Iranian Leader's Christmas Message Prompts Outcry

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran, delivered Channel 4's alternative Christmas address yesterday, sending a message of "happiness, prosperity, peace and brotherhood for humanity" which immediately ignited a furious row.

The speech by Mr Ahmadinejad, whose nuclear ambitions and views on Israel and homosexuality have strained relations between Iran and the West, was moderate, with none of the harsh rhetoric for which he has gained notoriety. God, he said, had created "every human being with the ability to reach the heights of perfection". He also urged Muslims and Christians to work together towards a world of "love, brotherhood and justice".

Perhaps mindful of its controversial choice of speaker, Channel 4 did not broadcast the message at 3pm to coincide with the Queen's speech on BBC and ITV, as it has done every year since 1993. Instead, the programme was screened at 7.15pm. However, that did not prevent a backlash which started even before the broadcast. The human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell had urged Channel 4 to "pull the plug on this criminal despot, who ranks with Robert Mugabe, Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and the Burmese military junta as one of the world's most bloody tyrants".

Speaking in Farsi with English subtitles, Mr Ahmadinejad sent his congratulations to "the followers of Abrahamic faiths, especially the followers of Jesus Christ, and the people of Britain". He said the world's ills had come about through nations failing to follow the teachings of the Prophets, including Jesus. He also made a thinly-veiled attack on the US, claiming Christ would have been against "bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers" and would have opposed "warmongers, occupiers, terrorists and bullies the world over".

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office rebuked Channel 4 for giving a platform to the President, who has called the Holocaust "a myth", saying it would cause international offence. A spokeswoman said: "President Ahmadinejad has during his time in office made a series of appalling anti-Semitic statements. The British media are rightly free to make their own editorial choices, but this invitation will cause offence and bemusement not just at home but amongst friendly countries abroad."

Israel called the message a "sick and twisted irony". Ron Prosor, the Israeli ambassador to Britain, said: "In Iran, converts to Christianity face the death penalty."

Read more from the Independent.

Comments

[Infostream]

Try reading the actual transcripts - I've read some and he always speaks in a moderate way but the MSN and State dept twist it into boogie-man stuff. His stand on Israel is that it should never have been created by stealing land from the Palestinians, that no one ever criticizes the Zionist terrorism involved in its creation, and that if Europe needed to give reparations for the Holocaust, they should have done it by giving up THEIR land to create Israel.

In addition all the actual intelligence and on-the-ground inspectors say Iran ended their nuclear weapons program years ago, and Ahmadinejad's position is that it is a waste of their money to try to make a weapon that they could never use. Maybe he's lying, and he definitely sucks on human rights issues, but some of those points have validity as far as I'm concerned, yet the MSM and our state dept outright lies and twists it into saying Iran wants to build nukes and bomb Israel. Just what we need another fake threat to keep us wasting billions on the Pentagon's new toys and promoting terrorism by occupying other countries.

[DS3M]

As an American, I saw nothing inflammatory or wrong in his sentiments. Wishing happiness, prosperity, peace and brotherhood for humanity is hardly a bad thing; Respecting all people who follow the Abrahamic faiths is also honorable as well.

And While he may be a hypocrite, I ask you which politician is not?

Whose message is so perfectly in tune with their existence as to reveal no dissonance nor distortion?

[normalkid0615]

Pres Admen... I sa.lute. you! More than I do B.Ush! He is way more of a man than B.Ush will ever be!

[LRM216]

Don't let the door hit you on the way out, bud.

[jpmdevildog]

Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmedinejad shocked the world this week by appearing on a 1 hour Christmas special broadcast on the BBC.

"Iranian Mountain Holiday with Mahmoud Ahmedinejad" was broadcast on BBC World satellite television station, to the offense and confusion of many.

http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/ahmedinejad-hosts-christmas-special/

[Chaimirija]

President Icantproun­oucehisnam­e is a dramaQueen. Pure and simple.

[Infostream]

wow , hilarious, are you a "joke" writer for Leno?

[FZliveson]

The antidote to propaganda is accountability.
The best response to a speech, like Ahmadinejad's is so say loud and clear; "SHOW ME."
Rather than disputing, discrediting, criticizing and bashing, people should be encouraging all loud talkers to lead the world to the peaceful place they claim to want. Draw Ahmadinejad into the "sunshine."

My grandmother told me that in Holland in her youth, they had a saying "He has butter on his head." (When butter was a black market commodity in WWII. people would hide it under their hats. You can't go into the sunshine with butter under your hat (something to hide) or it will melt and run down your face.)

Draw Ahmadinejad into the sunlight. If he has nothing to hide, "butter" will not run down his face. Hold him accountable to his words. Hold all blowhards accountable and melt the butter!

[manitoumackinac]

Whoever wrote the above article needs to go back to school and learn what objective journalism actually is.

It doesn't mean rehashing state policy.

[Ms Fu]

I'm sorry, but I think objective journalism is about extinct now.

[darleneslee]

What is journalism? I've been looking for it everywhere. I would love to see it on television, hear it on radio, or perhaps read it in a newspaper.

[munki]

Unfortunately, each and every school have different minds of professors...
Which school are you talking about in specific?

[Clare53]

If you're looking for journalism, you're on the wrong site.

[mamacat]

We don't see this kind of outrage about the lies and smears on our own Faux News Network!

One does not have to be a fan of everything Iranian to hope that we will resort to more such blatant messages of "Merry Christmas," and fewer bullets and bombs.

Why are people afraid to let this man talk. Not everything he says is nonsense, and not everything about Iran is evil. Far from it.

Bravo to Channel 4, for having the wisdom and bravery to broadcast this message of peace and hope.

[Clare53]

Yeah, that Ahmadinejad, he's all about peace and hope.

[barackobama4prez]

why is he all of a sudden unwilling to talk to Prez-elect then? He's full of shiit that's why! For all his cursing the western ways, the comments and actions taken by this creep leave no room for his lecturing.

[iblisexpat]

Barackobama4.

Who said "he is unwilling to talk to PE"? PE never said he would talk to him before he takes office. so, stop the lie.

[iblisexpat]

mamacat,
Agreed. Unfortunately, I cannot find a TV channel in U.S. to have the freedom to broadcast alternative news and opinions. What a tragedy!

[Wanjiru]

LMAO @ the mock outrage...

..Ahme.dinajad wished them a Merry Christmas??..

...THE NERVE!...

...life as they once knew it will never be the same!...

*gasps*

...Merry-f­rigg.ing-C­hristmas, re.tards...

...now move on...

.

[eden4barack08]

How dare he fake civility? We need him rogue, always! The nerve...indeed.

[lydia]

We know we are up the proverbial creek without a paddle when Ahmadinejad can use the same stick we poke him with about Civility, Christianity, Justice, and Humanity and make a massive hole in that we lack that which we preach.
In supporting the invasion and death of millions of Iraqis and the invasion and death of the Palestinians by the Israelis when the only crime these hapless people committed is that we/jews coveted what they possess. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods'.

[Kache]

Why he just ruined my Christmas! There's nothing merry about it.

If Ahmadinejad's wishing me good tidings I'll just have to have bad ones. I'll show him......

[JohnTy]

Worth pointing out that Channel 4 preceded the alternative Christmas message with a little context - pointing out the criticisms that might be made of him and Iran!

To add my own context - it may be worth pointing out that Peter Tatchell would by US standards be considered extremely left wing; he is also a militant spokesperson for gay rights. he has himself at times been demonized by the mainstream media in the UK.

As for the message itself - not a lot I could disagree with - except for the assertion that Jesus and other prophets will at some point reappear on earth and put it all to rights. Still a nice thought. I guess Obama is the next best thing.

[RJII]

good for him. baby steps are OK.

[eden4barack08]

THAT'S the spirit!

[beebst]

i ha.te, is.ra.ael. that does not mean i am against Je.ws. i think they are great. but that country is against everything i stand for.

[Wanjiru]

ditto...

.

[msblkwidow]

Please explain.

[OdaNobunaga]

Simple. Is.ra.el tor.tures people.

[Chaimirija]

Si

[Chaimirija]

My Si is for ditto!

[platbilled duckypuss]

And here is another one......

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/cartoon/2008/dec/24/pope-benedict-gay-rights

[GayGrandpa]

My daughter thought I was crazy but I personally wrote President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at his website a couple years back. I told him no Western nation was going to support a regime that called for the end of Israel and that hung gay teenagers and I mentioned the two boys by name. I told him then the best thing he could do for his country is to step down...and I believe he will this spring and that Iran will change its tune...I do. Watch and see. A progressive will come into power soon and I believe stability and peace will come to the region...yes it could and I say will happen.

[Chaimirija]

Please contact me---I have a bridge I would like to sell you...

Appreciate your optimism though:)

[barackobama4prez]

i thought we'd never get a progressive into the W.H. this year either....but that's what hope is: the evidence of things not seen...

[moonbot]

There's been a lot of discussion about how Jews and Christians are treated in Iran. You've left Muslims (for a full complement of the "people of the book") and the Zoroastrians, who were grandfathered in for the sake of sentimentality. Those are the only legal religions in Iran. Ask the Baha'i folks how they like their treatment in Iran. Or homosexuals of any religion (wait, as Ahamdinejad said, they don't exist there...how silly of me to bring it up). An Iranian must be Muslim in order to be an officer in the military. Do you think they have a don't-ask-­don't-tell policy?

And under Iran's medieval Sharia law, how many men have to testify on a woman's behalf if she files a rape complaint against a man? How many women have judgeships in Iran?

No matter how bad Bush is, America is, or Israel is, even if he's the worst leader in the history of the world, Ahamdinejad is not off the hook. This blog has been a great opportunity for Islamists to get their digs in on the U.S., Britain, and Israel. Many if not most of them are well deserved. I suggest that the Islamists themselves look in the mirror. They might not like what they see.

Having said that, I'm glad that Ahamdinejad's speech was carried on British TV.

[MYSHA0405]

Dont you have to be Jewish or of Jewish descent to become a citizen of israel?