Tehran Terror Comes to Columbia

I'm never surprised by what my school Columbia University will do or say, not even when they'll invite men like Ahmadinejad to speak but will refuse people like Ann Coulter or members of the United States military. 

Now, members of the academic community can all envy Columbia's 'open-mindedness'.  This is the type of stunt that sets the 250 + year old institution apart, and that's exactly where an elitist private school wants to be. 

Columbia Won't Cancel Ahmadinejad Speech

The Associated Press
Friday, September 21, 2007; 8:16 AM

 

NEW YORK -- Columbia University said it does not plan to call off a speech by Iran's president despite pressure from critics including the City Council speaker, who said the Ivy League school was providing a forum for "hate-mongering vitriol."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 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.

Comments

[Jerry Aggson]

After the past year, and all the rhetoric our illustreous law makers have spewed, Iminadinnerjacket appearing at Columbia U shouldn't suprise me. I don't know how it makes me feel. I guess the best way to describe it is, I thought the overwhelming majority of Americans were on my side when it came to apposing a sick degenerate like this. My once unshakable confidence in the American people, well I can see it slipping away, and that scares me. We can only hope this little twerp trips, falls, and breaks his freakin neck on the way. Cross my fingers , legs and eyes!!!!

Jerry Aggson Olympia, WA

[Gabe]

Since September 11 Islam has been the prized religion at the elite public and private universities, mainly because Marxists and Islamic terrorists like the president of Iran both share the common goal of the destruction of Western values. David Horowitz has a great book, Unholy Alliance, that details this relationship.

So it is no surprise that Columbia would invite him and would be EXTRA careful to protect his "freedom of speech," whereas they don't want our soldiers or conservatives--anyone who defends Western values--to be able to express themselves at Columbia. These liberals are nuts.

I'm sure you'll express your outrage by leaving "your school", right, Matt?

I mean, you wouldn't want to support such an evil place with your money.

[Jimmy Finan]

I am a veteran and a graduate of the school hosting Ahmedinejad. I would sit and type nonsense to match some of the nonsense I am reading here, but the posting by the Dean of SIPA, below, explains why he should be allowed to speak. It benefits students to hear and question his beliefs. It isn't an endorsement of his backward policies or dangerous rhetoric. I give him credit for being willing to speak and answer questions from an audience that is going to be hostile to his opinions. You all want to believe he will be greeted with roses and champagne.

Relax.

http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/news_events/announcements/Coatsworth%20Statement%20Regarding%20Ahmadinejad%20Event.pdf

[Gabe]

*I give him credit for being willing to speak and answer questions from an audience that is going to be hostile to his opinions.*

Jimmy,

That is a perfect reason why he shouldn't be allowed to speak at Columbia. You've just stated you have a positive view of him: "I give him credit. . ." This of an insane dictator who wants to commit genocide on God's chosen people, the Jews, and vows the destruction of Israel and America. And yet you want him to spew propaganda at a university that won't allow those who hold the same views on freedom, democracy, and Western Civilization as our Founding Fathers did to speak. His speech is a propaganda stunt, and it is strange (and very telling) how liberals are so tolerant of this type of propaganda by those who want to destroy Jews and Americans.

[Devil Dog]

Jimmy Finan said:
"I give him credit for being willing to speak and answer questions from an audience that is going to be hostile to his opinions. You all want to believe he will be greeted with roses and champagne."

Hmmm, will we see protests by Columbia students - probably not.

Jimmy, a question: What question could the President of Columbia ask that is as hard-nosed as any question that has been asked of killer Ahmadenijad? Is there a question that is of such significance that the President of Columbia could ask that hasn't been asked before? I think not. Also, don't you expect that the killer is going to dance around any question, as he always does?

Finally, it is sad that your student body, including the radical socialist Monique Dols, would not give the Minutemen their due free speech rights. No, it is only free speech when you decide to shout out the other person. She will love the killer, but little does she know that if she were in Iran, she wouldn't even have the chance to speak to the killer Ahmadenijad, because she would have already been beaten for just speaking when no spoken to.

How about the support of the ROTC program at Columbia. Oh, I guess that is freedom of speech. The only people that I think know the value of freedom of speech are those sworn to defend it. You guys use freedom of speech for your own personal gain, nothing more.

Matt is the only good thing that I know of to come out of Columbia!

[Devil Dog]

Jimmy, you don't give sponsors of terrorism credit.

They are the enemy and don't get the privilege of CREDIT.

Wake up, boy!

[Devil Dog]

By the way, today is POW/MIA Day (Friday).

God Bless those missing and prisoners of war, including Army Sergeant Matthew Keith Maupin of Batavia, Ohio.

[Devil Dog]

Dusty, I was just waiting for your personal attacks to come out.

Matt has already addressed this issue.

If the best your friend Francesco can come up with on his blog is talking about 'Hump Day', then you might just want to leave this forum - this one is for people who care about things going on in the world, vice Wednesday being the best day of the week!

[philip]

(reposted from earlier.... to its appropirate section)
I was driving today and heard on the Savage show that AHMADINEJAD is scheduled to come visit NYC and see the WTC site. Well I have to admit.... I don't know THAT much about this guy. Savage said he is Antisemetic and Anti American... etc.etc. he equated him to Hitler.. any way... I trust that Michael Savage is better informed about this stuff than I... which is why I like to listen to him when I can... anyway..I was thinking.... would it be completely wrong for Americans, and New Yorkers, to be prepared to "greet" Adolph AHMADINEJAD in any venue possible with a vigerous "wave hello" with the LEFT hand, Greet him with the left hand (if possible) and show off to him the bottom of your dirtiest smelliest shoe prominently planted on your right hand. Could that be interpreted as ANYTHING more than an expression of free speech? Or... would the State Department carefully shield him from any exposure to the public?

[Devil Dog]

Dusty, I was just waiting for the personal attacks to come out.

Matt has already addressed this issue.

If the best your friend Francesco can come up with on his blog is talking about 'Hump Day', then you might just want to leave this forum - this one is for people who care about things going on in the world, vice Wednesday being the best day of the week!

[Jimmy Finan]

Why won't anyone post their real name on this thing? That is telling in and of itself.

To the guy who "trusts that Michael Savage" knows more than himself - that is the problem we have in the US right now. Not just on the right, but on the left as well.

May I ask who Columbia denied the right to speak? If you are talking about The Minutemen fiasco then I agree. That was a sad episode and one that reflected poorly on a great university.

The ROTC thing just keeps getting recycled and it is crap. There are numerous ROTC cadets attending Columbia and the program is centered out of Fordham, from what I understand. Not every university has an ROTC program. This does not equal anti-military or anything else of the sort. There is an active and involved veteran's group and plenty or student-service members.

Back to Ahmedinejad - he is ridiculous and makes outrageous statements. Ok. Fine. And this is different then Sean Hannity how?

He is not a dictator (I might agree that the mullahs behind him are). Although the election was not free NOR fair, and many candidates were removed from the ballot by the mullahs, he was still elected and has a base of support with the poor. He isn't Stalin, Hitler, or even Saddam. He "vows" to destroy the US? I believe we have a president that labeled him a member of the "Axis of Evil." Out of the other two members, one was invaded, and one wasn't. The one that wasn't has nukes. Hmmmm.

He is the president of a major, large, powerful country in a strategic location. Speaking at Columbia - to a CLOSED audience - is not the reason for this, nor does it make him "legitimate," or however that stale argument goes. He has a platform on Fox, CNN, and every other channel every time he opens his mouth. That isn't Columbia's fault either.

Ahmedinejad, and Iran, are only a strategic threat now because we removed the check in power that was Iraq and replaced it with...mayhem.

None of this is support for Ahmadinejad, and he will not receive support at Columbia either. His views and statements are insane and editorials and reports in Columbia's student papers reflected this in the years I attended. Don't confuse liberal, anti-war debate with support for this idiot.

[Jimmy Finan]

The comment I made above about Hannity was unnecessary and counter-productive to what I am trying to defend, and that is Columbia's decision to have Ahmadinejad speak.

I also believe that there are valid arguments against having him speak and some of them are presented by the members of this forum.

I personally happen to fall on the side of the argument that welcomes dialogue over rhetoric. It may not work. It may turn into sidestepping and avoidance of questions by him. It may be a waste of time for everyone involved.

It doesn't hurt to try.

[Patrick Mahan]

Okay, Jimmy, are you satisfied?

Thank you for being honest about your comparison of the killer and Sean Hannity, too bad many on the Dem side can't say the same about General Patreaus.

Jimmy said: "He is not a dictator (I might agree that the mullahs behind him are). Although the election was not free NOR fair, and many candidates were removed from the ballot by the mullahs, he was still elected and has a base of support with the poor. He isn't Stalin, Hitler, or even Saddam. He "vows" to destroy the US? I believe we have a president that labeled him a member of the "Axis of Evil." Out of the other two members, one was invaded, and one wasn't. The one that wasn't has nukes."

There goes the moral relativism again. Do you really not understand the differences? Please be honest, though, that the killer also said, "We do not recognize legally this regime," speaking of Israel. Hmm, so he has also vowed to destroy Israel (convenient piece of information to leave out). Well, the UN, the very body he is speaking to this week believes Israel exists.

So, Columbia students think he is going to suddenly answer their old man President's questions? He is going to "challenge" the killer.

This is an outrageous visit from a killer.

[Alex]

Bollinger claims that there is some important relationship between the invitation that was issued to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Columbia’s commitments to the free exchange of ideas. What is this relationship? Do the aforementioned commitments require the invitation? If not, and thus not inviting Ahmadinejad is also consistent with these commitments, then what was the reason for the invitation? Moreover, that ideas can be exchanged at all is an acknowledgement of the fact that ideas can be debated and analyzed without the presence of particular proponents of the ideas in question. Since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s ideas can be debated, analyzed and otherwise exchanged without him, what was the reason for the invitation?