BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 08:43 PM

'"Ahmadinejad said more research is needed on the Holocaust, calling it ``a historical event that has become the root, the cause of many heavy catastrophes in the region in this time and age.''

He said his main point was that academics should be allowed to continue their inquiries as they do in other fields.

``I am not saying that it didn't happen at all,'' he said. ``This is not that judgment that I am passing here.

``My first question was if, given that the Holocaust is a present reality of our time, a history that occurred, why is there not sufficient research that can approach the topic from different perspectives?'' Ahmadinejad said.'



Posted without comment (but I reserve the right to return and say a few words when those who post here and agree with Ahmadinejad come on the thread).

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 08:49 PM

Perhaps he feels that the tragic and undeniably awful events of the Holocaust have been used since 1945 as emotional fuel to precipitate further destructive and tragic events in other places. If he does feel so, I would have to agree.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 08:50 PM

Yeah, right!

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 08:51 PM

"``In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country,'' Ahmadinejad said in response to a question about why homosexuals face severe punishments. ``In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have it.'' "

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 08:52 PM

"Ahmadinejad said women in Iran ``enjoy the highest levels of freedom,'' when watchdog groups such as New York-based Human Rights Watch have accused Iranian authorities of jailing women's rights activists. "

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 08:57 PM

They probably have a few homosexuals in Iran...but he just hasn't met them yet, that's all. ;-) And I doubt that he will, either...at least not knowingly.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:00 PM

It's certainly proper to disagree with him. Or think he's evil. Or agree with hi (if you're sufficiently crazy). My point is that if you stifle his oratory, you have nothing valid to argue or agree with. And I'm thoroughly ashamed (not for the first time) of my old Alma Mater.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:05 PM

I agree, Dick.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: beardedbruce
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:21 PM

" My point is that if you stifle his oratory, you have nothing valid to argue or agree with. "

You mean, like when the students drove out the representative ( invited!) from the Minutemen ( anti-illegal immigration) or disinvited him the next year???


I still say that

1. They had every right to have Ahmadinejad speak.

2. Columbia should lose all federal and state funding for their failure to allow ROTC and other non-liberal viewpoints to be presented on campus.


"freedom of speech does not protect speech you like, it protects speech you hate."

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:25 PM

Let's say that someone wanted to preserve as much fear and hostility as possible in their own public with regards to another party. In that case they would not want to have any public dialogue with that other party. They would want to stifle all possibility of such dialogue...in case the dialogue might lead in some positive direction.

This is why dictators and demagogues the world over don't want an open public dialogue with any of their chosen enemies. It might interfere with their promoting and maintaining a state of fear and crisis at home.

"If you stifle his oratory, you have nothing valid to argue or agree with."

Correct. Of course if someone wants nothing valid to argue or agree with...but just wants an official "bad guy" for people to vent hatred upon...then the obvious solution is: stifle his oratory, refuse to engage in dialogue with him or his underlings, when you report what he says only repeat a fragment of it preferably out of context, whatever fragment can be made to look most evil.

And that, my friends, is standard propaganda technique just about everywhere. The Bush administration does it. I bet Ahmadinejad does it too, back in Iran.

The rule is...repeat nothing the official "bad guy" says, unless it is something that can be made to look evil, sneaky, or duplicitous.

Hmmm. Kind of sounds like what happens on this forum with people who attack and nitpick the statements of their political opponents, doesn't it? ;-) From the halls of power to the peanut gallery, the tactics of ill will are much the same.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:31 PM

By the way, I agree wholeheartedly with BB...let's allow ROTC and other non-liberal viewpoints to be presented on campus at Columbia. By all means. Why not? Bring 'em all to Columbia. Bring Dick Cheney too. And Pat Robertson. And Anne Coulter. Should be fun.

Okay? Okay! Justice will be done at Columbia.

Now let's get back to Mr Ahmadinejad, shall we?

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Alba
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 10:11 PM

Thing is a lot of people in this Country already get to hear the views of the ROTC and other non-liberal Folks. Personally I have heard enough from Bush, Cheney and Coulter. There are many outlets available for those people's opinions to be aired in this Country.

I wish that Bollinger hadn't made an ass of himself today though but he did ....

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 10:28 PM

I haven't read this thread yet, I'm just jumping to the bottom to say I'm appalled at the bad manners of the Columbia community. Ahmadinejad stuck it out and spoke, despite the tirade visited upon him. If you invite someone to speak, then listen to what he has to say. All of those preconceived notions were put out on display, notions largely fed by a spotty, biased, U.S. media. The introduction could have been informative and gracious. This one wasn't. It's embarrassing.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 10:43 PM

The Board of Trustees (or whatever the supervisory body of Columbia University is called) should demand the resignation of their president. As Alba says, an ass.
Almadinejad handled himself well, never losing his temper. We may not agree with him, but he is tempering the excesses of the extreme fundamentalists.
A middle class is growing. Not democracy as we know it but more representative than some governments in the area.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 10:52 PM

beardedbruce, I'm not sure if your ROTC question is in reference to my post defending free speech, or someone else's, but in any case, for whatever it's worth, I am opposed to banning ROTC from campuses.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 05:28 AM

Gay people, even teens, face execution in Iran today.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Mr Happy
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 07:40 AM

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tACSopIZVdk

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: John Hardly
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 08:03 AM

I daily log on here and read the most vile language in the English language regularly used to describe George Bush, both as president and as a person.

...and yet this man who wishes to annihilate Israel and says that the holocaust didn't happen....him you can sympathize with.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Alba
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 08:54 AM

Sympathy for Ahmadinejad?.. I see none here but then that would depends on how one chooses to interpret some of the posts on this thread

Embarrassment at the behavior of an Academic President of a well respected Campus during his pseudo introduction to an 'invited' speaker?... some may be and some may not be. All down to each person's idea of decorum I suppose

Are some people Interested to hear what Ahmadinejad's answers are to the questions asked? ...Speaking strictly for myself, I believe it would be foolish not to want to know what this person had to say..
especially his rhetoric regarding the Holocaust and Israel

I thought that Bollinger would most definetly come out of this with some measure of respect for daring to go against the majority and inviting and allowing Ahmadinejad to speak at Columbia this time round. I say again, sadly, Bollinger came away looking like an ass. I do not however believe that Ahmadinejad came away with any sympathy. Academic respect perhaps for handling himself well under pressure ( like a President would when under verbal fire actually) but being seen as a sympathetic figure...hardly!

Today Bush speaks and then Ahmadinejad speaks at the UN.
I will be listening to both of their speeches.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Riginslinger
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 09:03 AM

Alba - I agree completely. It wouldn't be too surprising to hear a politician eager to impress voters to say the things Bollinger said. But for the president of a university with the status of Colombia to say those things was nothing short of embarrassing.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 09:38 AM

What protests? What bad manners? It never happened. There is no proof of protests and I deny it ever occured.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 10:15 AM

His treatment at the hands of Bollinger was deplorable. But once the rhetoric is washed away, Ahmadinejad is the head of a country with which the US might be at war in the future, and not understanding the guy who calls the shots is down-right stupid. He should not have been treated in the manner he was, no matter how disgusting his political views or world views. The unfortunate aspect to it all is that he'll return to Iran a hero, and that means the approach taken by Bollinger was nothing short of stupid. The Rolling Stones did a recording, the title of which rings a few bells: "Sympathy for the Devil." Yeah, right . . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Riginslinger
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 10:17 AM

So then one begins to wonder, why is this guy the president of Columbia University?

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 10:23 AM

Better one should wonder why Ahmadinejad is the president of Iran.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: pdq
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 10:44 AM

"...why Ahmadinejad is the president of Iran..."

Jimmy Carter

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Riginslinger
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 10:44 AM

He's addicted to the ancient superstition of Islam. Other addicts elected him. The same reason GWB is the president of the US, only a different elixir.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: John Hardly
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 10:48 AM

Bollinger was an ass for speaking the truth and Ahmadinejad is a hero for lying?

It's a mixed-up, shook-up world here at the mudcat.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 10:55 AM

It wouldn't bother me one jot or tittle if Iran's president fell down the stairs and broke his neck. But Bollinger gave him the opportunity to come off looking the wounded set-upon visiting speaker. Bollinger was outsmarted. Next, the General Assembly will be outsmarted. I hope someone can keep Bush shut up. Between the two of them, (A and B), they could fuck up a one-car funeral. Keystone Cops without the humour.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: John Hardly
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 11:07 AM

The only way Ahmadinejad comes off as a hero is if one already believed his view of the world. There are a growing number of people who do agree with his view of the world. Obviously some of them here. But NOT calling them crazy in the name of being polite doesn't stop them or their cause. The world needs to be reminded from time to time that people of the stature of a President of one of our major Universities -- as liberal as his politics might be to the western world -- STILL does not buy into the nonsense that the holocaust did not happen, that women should be treated like shit, that gays should be executed, that......do I really need to go on?

Had Bollinger not made that clear (that he finds those abuses appauling), one would have assumed him to be as tolerant (by virtue of his invitation to Ahmadinejad) of all those abuses as, say, the average mudcatter seems to be.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 11:10 AM

I didn't say he 'came off a hero', John. I did say he would be received as one at home in Iran.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Wolfgang
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 11:33 AM

Students who violate rules face suspension or expulsion.

When one of Ahmadinejad's predecessors came to Germany in 1967, there was a lot of even violent student protest against him. If all those who had violated rules then would have been suspended the universities would have been half empty. If all those violating university rules in their protests against the war in Vietnam would have been expelled the universities would have been even more empty.

Ahmadinejad has a clever way with words (if one reads the transcript). His intention is to fool others while at the same time feeding his supporters.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 11:43 AM

Free speech does not mean we bend over and grab our ankles while the other person talks. There is a huge difference between allowing someone to talk and supporting it. Bollinger had his opportunity to speak and used it. Ahmadinejad had his. Each of us chooses who we agree with.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 11:43 AM

Bollinger's opening remarks (introduction) were spot on! Where he fell down was in not getting Ahmadinejad to answer the questions that were asked. Just goes to show that an academic shouldn't joust with a politician.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 12:53 PM

What exactly did Ahmadinejad say in his speech at Columbia? Is there a full account of that anywhere? If not, why? And if not, what use is there in us even talking about it, since we don't really know what we're talking about if we don't know what he said (and I mean ALL of it, not just a sound bite or two).

Bollinger's introduction sounds a lot like the kind of introduction that Nazi prosecuters gave at the trials of the Germans accused of plotting to kill Hitler (when his bunker was bombed in 1944). Bollinger's speech was intended to arouse similar emotions in his audience, and I'm sure it succeeded admirably. Too bad we couldn't have just had a nice lynching of the foreign devil right after, and not have had to listen to him talk at all, isn't it?

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 12:55 PM

For once you make exquisite sense.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Teribus
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 12:57 PM

Nothing at all wrong in the way the President of Columbia University introduced the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Nor was there anything wrong in the manner in which certain contentious issues were introduced in that introduction, particularly as the University's guest speaker was responsible for arresting and holding without charge former alumni of the self same University, an Iranian-American who is still currently under house arrest in Tehran. It's odd that that hasn't been mentioned on this thread so far, or have the chattering left, as usual, relied on other peoples reports of what was said and by who to form the basis of their second hand opinions.

Now Little Hawk what did the USA get Iraq to do to Iran for 8 years in the 80's? And please enlighten us as to what channel of communication was used by the USA to get the Iraqi's to do it?

Similarly, if the USA gave birth to what is now Al-Queda and gave birth to what is now the Taliban. Little Hawk should have very little trouble in turning up who were the organisations and contacts who supposedly sought them out, supplied them and trained them. That must have taken quite a mass of organisation and a great number of people Little Hawk. Now with the freedom of information Act I can turn up the top secret conversation notes of Rumsfelds meeting with Saddam Hussein, yet I cannot find any reference to the US supply and training efforts that must have been required to give birth to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, how come Little Hawk?

Please note Little Hawk these questions are being asked not because I favour this or that political, or nationalistic, viewpoint, they are being asked because you have stated something as being fact that just does not add up. I am not attacking you personally, I am challenging you to come up with some evidence to support your statements. If you cannot then retract them, or clearly state that they represent only your own opinion and are based upon no concrete fact or form of evidence.

The US did filter cash through to those fighting the Russians in Afghanistan. They did it through Pakistan's ISI and those funds went to the Mujahideen, not to the Taliban, not to Al-Qaeda.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 12:59 PM

Sorry LH. I don't at all feel sorry for the sonuvabitch. He denies the Holocaust, kills homosexuals because they are homosexuals, keeps women subservient, has espoused that Israel be wiped from the map. He's a bastard trying to develop nuclear weapons and he's crazy enough to use them. In a word, "Fuck 'im."

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:08 PM

Little Hawk - you are asking for a full account of Ahmadinejad's speech. Could we assume from your remarks that you heard Bollinger's comments in total?

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:14 PM

From the NY Post.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:21 PM

I may get around to that presently, Teribus, if I find the time to today. Be patient. But remember, I am not engaging in a competition here to "win" any arguments with you or anyone else...that's not my objective, and it wouldn't even matter if I did or didn't. It's of no importance who "wins" these arguments. None whatsoever. It's about as important as whether the sparrow in my yard decides to fly east or west 5 minutes from now.

Now, is there any way I can find out what Ahmadinejad said in his entire speech at Columbia? Anyone know how I can do that? I want to find out not so I can win any arguments here on this forum...but just because I'm curious. Got it? I'm curious about what's going on. I would like to know what he said.

*****

Keep in mind, Peace, that if Ahmadinejad were lynched at Columbia or met some other sudden violent end, that in a very short time our national media would give us some other evil foreign bad guy to get upset about...probably whoever ended up replacing Mr Ahmadinejad. That's how it works. There must always be a new and terribly awful bad guy out there to obsess about. It's what keeps the wheels of the New World Order turning.

in no particular order...

Castro - Noriega - Allende - Osama - Saddam - Khomeini - Gaddafi - Mullah Omar - Mao - that fellow in Venezuela (you know) - whoever it is, he will be foreign, he will probably be swarthy, he will most likely have facial hair, and he won't be cooperating with the US corporate agenda.

There will always be another official bad guy who is regarded as a dire threat to the world as we know it. Ahmadinejad is just temporary. Very temporary. This season's "heavy". He will soon be replaced by another such character. I guarantee it.

The TV shows we have watched all our lives are based on this entertainment principle. There MUST always be an official bad guy or the drama just doesn't draw the viewers' attention. Snidely Whiplash must be there to tie Sweet Nell on the tracks, and cackle in an evil fashion, and preen his pencil-thin mustache. That's marketing, baby.

You simply cannot prepare a public for war without first focusing their attention on such a figure. Hatred is only completely effective when it is personalized.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Peace
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:24 PM

I understand that, LH. My first comment--'exquisite sense'--was tongue in cheek. I can only hope that had Bush been asked to speak at Columbia the address from Bollinger would have contained like phrases. In fact, when I saw the words "petty dictator", I actually thought the article would BE about George Bush.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:26 PM

Yes, Ron, I have listened to Bollinger's entire intro on YouTube.

Now I'd like to hear what Ahmadinejad had to say. I think Peace just posted a link, so I'll take a look.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: heric
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:29 PM

Dude, you just plug in Ahmadinejad and transcript:

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0709251843020214.htm

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:32 PM

Aww fer Chrissake! The link is the text of Bollinger's speech which I have ALREADY listened to on YouTube.

Hooray.

God forbid that the American public should be exposed to something the "bad guy" said, right?

I bet the Nazis did not expose the German public to the stuff the defendants said at the trial of the would-be assassins of Hitler either. Something embarrassing might have come forth, after all.

A bad guy, to remain a bad guy, must never be heard to say anything that makes any sense or sounds reasonable. He must remain vicious, insane, and incomprehensible. Better, in fact, that he never be heard at all...unless he happens to slip and say something quite, quite damaging.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:38 PM

Got it, heric. Thanks! I bet I will be among a very, very tiny minority of North Americans who read it, but that's okay. Should be an interesting glimpse into another mindset.

I often wonder what the people here would be saying if they'd been born Muslims in some Middle Eastern nation and grown up with a whole different set of assumptions all around them.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: pdq
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:39 PM

In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful...

The president recites verses from the holy Koran in Arabic.

"Oh, God, hasten the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi and grant him good health and victory and make us his followers and those to attest to his rightfulness."
Distinguished Dean, dear professors and students, ladies and gentlemen, at the outset I would like to extend my greetings to all of you. I am grateful to the almighty God for providing me with the opportunity to be in an academic environment, those seeking truth and striving for the promotion of science and knowledge.

At the outset I want to complain a bit from the person who read this political statement against me. In Iran tradition requires that when we demand a person to invite to be a speaker we actually respect our students and the professors by allowing them to make their own judgment and we don't think it's necessary before this speech is even given to come in with a series of claims and to attempt in a so-called manner to provide vaccination of some sort to our students and our faculty.

I think the text read by the dear gentleman here, more than addressing me, was an insult to information and the knowledge of the audience here. In a university environment we must allow people to speak their mind, to allow everyone to talk so that the truth is eventually revealed by all.

Certainly he took more than all the time I was allocated to speak, and that's fine with me. We'll just leave that to add up with the claims of respect for freedom and the freedom of speech that's given to us in this country.

Many parts of his speech, there were many insults and claims that were incorrect, regretfully.

Of course, I think that he was affected by the press, the media, and the political, sort of, mainstream line that you read here that goes against the very grain of the need for peace and stability in the world around us.

Nonetheless, I should not begin by being affected by this unfriendly treatment. I will tell you what I have to say, and then the questions he can raise and I'll be happy to provide answers. But as for one of the issues that he did raise, I most certainly would need to elaborate further so that we, for ourselves, can see how things fundamentally work.

It was my decision in this valuable forum and meeting to speak with you about the importance of knowledge, of information, of education. Academics and religious scholars are shining torches who shed light in order to remove darkness. And the ambiguities around us in guiding humanity out of ignorance and perplexity.

The key to the understanding of the realities around us rests in the hands of the researchers, those who seek to discover areas that are hidden, the unknown sciences, the windows of realities that they can open is done only through efforts of the scholars and the learned people in this world.

With every effort there is a window that is opened, and one reality is discovered. Whenever the high stature of science and wisdom is preserved and the dignity of scholars and researchers are respected, humans have taken great strides toward their material and spiritual promotion.

In contrast, whenever learned people and knowledge have been neglected, humans have become stranded in the darkness of ignorance and negligence.

If it were not for human instinct, which tends toward continual discovery of truth, humans would have always remained stranded in ignorance and no way would not have discovered how to improve the life that we are given.

The nature of man is, in fact, a gift granted by the Almighty to all. The Almighty led mankind into this world and granted him wisdom and knowledge as his prime gift enabling him to know his God.

In the story of Adam, a conversation occurs between the Almighty and his angels. The angels call human beings an ambitious and merciless creature and protested against his creation.

But the Almighty responded, quote, "I have knowledge of what you are ignorant of," unquote. Then the Almighty told Adam the truth. And on the order of the Almighty, Adam revealed it to the angels.

The angels could not understand the truth as revealed by the human being. The Almighty said to them, quote, " Did not I say that I am aware of what is hidden in heaven and in the universe?" unquote.

In this way the angels prostrated themselves before Adam.

In the mission of all divine prophets, the first sermons were of the words of God, and those words -- piety, faith and wisdom -- have been spread to all mankind.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: heric
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:50 PM

(That's from Google News - It takes a while for things to show up on the Google Home Page search)

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:51 PM

"God forbid that the American public should be exposed to something the "bad guy" said, right?"

This was a 90 minute speech at a PRIVATE university. There are excerpts all over if you wish to read them. Do your own search. The press was allowed coverage.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: Mr Happy
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 03:32 PM

Anyone on here understand Arabic or whatever language is used in Iran?

We can't really know what he said as the translation may've been edited.

Subject: RE: BS: Ahmadinejad at Columbia
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 03:34 PM

Mind, I wouldn't be roo inclined to trust the translations into English, going by the cod's arse they've made of this kind of thing on previous occasions.