Anything but...

a warm welcome!?

Ahmadinejad has spoken.

But only after a rather humiliating introduction by Columbia president Lee Bollinger.
It was quite surprising to hear the University scholar make so direct remarks about The Iranian President while "welcoming" him as a guest speaker, saying that he behaved like a "petty and cruel dictator" and was either "provocative or uneducated" when he talked about the Holocaust. Of course Ahmadinejad was rather surprised by this and said that where he came from, people did not make assumptions about their guests or insulted them before they spoke. Then he went on with a religious rhetoric for quite a while, saying that Science was a gift from god and that Knowledge was the most important element for human beings. He mentioned the nuclear, Isreal and Palestine - and from what I heard (and I listened to the whole speech) he asked there to be more research on the Holocaust and that he was for a wider debate on the matter - without banning "revisionists" from expressing themselves - making there a little wink to the so much appreciated freedom of speech of the Americans. He also said that it was unacceptable for Palestinians to suffer the consequences of the Holocaust 60 years later.

Ahmadinejad answered his critics saying that Iran did not want to develop a nuclear bomb - that it was outdated and had never really served anyone. (whether they are trying or not is besides the point) He also answered Bollinger's remarks about Iran executing homosexuals in front of the public. He simply said that there were no homosexuals in Iran like in the Us, that this phenomenon did not exist there. By phenomenon I dont know whether he ment homosexuals or their execution. It was nevertheless an intriguing answer to a strange question - I have never heard about those executions and I don't think the United states can lecture anyone on inappropriate executions.

Ahmadinejad may have his views and to some they might sound foolish and ignorant. My experience is that he is well-spoken, well educated (he is a senior lecturer at Tehran University on regular basis), intelligent and follows a rational line of thought. He might though on occasion say things that appear bizarre, provocative or mention god a little too much for my taste. But he does come from a different culture and I find it astonishing how the media portray him as a madman and lunatic. When what he does is get attention to his point of view - which is clearly different from the usual political crap we are used to hear. People saying things they dont mean and doing the opposite of what they preach. We are of course capable afterwards to make our own judgement. He at least is not as "bad" in his choice of words as I would have imagine nor does he say "evil" things or threaten other countries (not even Isreal this time).

To Condelezza Rice's comment that it would have been a "travesty" if Ahmadinejad would have been allowed to visit the world trade center because "I think this is somebody who is the president of a country that is probably the greatest state sponsor of terrorism", I can only say this:
Because the United stated have never sponsored terrorism?? What about Cuba in the 1970's, the Contras in Nicaragua in the early 1980's, the early Saddam years and Bin laden before he decided to turn against his previous sponsors? What is Israel doing in the Palestinian territories? Many would argue that their actions are the biggest example of modern state terrorism today and remind us again who is their most loyal ally? Nonono the US NEVER sponsor any kind of terrorism...