PrintSeptember 25, 2007
The Propaganda Value of Ahmadinejad at Columbia
In the run up to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appearance at Columbia University, defenders of Columbian President Lee Bllinger pointed out that the Iranian tyrant would convict himself out of his own mouth, this bolstering the case against him.
What these naive folk didn't count on was the propaganda machine in Iran and elsewhere to spin the appearance to their own advantage:
This from the Iranian News Agency:
Despite entire US media objections, negative propagation and hue and cry in recent days over IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's scheduled address at Colombia University, he gave his lecture and answered students questions here on Monday afternoon.The report went on to to point out that the "audience on repeated occasion applauded Ahmadinejad" when spouting his own warped version of current events.
On second day of his entry in New York, and amid standing ovation of the audience that had attended the hall where the Iranian President was to give his lecture as of early hours of the day, Ahmadinejad said that Iran is not going to attack any country in the world.
Before President Ahamadinejad's address, Colombia University Chancellor in a brief address told the audience that they would have the chance to hear Iran's stands as the Iranian President would put them forth.
He said that the Iranians are a peace loving nation, they hate war, and all types of aggression.
The visit by Ahmadinejad has apparently made the left proud of itself in that they believe their method of fighting Iran is more effective than guns and bombs.
The New York Times:
There are many reasons why we find Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s policies and pronouncements loathsome. High on that list are his denial of the Holocaust, his call to wipe Israel off the map and his country’s sponsorship of terrorism. Equally loathsome is Iran’s denial of basic civil rights to its citizens, including the right of free speech.Judging by what the Iranian people are being told of their President's visit, it would seem that the New York Times, quite simply, is full of it. How are you going to "give hope to opponents of repressive regimes" if they never hear about the criticism of Ahmadinejad through their filtered press?
So we are dismayed by the behavior of some of New York’s democratically elected representatives who denounced and threatened Columbia University for inviting the Iranian leader to speak there yesterday. We can imagine no better way to give hope to opponents of Iran’s repressive state than by showcasing America’s democracy and commitment to free speech. And we can imagine no better way to lay bare the bankruptcy of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s views than to have him speak, and be questioned, at a university forum.
Ahmadinejad scored quite a coup at Columbia. His stature has been raised worldwide thanks to the shortsightedness and naivte of leftist academics who are so in love with their own words, they fail to see that no one else hears them.
Hat Tip: Ed Lasky
