The Story of the Year! Ahmadinejad at Columbia University.

He thinks the Holocaust is the cause of heavy catastrophes, that academic freedom and speech are to be valued, that there are no homosexuals in Iran.  I’m hitting highlights, but WaPost has the full transcripts.  If you missed it, Columbia University President Bollinger hit Mr. A pretty hard…

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Like you, like any academic, I, too, will keep — not yet become silent until I get the answer. So I’m awaiting logical answers instead of insults.

My first question was if — given that the Holocaust is a present reality of our time, a history that occurred, why is there not sufficient research that can approach the topic from different perspectives?

Our friend referred to 1930 as the point of departure for this development. However, I believe the Holocaust from what we’ve read happened during World War II, after 1930, in the 1940s. So, you know, we have to really be able to trace the event.

Research your history a bit more Mr. “Academic”, Hitler stated his hatred for Jews in 1922, persecution started almost immediately when Hitler rose to power in January 1933.  It really started to get ugly in 1938,

My question was simple: There are researchers who want to approach the topic from a different perspective. Why are they put into prison? Right now, there are a number of European academics who have been sent to prison because they attempted to write about the Holocaust or research it from a different perspective, questioning certain aspects of it.

My question is: Why isn’t it open to all forms of research?

What exactly are you alluding too?  You mean research to supposedly point out that the Holocaust never happened?

I have been told that there’s been enough research on the topic. And I ask, well, when it comes to topics such as freedom, topics such as democracy, concepts and norms such as God, religion, physics even, or chemistry, there’s been a lot of research, but we still continue more research on those topics. We encourage it.

But, then, why don’t we encourage more research on a historical event that has become the root, the cause of many heavy catastrophes in the region in this time and age?

Wow, that’s a new spin on things…

MODERATOR: The first question is: Do you or your government seek the destruction of the state of Israel as a Jewish state?

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We love all nations. We are friends with the Jewish people. There are many Jews in Iran, leaving peacefully, with security.

Blah, blah, blah…  President Bollinger responds.

QUESTION: Mr. President, I think many members of our audience would like to hear a clearer answer to that question. That is…

(APPLAUSE)

The question is: Do you or your government seek the destruction of the state of Israel as a Jewish state? And I think you could answer that question with a single word, either yes or no.

(APPLAUSE)

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): You asked the question, and then you want the answer the way you want to hear it. Well, this isn’t really a free flow of information.

(APPLAUSE)

I’m just telling you what my position is. I’m asking you: Is the Palestinian issue not an international issue of prominence or not? Please tell me, yes or no?

Obviously misdirecting the conversation here.  He still hasn’t answered yes or no.

(APPLAUSE)

There’s the plight of a people.

QUESTION: The answer to your question is yes. (Bollinger responds to Ahmadinejad’s query very easy enough. ed.)

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Well, thank you for your cooperation. We recognize there’s a problem there that’s been going on for 60 years. Everybody provides a solution. And our solution is a free referendum.

Let this referendum happen, and then you’ll see what the results are.

And to end this mess, perhaps the most brilliant observation ever.

QUESTION: Mr. President, the question isn’t about criminal and drug smugglers. The question was about sexual preference and women.

(APPLAUSE)

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals, like in your country. (Highlight, mine. ed.)

(LAUGHTER)

We don’t have that in our country.

(AUDIENCE BOOING)

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don’t know who’s told you that we have it.

(LAUGHTER)

Yeah, right.  3 minutes in a Google search brings this up…