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."

[colonieny]

Shame. Overe 5000 women were stoned to death by these people .

[gilana2]

This is not about freedom of speech. This is about a private institution choosing to provide a forum to a person who has repeatedly and prominently made his agenda known. This is about Columbia University *************************. Congratulations.

[Krazcarl]

Read the lastest news from from the Iranian president blasting us and Isreal and a parade with missle carrier trucks with anti us and Isreal slogans painted on the side check your webb page take a look bet nune of you illeterates will apoligize. Your like the ones that sucked up to Hitler before the war. I caution you again be concerned over there they maintain power by brut force. Haven''t seen any american military trucks in a parade with anti Iran slogans on the side be leary. This is bad but in my case expected news. This is what happens when you cry liberal and haven''t checked the facts. Read your news I await your apolagies.

[closethippy1]

Those of you who can''t stand Iran, let me ask you: Why is it that today the most watched TV show in Iran is a series called Zero Degree Turn in which Iranian diplomats in Nazi Germany helped Jews escaped the Holocaust?
This is an Iranian production with all the characters talking in farsi, the Iranian language.
Did it really happen? You bet your behind it did!
But these are historical facts neanderthals like you can''t tolerate. It shows that things are not so black and white after all.
A little bit of gray and you guys lose your minds. Your whole world comes crumbling down. Make things a bit more complex than what you thought they were and your head explodes.
Your conspiracy theories are simply insane and it shows how little you guys know about the subject.
There''s much more to Iran and Islam than what the media shows and it''s your responsability to not let the powers that be dictate to you how you should feel about anyone.

[Krazcarl]

You people that are sticking up for Iran are just peddling your ignorance. When I was working in the hospital there was a nurse from Iran beutifull girl great professional her family connected so she was allowed to study here and became a RN She told me about life there she was in high school during the Iran Iraq war the funny story was over there they buy tapes {recordings of recordings}like the locals buy pot I asked her what would happen if caught she said the buyer depending on family staus would be put prison the seller exucution. {by the way Mickel Jackson was hot}. She can never go back for her own safty and her families. So any of you lame brains that think Iran is a OK place talk to a native living ABROAD it''s moslim nazism there very dangerous there not our friend detante is out for them it will be a tool. They aren''t and don''t want to be our friends they percieve us the enemy and don''t think for a second if they get nukes they won''t use them. There goal is to spread the koran any way they can here if you don''t want the bible OK but we can be friends and do busness, we have no desire to expand our borders Mexico and Canada have no worries that my friends is the difference

[damnedrelign]

If this Ahmadinejad is not erased, neutralized, or otherwise eliminated, the entire world will rue the days of failing to take bold, direct, ad hoc action against him and his dangerous, religious fanatics, who only have warped and detrimental plans to severely harm, if not destroy our planet. It is incumbent for us to face this cataclysmic religio-Iranian phenomenon at current and relatively low cost AT THIS TIME. As each moment passes, we risk bearing additional cost as measured in terms of lives, military supplies, further complications, etc. WE CAN NO LONGER WAIT.
A NUCLEAR IRAN MUST BE PREVENTED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, AS IRAN''S HATE-FILLED, RELIGIOUS, FANATICAL LEADERS [...CONTINUING WITH THEIR MASSIVE DECEPTION], ARE INTOXICATED WITH DELUSIONS OF POWER, DOMINATION, CONQUEST AND PUNISHMENT/REVENGE!!!

[closethippy1]

Censorship = Deficient society.
Iranian censorship = Deficient society.
American censorship = Deficient society.

Get it?

[my2centss]

Freedom of speech is not only being allowed to say what you want, but also being allowed to hear what others say. Enough censoring. If you do not like it, do not listen.

[truthheals]

Kudo''s to Columbia!

[toolmangler-2009]

They will not attack Putin because they know he would have no qualms at sending nukes our way. They won''''t attack China for the same reason. Only the little guys in the ''''Axis of Evil'''' need worry!

Posted by gramto11 at 10:01 PM : Sep 21, 2007

August 6, 2005


"Russia''s Turning Muslim, Says Mufti" is the startling headline in the Times of London today. Ravil Gaynutdin, head of the Council of Muftis of Russia, announced that Russia''s population of 144 million contains 23 million ethnic Muslims %u2013 and not, as the census indicates, 14.5 million, or, as the Orthodox Church estimates, nearer to 20 million.


We won''t have to wait too much longer, they will come to us.

[gramto7]

I wonder if all of those saying we should attack Iran would also want to attack Russia, or do they, like typical schoolyard bullies, only pick fights with someone unable to respond in kind.

Posted by jn122736

I think you hit the nail on the head there, jn. They are just like their dear leaders.... Bring ''em on Bush is a bully and so is Cheney. They will not attack Putin because they know he would have no qualms at sending nukes our way. They won''t attack China for the same reason. Only the little guys in the ''Axis of Evil'' need worry!

[fizzal-2009]

How come he doesn,t want too speak from the assembly hall in New York City,s jail

[jn122736]

%u201CPut a world map on the wall then take a thumb tack and stick it into a large city, anywhere your city, where 200,000 or so people should be allowed to die, just to prove Iran has a nuclear weapon.
I don''''t think so, Iran is lead by completely deranged religious bigots who believe they can bring their Mahdi back sooner by causing a worldwide holocaust.
Posted by jowand at 06:16 PM : Sep 21, 2007%u201D
**************
%u201CThey are being helped to develop nukes by Russia, China and North Korea. Libs are in denial about Iran''''s goals, as it is easier to put off than face up to what Iran is really doing.
Posted by jowand at 06:10 PM : Sep 21, 2007%u201D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

jowand,
I don%u2019t know how old you are but I lived through the cold war and heard virtually the same claims against Russia.

Some people were so frightened they actually built concrete bomb shelters for protection from an atomic attack.

We didn%u2019t attack Russia then because we knew, as did Russia, that any attack by either would result in the destruction of both, as well as most of the world.

I wonder if all of those saying we should attack Iran would also want to attack Russia, or do they, like typical schoolyard bullies, only pick fights with someone unable to respond in kind.

[smilingez50]

This the same animal that would slit your baby''s throat and would want to put a wreath on his grave, too. He would probably be laughing in the inside if he were allowed to visit the site. Our dead soldiers wound turn over in their graves if he is allowed to place a wreath.

[ajmarine1]

"I don''''t think so, Iran is lead by completely deranged religious bigots who believe they can bring their Mahdi back sooner by causing a worldwide holocaust."

Posted by jowan

I agree with you completely, but alot of the world doesn''t see it like that. To them, we are the great Satan, the bullies of the world, the only country to ever use the A-bomb (even though we saved untold numbers of dead by using it), and all we want is oil to fuel our evil country.

So no, I don''t want to see 200,000 people killed, but I am tired of trying to make the world see what Iran is and what they will do with the bomb.

After it happens, I will be the one with my hand in the air saying "I told you so."

[seven-pesos]

do you think they would let ahmadinejad make a speech in the southern states?

ha,ha,ha.

he''''d be lucky if he didn''''t get lynched.

oh well, that''''s the south for you!

rednecks, white trash, war makers, christian creeps, republican snakes...

bush''''s kind of people.

war, hate, christian creeps, republican snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south.

[jowand]

I''''m not worried, I think they should have the bomb and the first time they used it or gave it to a terroist group to use it, we should take care of it then. I know if they used it a lot of people would be killed, but as it is, people say we are the bad guys and quit picking on poor Iran;....fine, give them and anyone else that wants it one.

I was just responding to you saying that Iran hadn''''t been at this very long.


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

Posted by AJMarine1 at 06:07 PM : Sep 21, 2007


Put a world map on the wall then take a thumb tack and stick it into a large city, anywhere your city, where 200,000 or so people should be allowed to die, just to prove Iran has a nuclear weapon.
I don''t think so, Iran is lead by completely deranged religious bigots who believe they can bring their Mahdi back sooner by causing a worldwide holocaust.

[jowand]

Ahmadinejad has arrest warrants out on him in four countries for killing people. Rafsenjani the moderate cleric has only one arrest warrant out on him for killing people. Ahmadnejad has violated the UN Charter which forbids one member nation calling for the destruction of another nation. Iran has been killing Americans through proxies for 27 years. They stone and hang women and men for what we would consider minor things. Women who are to be executed are raped to ensure they will not go to the muslim paradise as virgins.
Rafsenjani the moderate is the one who said their first nuke is going to blow up in an Israeli city.
They are being helped to develop nukes by Russia, China and North Korea. Libs are in denial about Iran''s goals, as it is easier to put off than face up to what Iran is really doing.

[ajmarine1]

If after 18 years they still have no bomb, what are you worried about?

Posted by clestes

I''m not worried, I think they should have the bomb and the first time they used it or gave it to a terroist group to use it, we should take care of it then. I know if they used it a lot of people would be killed, but as it is, people say we are the bad guys and quit picking on poor Iran;....fine, give them and anyone else that wants it one.

I was just responding to you saying that Iran hadn''t been at this very long.

[clestes-2009]

mjlewis6

read your history. That happened because the US and British intelligence illegal overthrew a democratically elected prime minister in 1953. He was going to nationalize the oil industry and that just could not happen, so he was forceably removed from power and the Shah installed.

The Shah was HATED by the people and if US soldiers had not protected him for 25 years, he would have been killed. He was a ruthless terrorist, but he sold oil cheap to the US and Britan.

Now if someone had overthrown a US president and installed someone who committed terrorist acts on the US people and sold our natural resources and kept the money, you wouldn''t be angry about that??

Would you maybe take over their embassy?? Naww, you''d just worm your way into the corrupt govn and depend on foreign soldiers to protect you, right??