Ahmadinejad: Why The Right Is Wrong

The man whose name you can't pronounce is landing in New York. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will address a select group of Columbia University faculty and students on Monday as part of the school's annual World Leaders Forum.

Reactions to Columbia University's decision to invite him have been mixed, and right in line with expectations. McCain, Giuliani and groups including The Anti-Defamation League have come out swinging against the Columbia-Ahmadinejad coupling, armed with terms like "Holocaust denier," "Persian Hitler" and "state sponsor of terrorism." They also make note of what they see as Columbia's other failings: lack of an ROTC chapter, the decision to let Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist speak last year and Columbia Dean John Coatsworth's recent remark that he would also invite Hitler to speak "if he were willing to engage in debate and a discussion."

Supporters, including Columbia President Lee Bollinger, have for their part expressed concern about the dangers of curtailing free speech. In a prepared statement, Bollinger wrote: "That such a forum could not take place on a university campus in Iran today sharpens the point of what we do here."

Once again, the American right is going about things all wrong. Ahmadinejad is their best tool. Rather than working to shut him down, they should sit back and let him speak. Here's why: Sound bites from Ahmadinejad's Columbia appearance will inevitably produce more "evidence" the administration and its hawks can use to push the need for this regime's elimination -- like his incendiary remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations last year. It is Ahmadinejad's words the administration consistently cites as supporting evidence for its cause. If Ahmadinejad wasn't afforded the opportunity to speak, and to offer up more inflammatory remarks, then the right would be without this easy ammunition in its ongoing campaign to invade Iran.

As leading campus free speech and first amendment scholar Robert O'Neil rightly notes: "If you suppress a viewpoint by disallowing or barring a controversial speaker, you make the speaker a martyr."

While all eyes are on Manhattan, precious few are watching what's happening in Washington. On Thursday, Senators Jon Kyl and Joseph Lieberman filed an amendment to the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill that would make it official U.S. policy to "combat, contain and roll back" Iran and its surrogates in Iraq. Section 5 calls for the United States to formally designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. If passed, this amendment would open the door even wider for military action against Iran.

Why hasn't this bit of news sparked similar debate?

Comments

[dlowenstein]

In the case of a David Duke you would be correct, but when it comes to a world leader who has many forums for speaking out, not least of which in his own country, we don't need to give him the prestige of speaking at one of our distinguished Uninversity's -



Once again the left does not get it,



He is using us to help himself win re-election back at home and giving him this stage creates the opportunity for him to demonstrate to his people that American does not hate him -



The Iranian people do not like the fact that the "hard-liners" are in constant opposition to the West,



And as for Columbia, they are pathetic;



They kick the military off their campus for recruiting, because they say don't ask don't tell is insulting to their gay students, yet they allow a man to speak who has people killed for being gay?



It's you and the left that "don’t get it"

[THERIGHTWING]

Funny how the left here thinks this guy is a man to deal with while he funds people that are killing Americans right now but thinks W is the devil. Just give the guy a hung and he will see the light. What a joke.

[ForRichardorPoorer]

current bush strategy would be to "wreck havock" on iran to keep them out of iraq. farquaad bush and his minions believe that a military "victory" is to destroy the economic, infrastructure, and social fabric of the targeted country. so, it would follow, that to keep iran out of "his mess" in iraq, they should do the same to iran.

[THERIGHTWING]

I wonder if this lady then thinks the university should allow the minute men and rotc there as well. Why is this about right and left and not right and wrong. Some things should just not be done.

[ruchild]

It is all about the Oil and the middle east has the Oil, after Iran it will be Saudi Arabia who will be our new "enemy", the administration are oil sluts.

[Chris]

It is laughable to hear Columbia talk about free speech when they refuse to let the US Military recruiters on campus. It would seem that in certain instances they are all for curtailing free speech.

BTW I have no problem with this guy speaking there. No one has to go see him. My beef is with the Univerasity claims of free speech when their actions betray those claims.

[Bozwellian]

LOL, keep hearing how so many disgruntled that the ROTC is not allowed JOB FAIR access at this institution or others...L­OL, there are recruitment facilities that could be rented just off campus if one was so desired, or how about the job fairs at the local hotels/convention centers and etc...oh, they do appear there as well and besides, they are on HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES and for those with a child of JUNIOR HIGH age..uh, peruse your kids MAIL and see the mailings from the various military branches that start flowing from age 12 onward....­.Find something more pertinent please, tired of the rotc recruitment ranting..a­s well, suggst you check out some of the recruiters DECEPTIVE practices used in recruiting and take a breather !!!

[Bozwellian]

Here, give this some thought...
WHO was quoted saying what to who
".......qu­ote-speaki­ng to you.......­...you’ve made terrible choices for your people. You’ve isolated your nation you’ve taken a nation of proud and honorable people and made your country the pariah of the world."

uh, could well have been the other so saying to THE OTHERcould well have been a REVERSE...­and found LOGICAL to be so said as well.....

(..."As an American citizen tell me what trait do you admire?" the president asked Pelley.

"Well Mr. Bush is without question a very religious man for example, as you are," Pelley replied.

"What religion, please tell me, tells you as a follower of that religion to occupy another country and kill its people, please tell me, does Christianity tell its followers to do that?" Ahmadinejad asked.

"I take it you can’t think of anything you like about President Bush," Pelley remarked.

"Well, I'm not familiar with the gentleman’s private life. Maybe in his private life he is very kind or determined man," the president said.

"I asked President Bush what he would say to you if he were sitting in this chair. And he told me-quote-speaking to you, that you’ve made terrible choices for your people. You’ve isolated your nation you’ve taken a nation of proud and honorable people and made your country the pariah of the world. These are President Bush’s words to you," Pelley said. "....

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/20/60minutes/main3282230_page3.shtml

[Bozwellian]

Too many are waddling and squatting and ranting and raving and demanding the fella' from Iran be "denied" access or exposure..­and by the same soirties that waddle around cruing that "THEY" hate us for our freedoms and blah, blah, blah..and being part of a grouping that repeatedly attempts to marginalize ANY and ALL who do not subscribe to their particular point os of view which have led to disastors in decisions riddled with bungles, bumbles, blunders and etc time after time and all will egregious results that have consequences all will bear for generations yet to come...How many caught the 60Min piece by Pelley and HIS "report"? Think it too should be "reviewed"(uh, thought gave credence to Rathers recent lawsuit allegations that CBS is catering for corporate best interests.­...) !!!

[KerwinMcLaughlin]

Dear Miss Ensha:

You're missing the point. Though his speaking would arm the Republicans with "sound bites" the right doesn't look at everything as political fodder. We look at things with a sense of right or wrong. For instance, the US doing poorly in Iraq HELPS the Democrats but it hurts America so the right is against it.

You mention the Minute Man incident, which not only shows the lack of free thinking at Columbia but also the disregard for free speech, the ready use of violence and the distinct fact that our Ivy league students are truly uneducated and misinformed.

The one person you forget to mention is the former Iranian hostage (you might be too young to remember)who swears under oath that the Iranian President was one of his captors and tormentors. He doesn't want him there. Freedom of Speech in the constitution covers only AMERICAN citizens. What about an American citizen who was kidnapped, beaten and tortured for 444 days? Where's his freedom of speech? Why isn't the ACLU rushing to his defense?

[BritPatJax]

The point should be that 'words' consume Americans and he should go to hell for his 'words' WE meanwhile bomb or encourage to bomb and sit back whilst 'blood is spilt' Iraq and Iran have butted heads for decades and little actual blood between them has been spilt. They have cancelled each other out like USA and Russia in the cold war. All this disgusting talk of 'nuke them' is far more inflammatory than a few signs saying 'death to Americans'. Over time America is the one spilling the most blood or sanctioning it. Iraq and Iran should have and should BE left alone to continue to blow hot air. Thats what they do? It does not take lives? What we propose DOES?

[4BIDDENthemovie]

I understand what you are saying, however he has already has been offered opportunities to publicly spew his hatred and venom, publicly at the United Nations, of all places, and on US soil. He has on Iranian TV and rallies done the same with banners behind him.

For ANY public University, let alone once prestiege Columbia University. This action elivates his stature in the insane world he represents and demeans Columbia. Under the circumstances there is no spin on this that makes sense. He is personally of record as saying that the world would be better off without America, The Hollicost did not exist. It is a stone fact, that his regime is funding and supplying terorism, and by these actions, the main orchestrator of terrorism is himself and Iran. This is dispickable by anyone's defination.
American really needs to wake up. Liberal or Conservative, Republican or Democrat, like it or not the number 1 problem facing America is terrorism and these people crazy I wan to die attitude in order to inflict their views and hatred on others.
Daniel Santefort

[Bozwellian]

..uh, quite frankly, a more reality based take, it has ELEVATEd the INSANITY of the American radical right who choose to silence any and all that dare NOT to be of their opinion or persuasion or religion or whateverin­g..The over hyped HYSTERIA IS RIDICULOUS and dangerous for it cuts off opportunity to learn something or other by listening and then being able to actually formulate a workable position that does NOT have to involve bombings and war and killings and maimings and never ending warfare...­So very EXAUSTED by the right wingers , exasuted with the inept Dems as well...lig­hts going out all over America, more and more likely we will NOT actually survive this Bushlerized reign of terror and destruction and decimation of a nation that at one time seemed to embody things worthwhile and even honorable in intention and which seemed willing to put in the hard work/effort to allow the greater common good to become achieveable.

[TheRightOne]

Like Arrafat, he will come here and lie, while in his native tingue he will say the opposite once home. Besides by having him speak it gives him legitimacy.

[TheFacilitator]

Buske is right. Too many words, no action. Time to stand up. The real world is laughing at us, and our children will never understand why we did not fire or boycott Cheney,Bus­h,Rice,Bol­ton, Lieberman, and other irresponsible sycophants. Democrats are just a bunch of losers. MoveOn is doing a better job in representing the will of the many. And we dare to promote democracy abroad.

[tomdennen]

"Holocaust denier," "Persian Hitler" and "state sponsor of terrorism," are, without proof, hate speech. Period. Call AIPAC'S PR for confirmation.

Tom Dennen, editor, Shellinfosight.com

[kakiandrews]

this is to let everyone know that ahmadinejad has no power to do anything---per the iranian constitution. ahmadinejad was democratically elected, but iran is a theocratically run government. this is per SCOTT RITTER, former wmd inspector for the UN.