Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean

The president of Columbia University, that disgusting facade that calls itself a university, that hotbed of anti-Semitism, that forum that allowed its students to physically attack an invited Minuteman speaker, that anti-American place that refuses to permit an ROTC program (whose country do they think ROTC helps defend?), tried to ameliorate the disgrace of inviting a person who has threatened the nuclear destruction of Israel and the destruction of the USA, a person some hostages claim led the hostage taking of American diplomats in 1979, a person whose country has been the leading sponsor of terrorism throughout the Middle East and is directly responsible for American deaths in Iraq on a daily basis, - yes, tried to ameliorate the disgrace by insulting Ahmadinejad and asking supposedly tough questions.

See the video of President Bollinger’s performance (I say performance because that’s what it was) and then read this excerpt from comments made by Ed Koch, former mayor of New York City, and the press release issued by the Iranian News Agency.


Bollinger Forgot to Stand Up for the U.S.
By Ed Koch, RealClearPolitics, September 25, 2007 (Excerpts)

“President Lee C. Bollinger of Columbia University and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran met Monday on a field of rhetorical battle at Columbia.

Bollinger opened the proceedings, to which he had invited Ahmadinejad, by presenting a series of sharply-worded questions. Bollinger, normally a genial, soft spoken man who is always courteous and deferential to his guests, was in a totally different mode. His voice was hectoring and bullying. He included in his litany of questions provocative and insulting statements about his guest.

Bollinger's change of style was, I believe, to blunt the enormous criticism that ensued following Columbia's invitation to Ahmadinejad to speak there. In his defense, Bollinger's supporters constantly invoke the concepts of free speech and the First Amendment. But in this case they simply don't apply.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution reads as follows: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

No government action was taken to stop Columbia and Bollinger from extending the invitation and holding the event as they did. I watched it on television, 600 people watched it from within the auditorium and thousands of Columbia students sat outside watching and listening to a giant TV screen.

The right of free speech - Bollinger and Ahmadinejad were exercising it before, during and after this controversy -- was never in question. What was in question was Bollinger's judgment. Why provide the President of Iran -- who supports terrorism and whose government provides bombs to Iraqi insurgents and terrorists who use them to kill American soldiers -- with the prestigious platform at a great American university?

Isn't it a fact that Ahmadinejad has been and will continue to be interviewed by journalists every day during his stay in America? What he got at Columbia was a special platform where he could, in an academic setting, disseminate his views to the world. Yes, the attention of the world, particularly the Islamic world, was focused on Columbia and Ahmadinejad. And what did they see? They saw Columbia University's president, Bollinger, who had invited Ahmadinejad to his school, do what should never be done - insult the person who is a guest in your home, office or shared podium and stage. Bollinger had said of Ahmadinejad, "Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," adding, "You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated." Bollinger went on, "It's well-documented that Iran was a state sponsor of terrorism." The final insult was, "I doubt that you will have the intellectual courage to answer these questions."

Ahmadinejad understood this immediately and referred to Bollinger's insults in his speech, saying, "I shall not begin by being affected by this unfriendly treatment."….

“Bollinger should have asked Ahmaninejad about his role in the Iranian hostage taking of American consular officials during the Carter administration. Barry Rosen, one of the hostages held for 444 days and released on January 20, 1981, the day President Reagan was inaugurated, recently wrote, "Ahmadinejad was one of those outrageous Iranians who took me and more than 50 other Americans hostage for 444 days, violating international law and making us suffer indescribable moments of terror." If Ahmadinejad were not protected by diplomatic immunity, he could be arrested for a host of terrorist and criminal activities.

As important as it was to stand up for the rights of homosexuals, who are hanged or stoned to death in Iran, standing up for the U.S. and the American soldiers being killed daily by Iranian-supplied bombs was particularly relevant and in need of greater emphasis than that given by Bollinger.

All in all, it was a fiasco for America and a blunder by Bollinger, as well as a coup for Ahmadinejad. His goal was not to respond to Bollinger, the Columbia students or Americans seeing him on television. His goal was to talk over their heads to the Islamic world and its terrorists and show how he bearded the Columbia lion in its own den.

President Bollinger, as an encore, why not invite Hugo Chavez? I think he'd come. You could provide him with a platform to enhance his reputation.” Ed Koch
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From the Iranian Republic News Aency:
"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.

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.

Referring to the technological achievements of the Iranian nation in the course of recent years, the president considered them as a sign for the Iranians' resolute will for achieving sustainable development and rapid advancement.

The audience on repeated occasion applauded Ahmadinejad when he touched on international crises.

At the end of his address President Ahmadinejad answered the students' questions on such issues as Israel, Palestine, Iran's nuclear program, the status of women in Iran and a number of other matters."

Editorial Note: Are there any Columbia grads out there who could put some teeth into the protests that Bollinger is receiving?