Media disgrace on reporting President Ahmadinejad's speech
September 25, 2007

You would think, by some of the reports that have been published, that the speech made by President Ahmadinejad at the Columbia University on Monday was made by some rambling madman who was booed from start to finish. Of course, if you were listen to the speech yourself, you would find that this is very far from the truth.

Sadly, many reporters did not listen to the speech and copied comments made by other reporters, who obviously didn't pay too much attention to it either, or were listening to another speech perhaps?

In reality, Ahmadinejad was applauded more than he was booed and the audience reacted in a very fair manner. The Iranian President was quite rightly given a hostile response when he said "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country", and who could possibly believe that?

When asked if he sought the destruction of Israel, he failed to clarify this and was asked again to provide a clearer answer, suggesting that his reply could be a yes or a no (applause from the audience). In the end he said "You want the answer the way you want to hear it". I got the impression that his decision depended very much on whether Israel became involved in any attack on Iran. Probably meaning no if they don't, and yes if they do.

One of the questions he was asked was "Why is your government providing aid to terrorists, will you stop doing so and permit international monitoring to certify that you have stopped?" Apart from the stories issued by the US government, there is no real proof of this, and the question should not have been made as a direct accusation, but an alleged statement. However, such a remark deserves an equally direct response and Ahmadinejad explained that there is only one terrorist group. He added "Their camps in Iraq are supported by the US government"

On the subject of terrorists, Ahmadinejad said "We were the first nation that objected to terrorism and the first to uphold the need to fight terrorism" (applause from the audience). He continued by saying that those who support the terrorists "turn the finger to us...this is regretable"

The subject of the Holocaust was naturally raised. "A further set of questions challenge your view of the Holocaust, since the evidence that this occurred in Europe in the 1940's as a result of the actions of the German Nazi government. Since those facts are well documented, why are you calling for additional research? There seems to be no purpose in doing so, other than to question whether the Holocaust actually occurred as a historical fact. Can you explain why you believe research is needed into the facts of what is incontrovertible?"

Ahmadinejad responded to this question by saying "Can we close the book on a historical event?" The Iranian President said "I'm not saying it (the Holocaust) didn't happen". What he appears to be saying is that whilst he accepts the Holocaust took place, there are certain details that appear to be in doubt (from his point of view), and that he sees no wrong in clarifying these areas. Although he didn't give any details on what these areas may be, others have raised questions on the use of gas chambers and the number of victims involved in the Holocaust. As Ahmadinejad tried to explain, other "facts" in history have been adjusted following further research, why should this event be treated any differently? On a positive note, perhaps more research will strengthen the historical records and elimante any doubts once and for all? Or should we just accept what we are told and keep our mouths shut?

Although the President didn't give an answer to whether homosexuals are executed in Iran, apart from saying they didn't exist, he did make an interesting point about executions. He asked "Don't you have capital punishment in the United States?" (applause from the audience). We are often given the impression that "executions" in other countries are more barbaric than those carried out in the United States, but as Ahmadinejad pointed out, killing is killing. And whilst Iran may use different methods, I doubt if they keep prisoners waiting 15-20 years for a death sentence to be carried out (that is barbaric!).

Ahmadinejad remained calm throughout the speech, even though the questions at times were aggressive and bad mannered, which prompted him to say "In Iran when you invite a guest, you respect them - This is our tradition.." Sadly, the questions will further increase the image of America's arrogance towards countries that do not share its values, and highlight its lack of understanding for other people's cultures. It's a pity that such probing questions are not put to America's President when he tries to make speeches, but when was the last time you heard anyone try that?

In the meantime, thanks to certain members of the press, the public have been misinformed yet again. For those who want to hear what Ahmadinejad really said and what the people in the audience thought about it, listen to the speech yourself (you can find it on YouTube). This advice applies to certain reporters as well, if they are not too busy hanging their heads in shame!