By Alex Spillius in New York
Last Updated: 11:54pm BST 24/09/2007


The president of Iran was booed yesterday when he told an audience at one of America's leading universities that the Holocaust required "further research", amid noisy protests against the decision to grant him a platform.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also attracted mirth when claiming that Iran had no homosexuals.
Addressing Columbia University in New York, which has a high proportion of Jewish students, he said of the Holocaust: "Why is there not sufficient research that can approach the topic from different perspectives? There are researchers who want to do that but they are put in prison."
The president has on several occasions called for Israel's obliteration, while steering his country on course to build a nuclear weapon.
He was at times taken aback and appeared distinctly uncomfortable at the hostile reaction to his views, no more so than when he said scientists should be able to re-examine the extermination of six million Jews by the Nazis.
"We are friends of the Jewish people; there are many Jews in Iran," he added.
Questioned further, he said he acknowledged that the Holocaust may have happened, but asked why the people of Palestine were paying for crimes committed in Europe 60 years ago.
The university's president, Lee Bollinger, who has been criticised by American politicians for inviting Mr Ahmadenijad, delivered a stinging attack on his record.
He said the president, a former town planner and mayor of Teheran, "exhibited all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator" and asked why women and academics were targets of persecution.
He said holocaust denial was "dangerous propaganda" when delivered to the ignorant and the impressionable — a reference to audiences of Islamic students in Iran to whom such speeches are delivered.
"And when you come to a place like this, it makes you ridiculous, either brazenly provocative or astoundingly uneducated," he added.
"The truth of the Holocaust is the most documented ever in human history," he said.
Students were divided between those who thought the invitation surpassed reasonable limits of free speech and those who thought letting him speak underlined the same principle.
Some Jewish students supported his right to speak. "You at least have to let the guy speak," said David Freedenberg, 28, a master student. "Why should just one world leader be denied that chance? There will be questions. If I had been alive in the 1930s I would have wanted to hear what Hitler was saying. There's no point just covering your ears."
Elyse Ross, a third year political science teacher, said: "I would defend free speech to the end but not the need to legitimise this speaker with a Columbia university lecture."
Defending the decision to issue the invitation, Mr Bollinger said that it represented the "best of America" — "Faith in freedom has been and remains our nation's most potent weapon against repressive regimes everywhere," he said. President George W Bush said Mr Ahmadinejad's appearance at Columbia "speaks volumes about really the greatness of America".
He said that if Mr Bollinger considered President Ahmadinejad's visit an educational experience for Columbia students, "I guess it's OK with me".

I wonder when George Bush will make his speech in Tehran?

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The Broadwayblues / New York Yankees
Sacred Heart University-Division 1 Men's Ice hockey.
Army Aviation U S A


Classic. And we get it.

Posted by... Nightflyer..Go get me a beer.... Posted by Zekos....get me one too b.itch Posted by... Exo1.Haha!!... good man!!.... .........yeah!!.... while your out there get me one too.....Posted by... SniperALpha1Corona with lime is the way to go. CAUSE THAT'S AMERICA *****!Posted by...Zidane Whiskey pl0x.

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I woulda corpse humped him.

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We view ourselves on the eve of battle. We are nerved for the contest, and must conquer or perish. It is vain to look for present aid. We must now act or abandon all hope! Rally to the standard, and be no longer the scoff of mercenary tongues! Be men, be free men, that your children may bless their father's name. - Sam Houston

Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

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The Broadwayblues / New York Yankees
Sacred Heart University-Division 1 Men's Ice hockey.
Army Aviation U S A


Classic. And we get it.

Posted by... Nightflyer..Go get me a beer.... Posted by Zekos....get me one too b.itch Posted by... Exo1.Haha!!... good man!!.... .........yeah!!.... while your out there get me one too.....Posted by... SniperALpha1Corona with lime is the way to go. CAUSE THAT'S AMERICA *****!Posted by...Zidane Whiskey pl0x.

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I'll own his *** at Halo 3. Gettin that **** tonight, mang. A WEY WEY.

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We view ourselves on the eve of battle. We are nerved for the contest, and must conquer or perish. It is vain to look for present aid. We must now act or abandon all hope! Rally to the standard, and be no longer the scoff of mercenary tongues! Be men, be free men, that your children may bless their father's name. - Sam Houston

Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

No flag-burning. No angry death chants. No suicide bomber threats. I wonder if this guy feels like the hypocrite.

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Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth. A. Einstein
What good fortune for those in power that people do not think. A. Hitler

That knob!! its more like "those rude Americans!.. lets go back to tehran and burn some more flags, and get some more dellusional kids to lay IEDs.. cant believe how uncivilized those damn Americans are!".....

When I hear of student bodies, I always associate the next word with obnoxious bull*****ters.... when I was in college, the layabouts with the "clique" had the yeaahhh and daahs goin on.. makes ya wonder how we can get anything done as nations... damn freeloaders!!..

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

That is seriously gut wrenching that they would tell the Army ROTC to leave. Ughh..

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"We do not negotiate with terrorists, we put them out of business." - Scott McClellan

"War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over" - Gen William T. Sherman

__________________
The Broadwayblues / New York Yankees
Sacred Heart University-Division 1 Men's Ice hockey.
Army Aviation U S A


Classic. And we get it.

Posted by... Nightflyer..Go get me a beer.... Posted by Zekos....get me one too b.itch Posted by... Exo1.Haha!!... good man!!.... .........yeah!!.... while your out there get me one too.....Posted by... SniperALpha1Corona with lime is the way to go. CAUSE THAT'S AMERICA *****!Posted by...Zidane Whiskey pl0x.

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