Ahmadinejad to Speak on Campus - SOMEONE SHOULD GO

[zumajoe]

Anyone live near Columbia University? I'm a bit on the opposite coast of New York, so i can't. This would be a great event to see for your own eyes questions answered by American students to Ahmadinejad, before it gets misinterpreted by the media.


http://www.columbiaspectator.com/node/26790


Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, has accepted an invitation to speak at Columbia from School of International and Public Affairs interim dean John Coatsworth, according to a spokesman.
The event is scheduled to take place on Monday, September 24--the same day that Ahmadinejad is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly--as part of the World Leaders Forum and will be sponsored by SIPA.

"Necessarily, on occasion this will bring us into contact with beliefs many, most, or even all of us will find offensive and even odious," University President Lee Bollinger said in a statement. "We trust our community, including our students, to be fully capable of dealing with these occasions, through the powers of dialogue and reason."
"Opportunities to hear, challenge, and learn from controversial speakers of different views are central to the education and training of students for citizenship in a shrinking and still dangerous world. This is especially true for SIPA students, many of whose careers will require them to confront human rights and security issues throughout the globe," Coatsworth said in a statement.
Registration for the event was closed down less than an hour and a half. A university spokesman said that 600 people could fit in the event.
Almost exactly one year ago, then-Dean of SIPA Lisa Anderson invited Ahmadinejad to speak on campus during the week of the World Leaders Forum on behalf of the School. Bollinger, upon learning of the event, chose not to lend it the sponsorship of the University as a whole. One day after news of the invitation broke, Anderson rescinded it, but not before many students and alumni spoke out both in favor and against the event.
Several student leaders received invitations today to speak tomorrow with University President Lee Bollinger regarding the event. Many leaders, including the heads of class councils, several club funding boards, and a number of clubs went into a discussion last soon after hearing the news of the invitation to form a statement.
"I think that first and foremost any dialogue is positive, so even though I may not agree with what Ahmadinejad says, I think any dialogue between him … and the U.S. is a positive step," Iranian-American Sheena Shirakhon, CC '08 and a member of Students against MIlitary Intervention in Iran, said of the invitation. "Mostly, that’s the result of my belief that war in Iran … would be horribly detrimental to the Iranain people, whether you support Ahmadinejad or not."
Ahmadinejad made waves earlier in the day when it came out that he had requested an opportunity to visit Ground Zero, but that the opportunity was blocked for security reasons.

[EvilEngineer]

I find it funny that Ahmadinejad would be so willing to speak to us... oh wait maybe it's because our leadership won't listen to any talk about solving anything with diplomacy.

[0zzy]

I rofl at this. Americans think he's SUCH a threat, omg we need to exile him, bomb his country, he's going to kill us all!

And he's going to take a little trip to America to talk to people? What! He can talk to these students and yet Bush can't even talk to him?

god.

[Hook]

I'm suprised he would dare step foot in the country. You gotta belive that the neocon goons are just itching to take him out.

[ctb619]

I'm suprised he would dare step foot in the country. You gotta belive that the neocon goons are just itching to take him out.

they'd rather carpet bomb Iran

[Green Mountain Boy]

Front page of CNN says he is banned from going to Ground Zero believe it or not.

[EvilEngineer]

Maybe we should ask Dr. Paul to talk with him. What other candidate would be able to claim something like that. Especially if he could get Ahmadinejad to say that he could see peaceful relationships with the US if Dr. Paul became president.

[ctb619]

Maybe we should ask Dr. Paul to talk with him. What other candidate would be able to claim something like that. Especially if he could get Ahmadinejad to say that he could see peaceful relationships with the US if Dr. Paul became president.

but we can't negotiate with the terrorists! they're irrational megalomaniacs hell-bent on our extermination

[yaz]

This is really exciting. I love Iran and the Iranian people so it's nice to see that they might get put in a better light. I plan on visiting Iran in December.

[Mitt Romneys sideburns]

Ahmadinejad is Hitler now? I thought that was Sadam.

[EvilEngineer]

Ahmadinejad is Hitler now? I thought that was Sadam.

I thought it was Bush.

[tekkierich]

Ahmadinejad = Sadam = Hitler = evil

[ctb619]

This is really exciting. I love Iran and the Iranian people so it's nice to see that they might get put in a better light. I plan on visiting Iran in December.

Do you take your marching orders from Al-Qaeda?

[Hook]

I thought it was Bush.

It's hard to keep up :D

[MGreen]

It's pretty frightening that at least half of the comments in the original link suggest that a lot of people are excited about going to war with Iran. Mostly because of the (misinterpretated) statements of Ahmadinejad threatening Israel.

Some times I think we will elect Giulani next year. I really don't know if I can take it.

[American]

its pretty stupid, Ahmadinejad has absolutely NO POWER WHATSOEVER. The shah has the power, he is just a political mouth piece kinda like we have here. Big mouth can cant do shit.

[ChooseLiberty]

He obviously wants to hate on our freedom. Maybe someone will get tazed.



I find it funny that Ahmadinejad would be so willing to speak to us... oh wait maybe it's because our leadership won't listen to any talk about solving anything with diplomacy.

[ChooseLiberty]

The neocon goons need him. If they didn't have him they'd have to have the CIA create him.



I'm suprised he would dare step foot in the country. You gotta belive that the neocon goons are just itching to take him out.

[ChooseLiberty]

All Baby Bush and the neocon thugs can do is jump around like monkeys shrieking about Iran.

Funny thing about Iran - they control all the oil going thru the straights of Hormuz and can stop it with a single indefensible rocket fired into a super tanker.

There may be retaliation, but it would send the USA into a depression given the current shape of Baby Bushes deficits. US bonds would turn into toilet paper as China sold them for whatever they could get and the new resource wars would start.

[Locke_rpr]

I wish I could go, but I'm a bit too far away myself. I'm not sure what I think about Iran, but I do know the "powers that be" want to bomb them something awful and try to turn Iran into some sort of evil monster. They may not be angels, but I just can't believe the BS about them being 3 genes below dogs. I'd just like the opportunity to see him while he's talking to see if he's telling the truth or not. That's something far to many people in this country have forgotten about. We're very perceptive creatures when we put our minds to it... and wow... you can actually tell when someone is lying fairly often. It's not enough to convict in a court of law, but it's enough for personal convictions.

Also, all the vitriol about him going to ground zero is nuts too. I mean the nerve of that guy. Trying to make a token gesture of goodwill to a country who wants him stomped into the sand. What is that man thinking? He's in NY already. In theory this is still a free country. Why the heck not let him? They didn't attack us on 9/11 and it's not like he's going to go do something disrespectful with US/Iranian tensions so high. It saddens me to think how many people read the news outlets call it an outrage and believe it. It's called diplomacy... something our country has forgotten how to do.

I'm so glad I didn't have kids in my first marriage before I took the "red pill". Now I can be sure to never have any and make them live in this dung heap of a world they'd be getting in the future.

[johngr]

Ahmadinejad is Hitler now? I thought that was Sadam.

If he tries to speak in Germany, he'll be arrested for denying the holocaust.

[Wendi]

It would be fascinating to hear him speak. I think he is far less dangerous than our gov't at the moment.

[squirrelbrewer]

People tend to get bent out of shape when they hear the call for Israel to be "wiped of the map" and for calling the holocaust a "myth". When you add in their funding of terrorists like Hezbollah, I can understand the opposition to letting this guy visiting ground zero. Personally, I don't like the things he says, because wiping countries off the map is wrong and I do believe the Holocaust happened. Furthermore, as uncool and illegal as it was to overthrow Iran's government and financially/militarily support the Shaw, cozying up to this character is not a good idea. There should be no restrictions on trading with Iran, but I certainly wouldn't want to be caught dead buying anything from them. Then again, through some way or another, I'm probably buying their oil.

[ChooseLiberty]

He didn't - call for Israel to be "wiped of the map". Do a little research. That translation was made by a - you guessed it - Israeli lobby funded group. Can you believe it?


People tend to get bent out of shape when they hear the call for Israel to be "wiped of the map" and for calling the holocaust a "myth". When you add in their funding of terrorists like Hezbollah, I can understand the opposition to letting this guy visiting ground zero. Personally, I don't like the things he says, because wiping countries off the map is wrong and I do believe the Holocaust happened. Furthermore, as uncool and illegal as it was to overthrow Iran's government and financially/militarily support the Shaw, cozying up to this character is not a good idea. There should be no restrictions on trading with Iran, but I certainly wouldn't want to be caught dead buying anything from them. Then again, through some way or another, I'm probably buying their oil.

[EvilTwinkie]

What if we contacted Kent from the campaign and the school and got Paul there to speak with him? If paul acts like.. well.... himself - he could blow the lid off the Iran propaganda and end up saving billions + american lives just from going to a university.

...Talk about the political earthquake it would cause.

[angelatc]

Front page of CNN says he is banned from going to Ground Zero believe it or not.

That's because the Iranians bombed the towers, right?

[angelatc]

People tend to get bent out of shape when they hear the call for Israel to be "wiped of the map" and for calling the holocaust a "myth". When you add in their funding of terrorists like Hezbollah, I can understand the opposition to letting this guy visiting ground zero. Personally, I don't like the things he says, because wiping countries off the map is wrong and I do believe the Holocaust happened. Furthermore, as uncool and illegal as it was to overthrow Iran's government and financially/militarily support the Shaw, cozying up to this character is not a good idea. There should be no restrictions on trading with Iran, but I certainly wouldn't want to be caught dead buying anything from them. Then again, through some way or another, I'm probably buying their oil.

Ahmadinejad is not insane. Understand that, no matter what our media tells you, he is not insane.

He didn't call for Israel to be wiped off the map. That was a faulty interpretation, and Ahmadinejad has gone on the record 12 or 16 times refuting it. The media doesn't report it though, because they want people to think it's ok to nuke Iran.

No real Muslim will nuke Israel. The third most important holy site for Muslims is in Jerusalem.

There's no reason to think that Israel can't protect itself. They have an extremely high quantity of nuclear weapons.

The thing about Iran is that the young people there are waking up to the fact that Ahmadinejad isn't the best choice of leaders. There are protests and awakenings going on, but they have to do it on their own.

[angelatc]

What if we contacted Kent from the campaign and the school and got Paul there to speak with him? If paul acts like.. well.... himself - he could blow the lid off the Iran propaganda and end up saving billions + american lives just from going to a university.

...Talk about the political earthquake it would cause.

Preaching to the choir, and isolating the Republican base we're courting.

Nope.

People thought Pelosi was out of line for visiting Syria, and this would absolutely trump that.

[squirrelbrewer]

He didn't - call for Israel to be "wiped of the map". Do a little research. That translation was made by a - you guessed it - Israeli lobby funded group. Can you believe it?

Unfortunately, I can't translate Persia, but I did dig a little deeper and found other stories that "wiped off the map" isn't exactly a correct translation. I will try and do better research next time I post.

Does anyone know if Congressman Paul has offered an opinion on Israel's right to exist in it's current existence; i.e. occupying Jerusalem.

[yaz]

Do you take your marching orders from Al-Qaeda?

lol i have family over there, does that make me a terrorist? :'( i've never been over there before though or met my grandmother/aunt.

already the media is spinning. there is no evidence of iran doing most of the things iran is accused of. it's just demonizing. ahmadinejad is clearly trying to come over here to incite peace and try and promote diplomatic relations. i think this whole negative information thing is overblown, inaccurate, etc. hopefully i'm right.

[ctb619]

lol i have family over there, does that make me a terrorist? :'( i've never been over there before though or met my grandmother/aunt.

already the media is spinning. there is no evidence of iran doing most of the things iran is accused of. it's just demonizing. ahmadinejad is clearly trying to come over here to incite peace and try and promote diplomatic relations. i think this whole negative information thing is overblown, inaccurate, etc. hopefully i'm right.

sorry for the confusion, I was completely kidding (someone in the debates accused Dr. Paul of taking his orders from Al-Qaeda)...I agree 100% with your analysis on Iran

[yaz]

Unfortunately, I can't translate Persia, but I did dig a little deeper and found other stories that "wiped off the map" isn't exactly a correct translation. I will try and do better research next time I post.

Does anyone know if Congressman Paul has offered an opinion on Israel's right to exist in it's current existence; i.e. occupying Jerusalem.



u mean Farsi? lol. it's not a correct translation. i asked my father who speaks farsi and he said that it was a misquote. he said: "the regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time"

[yaz]

btw i'm not trying to defend the guy, he might be crazy and evil. i'm just spreading the information about him that's how there so a better informed decision can be made. here are some good videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UIYs2g9X0I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykd-syzZ4ZY

Also the UN violations they cite against Iran, Israel has violated a lot more. http://www.mediamonitors.net/michaelsladah&suleimaniajlouni1.html

[ctb619]

u mean Farsi? lol. it's not a correct translation. i asked my father who speaks farsi and he said that it was a misquote. he said: "the regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time"

Also, wasn't he using the same language construction that Khomeini used in reference to Shah Pahlavi's regime?

[yaz]

don't know. what i do know though is we should take ron paul's advice, not jump to conclusions, and negotiate. we haven't negotiated with iran since 1980. i don't understand why everyone is so eager to kill people.

[Syren123]

Columbia? Isn't that the same group of ignorant, intolerant, spoiled liberal morons who completely disrupted a speech by Jim Gilchrist of the Minutemen a year or so ago? They were completely out of control, yet no one got tazered there.

It doesn't matter, I guess, which group of clueless socialists Ahmadinejad speaks to this trip. Just glad SOMEONE in this country will listen to him since the govt won't.

[yaz]

http://www.youtube.com/v/zl4w_IlmWsU