Open chat / Columbia to allow Iranian President to speak. / ROzbeans 18 years ago

Columbia to allow Iranian President to speak.

Columbia Would Welcome Hitler, a Dean Insists

By Staff Reporter of the Sun
September 23, 2007 updated 10:56 am EDT

he next round of controversy at Columbia will involve remarks of a dean who says that Hitler would have been welcome on Morningside Heights if he would take questions from students.

The dean, John Coatsworth, heads the same institution that will serve as Columbia's host for President Ahmadinejad. The decision of Columbia to honor the Iranian anti-Semite and terror master with a speaking platform has drawn outrage among political leaders in the city, including the speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn.

"If Hitler were in the United States and wanted a platform from which to speak, he would have plenty of platforms to speak in the United States," Mr. Coatsworth said in an interview with Fox News that was linked last evening by the Drudge Report. "If he were willing to engage in debate and a discussion to be challenged by Columbia students and faculty, we would certainly invite him."

A former professor of history at Harvard, Mr. Coatsworth is dean of the university's School of International and Public Affairs, whose graduates, according to a statement Mr. Coatsworth issued last week, "serve as diplomats, intelligence analysts, security experts, business leaders, human rights activists," and leaders of non-governmental organizations.

Columbia acknowledged last week that the visit to the university of Mr. Ahmadinejad was initiated not by the university but by the Iranian envoy to the United Nations through a faculty member, Richard Bulliet. Mr. Bulliet is described in Wikipedia as having been criticized for, among other things, "his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as overly favoring the Palestinian cause" and also for offering "qualified support" for the revolution that brought the mullahs to power in Iran in 1979.

ROzbeans 18 years ago

Columbia to honor the Iranian anti-Semite and terror master with a speaking platform

That quote from the article, but I think the spin the reporter used was ridiculous and in poor taste. There's no honoring here, but what I think a respectable show of what makes the US 'freedom of speech' right a good one.

The University's dean allowing the Iranian president a chance to speak and view his ideas will give their students the opportunity to prove him wrong. I don't think he should be banned - he's a horrible fucker and I think... well I think a lot of things but I applaud the dean for giving his students the chance to think.

Den 18 years ago

That this man is being ALLOWED into the United States is totally fucked up.

ROzbeans 18 years ago

I'm not even sure why he's even in the US lol. He's short. Maybe he's overcompensating because he's short.

Mylec 18 years ago

Why shouldn't he be allowed? OMG, he may say something I disagree with!!! I'm going to sue...or at least call up Reverand Al and Jesse /rolls eyes.

Ok, /sarcasm off. Sorry, its late atm.

He is the president of another country, I don't know why it seems strage that he may come here (or be allowed to come here). People in this country still have the right to free speech and to disagree. Talking about differences and debating them is far better than just dropping bombs on people (read as "our current foreign policy"). I may not particulary agree with some of his beliefs or policies, but it won't kill me (or anyone else) if he comes here and expresses them. War, on the other hand, has a different effect...

WildHunt 18 years ago

I saw part of the speech today--the Dean of Columbia University TOTALLY TRASHED the guest speaker--I nearly DIED LAUGHING. The Iranian Pres spent the entire speech defending himself. It was so completely hilarious, I wish I had been able to see it all, but I had to go to work. I applaud the Dean. Bravo!

Den 18 years ago

Interesting how different people see different things.

I didn't see the speech, but I heard the first part on the radio. What I heard was the dean asking five separate questions, the first one (re whether or not Iran hates Isreal) and which Amendinajad didn't even answer. The dean asked the question again, and again got a bunch of propaganda from Amendinajad, and no answer. That, coupled with the way the dean publicly trashed Amendinajad, after inviting him to Colombia to speak, is going to serve the Iranian president well when he returns home and spins the event totally toward his own agenda, and shows how moronic the Americans are.