Ahmadinejad's Columbia Moment
All it took was one slip.
One awkward, unscripted moment after a silky-smooth speech and the mystique Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spent more than a half hour crafting for hundreds of scholars and students Monday at Columbia University evaporated into pitiful ether.
Who can take the president of Iran seriously when he looks squarely at an audience at one of the leading universities in the world and insists there are no homosexuals in his country?
"In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon," he said, speaking through an interpreter on a university-wide simulcast. "I don't know who has told you we have it."
That odd declaration came in response to an audience question about the rights of women and the public hanging of two gay teenagers there a few years ago.
At first, it looked like Ahmadinejad would filibuster the question with a lengthy recitation of the rights Iranian women enjoy. Eventually, he moved into a rambling, train-wreck of a diatribe about drug dealers, hostage takers and metaphorical doctors whose mission is to halt the spread of infectious microbes through a society.
Pressed for an answer to the original question, his reply was simply comical. "In Iran, we don't have homosexuals like in your country," he said.
Poof, it was over.
The burst of laughter inside Lerner auditorium quickly morphed to boos, hisses and cat calls. In the Pulitzer World Room at Columbia Journalism School, a similar, more-muffled response showed anxiety easing among roughly 100 aspiring journalists and faculty members gathered for the event.
Professional colleagues with different perceptions of Ahmadinejad had come -- most with open minds -- to hear what he had to say. Lurking quietly was the possibility he might offer something that could divide old friends.
With one crazy statement, his credibility was gone. In an instant, we were together in a world of truth and reality. He was alone on stage.
Earlier, he had rhetorically slipped past questions about the "extinction of Israel" with a cleaver call for free elections in Palestine and the assurance that "We love all nations. We are friends with the Jewish people."
He had turned allegations that he denies the Holocaust back on his inquisitors, embracing some aspects of the accepted history and calling for further research into others.
"We must allow researchers and scholars to investigate into anything... Why do you want to stop the progress of science and research?" he asked. "I am not saying that it (the Holocaust) didn't happen at all. This is not the judgment I am passing here."
Eventually, he repeated longstanding assertions that the International Atomic Energy Agency has verified that Iran's activities are solely for peaceful programs. "We do not believe in nuclear weapons, period," he said. "It goes against the whole grain of humanity."
By that point, however, the damage was done. The unscripted slip about the nonexistence of gay men and lesbians in his country allowed most of us to disengage.
Much has been written about whether Columbia acted appropriately allowing him to speak on campus.
As an adjunct professor of journalism, I agreed with the administration: Allow him to speak with the condition that he spends at least the same amount of time answering questions from faculty and students that he does in his unilateral remarks.
As a former reporter, I wanted to see how he would explain on the record in America the controversial statements our president and corporate American media have attributed to him.
Columbia President Lee Bollinger spoke wisely during his opening remarks when he reminded the audience "it is a critical premise of freedom of speech that we do not honor the dishonorable when we open our public forums to their voices. To hold otherwise would make vigorous debate impossible."
He also spoke compassionately to professors, students and alumni, adding "to those among us who experience hurt and pain as a result of this day, I say on behalf of all of us that we are sorry and wish to do what we can to alleviate it."
In another time, I might not have needed to hear Ahmadinejad myself.
Unfortunately, The New York Times and four broadcast networks lost so much credibility during the run-up to the present war that I still doubt their commitment to stand "without fear or favor" against warmongers who challenge their patriotism.
Worse, President Bush and his administration have lied to us so much about the immoral war we are in now that nothing they say about the Middle East is believable.
So, I heard this man for myself. The market place of ideas worked.
In one unscripted moment, it became crystal clear that Ahmadinejad is either dangerously removed from reality or he is a lying despot who will tell the world anything he wants it to believe about his country.
The frightening thing is the two aren't mutually exclusive.
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I fear for the future of this country. When is ee a video clip of the despotic leader of a barbaric theocracy being cheered by students at one of our most prestigous institutions, one which will not even allow thier own countries military on campus, I fear for the future. When I see men of seeming intelligence who can read remarks of genocide and conquest by a man, yet only find him less than credible when he expresses denial about the presence of gays in his country, I fear for the present. When i see once reasonable men and women who honestly think President Bush and our own government is less legitmate, more evil, and more pernicious than an president whose candidacy had to be approved by men whose thoughs can only be described as medievil, has shouted down wells to wake the 12 imam, and promised the destruction of an entire country, I fear for this nations survival.
Were I religous, I would pray for our nation as it is, all I can do is fear, and hope that one day sanity and clarity will return.
nice post AlwaysAmused. just one appeal - don't confuse hatred of our leaders with hatred of our country. seperate the two in your mind, and may be the future and present don't seem so hopeless. btw, i agree totally with your second reason (where you fear for the present).
When hatred of a leader becomes so blind and irrational that it causes hatered of the country they are no longer seperate. Liberals don't like to admit it, but theres always been an undercurrent of anti-americanism in liberal philosophy. (probably due to the fact that modern liberalism originated in europe) in recent years though it has become and tsunami.
Amazing, Ahmadinejad comes into the heart of the dragon at a time when the Bush/Cheney puppetmasters are pulling the strings to unleash hell from the air on Iran, and the author of this article jumps on any gaffe he may or may not have made (translations are notoriously deficient in conveying nuances) in order that we can fall back asleep comfortably. I salute the man for engaging in dialogue. We as a nation are blind to the realities of the Middle East. At least Reagan had the good sense to pull out due to the "irrationality of Middle East politics', second only to the irrationality of ours! There is a festering sore that will not go away, and of which Ahmadinejad is reminding us, and that is the appropriation of a land by the Jews, aided and abetted by the victors at the end of WWII, and the ongoing displacement and balkanization of the Palestinians. As much as I admire the Israelis for their intelligence and productivity, as much as I align with them culturally, they are going to lose in the end, and take our Republic-morphed-Empire down with them, because they have made the devil of apartheid into their God, and as everyone knows, "Thou shalt not have false gods before ye!"
Yeah, and Bush says the US doesn't torture.
I can think of nothing more irrelevant than a discussion whether Iran has homosexuals, unless it would be a discussion of whether Iran has Africans, Latinos, or Irishmen. Ahmenidejad's views on the historicity of the Holocaust are hardly more relevant.
This man stands on the verge of re-establishing the empire of Cyrus. This feat is not due to any of his own efforts, but because it has been handed him on a silver platter by George W. Bush. That is something worth talking about.
Is Iran supplying munitions to Iraqi insurgents?
Is Iran training Iraqi insurgents?
What would Iran do if American forces withdrew from Iraq?
Is Iran willing to negotiate in good faith a plan for the reconstruction of Iraq as an independent, sovereign state free of influence from any other state?
How is Iran involved in the chemicalization of No Dong missles in Syria?
How is Iran involved in the acquisition of nuclear materials by Syria?
What are Iran's intentions toward Israel?
These, and others like them, are pertinent questions.
Americans may find it difficult to grasp, but the universe does not revolve on the question of the presence of homosexuals anywhere.
A British gay man decifered Hitler's codes and made the invasion of D-Day possible, he also was the father of the computer....yeah queers don't matter.
A world without Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Shakespeare, George Washington, Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt...wouldn't have changed the course of Mankind at all.
WOW! Did you guys just hear Rush Limbaugh playing different sound bites from Ahmadinejad and then following them with sound bites from different Democrats? The comments were exactly the same!!!
It was incredible! Jimmy Carter, John Kerry, Hillary, John Edwards, and just about every other Democrat leader using the exact same phrases and opinions as this totally kookie, demented despot from Iran!
It must make you all so proud! Ahmadinejad for the Democrat nomination '08!!
Rush who?
"WOW! Did you guys just hear Rush Limbaugh playing different sound bites from Ahmadinejad and...." Mr. Smarty
-------------------
Rush Limbaugh is a gasbag. Nobody cares what he says.
They should have provided an opportunity to qualify the statement. Absolutisms are a part of religion, all religion. Just look at the Catholic Church.
Be interesting if in the USA instead we hung liars, would be way ahead of Iran and most of the rest of the world, instead of behind them.
Huffington Post did gays/lesbians in America and Iran a big disservice shutting down comments on the Ahmadinejad gay denial video.
It was the most SIGNIFICANT moment of the entire Columbia College set of speeches, and the one which will be most remembered in EVERY country on Earth.
As a gay man I know exactly why the denial of homosexuality was Ahmadinejad's Achille's heel(so to speak.)
He belongs to a world where homosexuals are so insignificant, he wouldn't give them a second thought, therefore he wouldn't have planned any rebuttel on the subject. And it was his most AUTHENTIC moment on stage. All his verbal manuvering was shattered by queers...what poetic JUSTICE.
"With one crazy statement, his credibility was gone. "
THAT was the shameless and arrogant president of the Columbia university.
Iraniandude,
Thanks for your endorsement of the regime that persecution and murders: gays, women in lipstick, woman is skirts, artists,writers, rock musicians, jazz musicians,Bahias,Christians, Sunni.
Are you even a little bit embarrassed????
------------------------------------
IRANIAN COURTS ENFORCE LAW ON "APOSTASY"
The Law on Apostasy is practised and remains in force in Iran. It is under this law that converts from Islam to other religions are subject to capital punishment.
Some examples of the application of this law are as follows:
1. In 1989, Rev. Hossein Soodmand was executed for apostasy. Although born a Muslim, by 1989 Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years. He was an evangelist and the pastor of the Assemblies of God (AOG) Church in Mashad. Despite pleas for clemency by fellow pastors to the Dayro-E-Tasalamat (an Ombudsman and Muslim cleric-literally, "he who hears the cries of the oppressed"), Hossein was hanged on 3rd December 1989 at the insistence of the Ombudsman. He left a blind wife and four children.
2. Mehdi Dibaj, a Muslim convert to Christianity, was in prison for nearly 9 years. During that time, he endured 2 years in solitary confinement and was subjected to mock executions. He was imprisoned by the Sharia court in Sari on three charges: 1.That he had "insulted Islam, the prophet Muhammad and Ayatollah Khomeini" in a letter; 2. That he was acting as a spy for the West; and 3. That he was an apostate.
In 1994, he was sentenced to death for apostasy and only after an international campaign for his release was he allowed out of prison on 16 January 1995.
Yeah, let's call him a despot, let's doubt his credibility, let's demonize him so it is easier for Bush to launch a nuclear attack on Iran, and fulfill the dream of Judeo-Christian fascists called neocons.
It's hypocritical to fault this "moderate" leader. How many lies has Bush and this administration told the world, i.e., "we don't do warrantless wiretaps," we don't torture," "we know where the WMD are!"
There are definitely elements in the "left" that are oblivious or complicit in ramping up a war against the muslim world. Attacking the President of Iran, who said the holocaust happened, for being out to destroy Israel is not the diplomatic approach, it's the approach of those who want a crusade.
Just because he's an asshole, doesn't mean that we don't have one. I long ago grew tired of the right in this country sputtering "but.. But.. Clinton" everytime our current administration did or said something untoward. It would realy be nice if, everytime someone said something as inane as our Irani friend did, we didn't sputter "but.. But.. Bush".
Just because our guy is an asshole doesn't mean that no one else can be.
Because our asshole is in charge of the largest arsenal on the planet, it DOES make him more dangerous, but it still doesn't mean that assholiness is an exclusive club.
Aramingo,
Thanks for your statement.
Some mental pygmies posting at Huffpo are unable to grok this simple concept.
The assholel-hood is an international phenomenon, certainly not exclusive to current US administration. The AssmanJihad certainly proved himself to be a gaping orifice to the dismay of cyber jihadists everywhere.
Translation problems?
It's ridiculous, insulting, demeaning - and absolutely NECESSARY - for any foreign head of state or other important figure who wants to be clearly understood by the American public, to learn to speak fluent English.
Whoever can't or won't condescend to the invincible ignorance of the functionally monolingual American public is and forever will be at grave risk of being misinterpreted, misquoted, and misunderstood.
It's stupid. So are we for requiring it.
P.S. Homosexuality is a sin under Islam. Iran is an Islamic country. How long did the Catholic Church deny it had a pedophile problem?
Sorry, meant to attach the P.S. to my comment. --ccalee
1.Bush is a moron and the war in Iraq is wrong.
2.And every word that comes out of his mouth is an offense to common sense.
3.Ah-mad-jihad is a moron and Iran is a oppressive country to ANYONE who's not a strictly religious Muslim.
4.He lost all credibility with his speech.
5.Many Iranians are also opposed to his idiotic speeches.
Prediction: Assman-Jihad will be taken out of public view by the real rulers of Iran very soon.
End of discussion.
Ahmadinejad saying there are no homosexuals in Iran is like Bush saying "the terrorist hate us for our freedom" - but then again, puppets like Ahmadinejad and Bush are both useful stooges for the ruling elite (in both countries).
i understand Ahmadinejad also said that, "there are no homosexuals in the Republican party, this in only a phenomenon exclusive to Democrats" - and with that Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have booked Ahmadinejad for puff pieces on their shows...hailing Ahmadinejad as a strong brilliant leader.
exactly. an admission that gays were allowed to exist in iran would have been an admission that the mission of the revolution, to create a perfect (ha!) islamic society, had failed. he would get in big trouble with the bosses back home for that one...
Did anyone think to seek proof, a scientific examination, of his statement, 'there is no phenomenom such as you have in America', related to the homosexual question? Have any of you checked the personal flight records of Senator Craig, over the last twenty years, to see if he has visited any Iranian Airports? Oh, I forgot, he is not Gay.
Has anyone checked the Gaza strip lately. Any terrorism going on there? Democratic elections in the middle east are our foreign policy. Oh, I forgot, we don't like who was elected.
Iran sponsoring terror in Iraq. Who was it again, that attacked Iran, with American weapons including WMDs? Oh I forgot, Saddam is not our friend anymore.
Oh yeah, I forgot Mandella is dead.
We sure have a lot to be thankful for, when our Universities can point out the foibles of other countries leaders, while falling all over Bush and his Generals. Betray us indeed!
this is your Columbia moment.
"In another time, I might not have needed to hear Ahmadinejad myself.
Unfortunately, The New York Times and four broadcast networks lost so much credibility during the run-up to the present war that I still doubt their commitment to stand "without fear or favor" against warmongers who challenge their patriotism."
it appears to indicate that you previously believed that mainstream media outlets ever had any crediblity to begin with, or at the very least that you trusted the "journalists" to take in the information and decide for themselvs what you should see/hear and what you shouldn't.
very, very bad sign. EVERYONE in the world is biased, including you and me. the only way to get a "true" understanding of an issue is to experience as much of it for yourself as possible. thinking that a media outlet's reports would suffice to provide you with an understanding of a domestically hated figure would always be silly (regardless of the failings of the run-up to the war), given that the media outlet stands to make money by demonizing that figure.
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