Evaluating Ahmadinejad at Columbia… (& Videos of the Q & A)

The western press keeps highlighting the fact that the president of Columbia University said that Ahmadinejad acted like a “petty and cruel dictator.” Sen. Joe Lieberman said he shouldn’t have even been allowed into the US as he has “blood on his hands.” It’s strange to hear that from these people as they don’t really mind blood on hands of the likes of Olmert as they line up to kiss his hands when he comes to the US, the same Olmert who ordered the destruction of Lebanon in 2006. Fox News keeps making fun of Ahmadinejad’s name, appearance (facial features), and his attire, which speaks volumes about their racist network.

Anyway, people at the university lecture told me that Ahmadinejad was justified when he said that when you invite a guest into your house or country, you treat them with respect, like Iranians do in Iran, and like many Americans do here, implying that to invite him and then to insult him was not befitting and not representative of America.

In any case, I’m sort of baffled as to why Iranian presidents like to talk philosophy and history any time they get a chance to speak in a western forum. I remember when Khatami was interviewed by CNN, he wouldn’t stop talking about the said topics. What are they trying to prove? It’s like they’re saying: “please, I’m civilized, look, I know a thing or two about the world, now, please accept me.” Relax.

I’m also baffled as to how Ahmadinejad can respond to questions about the execution of “homosexuals” in Iran by saying that they don’t exist in Iran. WTF? They don’t exist? Really?

I do think, however, he’s on point when he talks about Palestinian suffering but I think that no matter how much he hammers away at it, it just won’t stick in a country heavily influenced by a Zionist bias. He was also pretty right on when he talked about American support for Saddam in the Iran-Iraq War.

At the end of the day, of the many slogans printed on the placards, one resonated with me: “We refuse to choose between Islamic fundamentalism and American Imperialism.”

Amen. (Here are the videos of the Q & A, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)