you forgotten about that already?

No one on the far left wishes death for either Israel or the USA. In fact, most of the Jews I know ARE in the left wing! I''m sorry the entire world doesn''t fit into your narrow-minded scheme of how things should be, but get used to it. Your brain is suffocating, open your mind a little bit to allow it to breathe.

[feelfree1]

Re: "and predicted the imminent collapse of Israel, which he called "Satan''s standard-bearer."

Good call!

Thank you to Columbia University for championing the concept of free speech in this instance.

[adgart]

Am I going crazy, or is CBSnews.com only read by right-wing fanatics? Or are the left-wingers just too lazy and stoned to actually comment on anything? Stop the hate-mongering, people! What do you possibly think you are going to accomplish?

It''s an educational facility and he is a world leader, whether you like his message or not. You''d be surprised how smart those college kids are, too. There are far fewer ''looney-lefties'' on campus than there used to be, though the majority do swing barely to the left. This isn''t the 60''s, though, and they aren''t hippies. They''ve seen war on the home front and they aren''t about to roll over for anyone.

I would be interested to see who among the posters here has actually been to and graduated from college. If so, feel free to blast the university all you want. Seems to me that you would have paid for your degree and not actually learned anything. Universities are about opening minds and forums for all opinions. Not just the ones you want to hear.

[jobskr]

Assign the same security guards that tassed the college student let them deal with the mad man of the middle east.

[signof4]

Be wary when you say you have proof. Your comments, however, were indeed... sad, but true to you.
Posted by adgart at 01:58 PM : Sep 21, 2007

Well, I recally a few times when Ann Coulter was shouted down at some university. One time, they thre pies at her. Really swift.

Oh, how about the time the border gards were shoted down and not allowed to speak at a university they were invited to speak at.

The list is long. How many times have conservatives violated a bedwetting liberal''s free speech rights? I can''t think of one. It''s because conservatives aren''t INSANE like you libs are.

[adgart]

"How many times have conservatives violated a bedwetting liberal''s free speech rights? I can''t think of one. It''s because conservatives aren''t INSANE like you libs are."

More times than I can count. You wouldn''t know, because you turn a blind eye to it. Look around the campuses around the country and find the uber-conservative ones. If you weren''t busy looking for things to hate, it would take you a matter of seconds. Free speech is quashed there, and conservative ideals are forced upon students.

For the record, I am not a liberal, nor am I a conservative. I refuse to be labeled with you animals (both sides). You can simply think of me as a human being. I cannot tolerate hate rhetoric, nor flower power jargon. Personally, I find rabidness in politics in general to be a highly dangerous thing.

[zootallures2]

City Council speaker, who said the Ivy League school was providing a forum for "hate-mongering vitriol."

The whole neo-con/zionist US misuses just about everything. Just look at the internet. In the early days of computers, BBS''s were about computers and positive technology. Then you morons got behind a keyboard and turned it into swindling, anger, violence, and porn. Like everything else you put your greasy pudgy fingers on.

[zootallures2]

How does Ahmadinejad have links to al-Qaeda while Bush is friends with and was even financed by the Bin Ladins?

[zootallures2]

BTW, ask him if he can get me a VISA and plane ride out of this neo-con-zionist nut house? I''d herd goats in the beautiful country side of Iran in a mud brick house with pleasure to get away from this nation of sadism.

[skyhawk761]

liberal
A noun
1 liberal, progressive

a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties




2 liberal

a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets
Category Tree:
entity
%u255Aobject; physical object
%u255Aliving thing; animate thing
%u255Aorganism; being
%u255Aperson; individual; someone; somebody; mortal; human; soul
%u255Aadult; grownup
%u255Aliberal
B adjective
1 broad, large-minded, liberal, tolerant

showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies"; "a liberal newspaper"; "tolerant of his opponent''s opinions"

2 liberal

tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition

3 free, loose, liberal

not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem"

4 big, bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, handsome, giving, liberal, openhanded

given or giving freely; "was a big tipper"; "the bounteous goodness of God"; "bountiful compliments"; "a freehanded host"; "a handsome allowance"; "Saturday''s child is loving and giving"; "a liberal backer of the arts"; "a munificent gift"; "her fond and

5 liberal

having political or social views favoring reform and progress

[canyoutellme-2009]

Let the man speak for gosh sakes.. I can tell you why the political figures here in the US don''t want him to speak.. it''s because he''ll be doing so IN ENGLISH where they cannot "interperet" what he is saying incorrectly. Just like the "wipe israel off the map" thing.. he *NEVER* said that. I''m Jewish FYI and i agree with letting this guy speak! I''m HIGHLY convinced that people perceive this guy as some kind of terrorist supporter because this administration has MADE THAT ONE OF THEIR GOALS and they succeeded. If you had to point to ONE thing this guy did to back up that claim, i bet you cannot come up with ONE. Zero credible proof of supporting AQ. ZERO proof of them trying to obtain Nuclear Weapons. BTW, the US funded AQ from the get-go (it''s in a LOT of documents, look them up). WE CREATED AQ! We put Bin Laden in the leadership position he''s in now... and now it''s backfiring. Iran does NOT like AQ. but i bet all of you CONs are so in FEAR that you believe they are one and the same. The people of Iran are mostly peace loving common-folk who just want to raise their families and be themselves. They have extremists just like the US does (Bush and his Cronies and their supporters), but that does *NOT* Make them a terrorist nation! Let the man speak. If he says stupid stuff, he''ll be ridiculed right there on stage.

[prinzowhales]

Those who pose a real danger to the US are One_American, colonieNY, lars and singinrick. They are trying to bury everyone in BS.

[biker-n-oh]

Those who pose a real danger to the US are One_American, colonieNY, lars and singinrick. They are trying to bury everyone in BS.

Posted by Prinzowhales at 03:23 PM : Sep 21, 2007

Whoooooooooh doggy Whaler! That one is gonna stir up some shiiiiiiiiit!!!

[one_american]

"Those who pose a real danger to the US are One_American, colonieNY, lars and singinrick. They are trying to bury everyone in BS."

Posted by Prinzowhales at 03:23 PM : Sep 21, 2007

No, it''s morons from the far-left that bury their heads in the sand and pretend that the REAL threats aren''t there - that are the real danger to the U.S.

But the far-left feels confident, I''m sure, that brave conservatives will come to the rescue (like they always have) and save them from real harm if their thinking is flawed.