The scenes at Monday's question-and-answer session at Columbia University and the outpouring of venom toward President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by protesters during his U.S. visit could bolster the hard-line leader at a time of high tensions with Washington.
Columbia President Lee Bollinger's statement — including telling Ahmadinejad that he resembles a "petty and cruel dictator" — offended Iranians on many levels, not least that of simple hospitality. In traditions of the region, a host should be polite to a guest, no matter what he thinks of him.
The chancellors of seven Iranian universities issued a letter to Bollinger saying his "insult, in a scholarly atmosphere, to the president of a country with ... a recorded history of 7,000 years of civilization and culture is deeply shameful."
They invited Bollinger to Iran, adding, "You can be assured that Iranians are very polite and hospitable toward their guests."
Ahmadinejad, at the United Nations in New York Tuesday to address the General Assembly, was asked about his reaction to the confrontation at Columbia.
"I think the meeting at the university was sufficiently loud enough to speak for itself. I'm an academic myself," he said in Farsi, which was translated by the U.N. "I think the authorities and officials of the university should practice a little more listening to other points of view and listen to things they don't like to hear."
Ahmadinejad's popularity at home has been suffering, with many Iranians blaming him for failing to fix the faltering economy and for heightening the confrontation with the West with his inflammatory rhetoric.
But in the eyes of many Iranian critics and supporters alike, Ahmadinejad looked like the victim. He complained about Bollinger's "insults" and "unfriendly treatment" but kept a measured tone throughout the discussion.
"Our president appeared as a gentleman. He remained polite against those who could not remain polite," said Ahmad Masoudi, a customer at a grocery store who had watched state TV's recorded version of the event, including Bollinger's remarks. Iranian Farsi channels did not air the event live.
Ahmadinejad is a victim? A gentleman?
Ahmadinejad's presence in our country demanding the freedoms his country denies to Iranians is the insult. You can dress him up in bad suits, but Ahmadinejad is waging war against Americans and Iraqis by supporting terrorism in Iraq. Iran is supporting terrorism against Israel by supporting terrorist organizations Hamas and Hizbollah. And God help us if he gets nukes.
This is not a matter of "what we think of him" or about him saying things we "don't like to hear." This is a matter of an enemy leader actively killing our troops visiting our shores and abusing our hospitality and patience.
In 300, the Spartans killed the Persian envoy who insulted the Greeks.
Vice President Cheney should have kicked Ahmadinejad into a pit. Or at least taken him hunting.
Ok, that wasn't going to happen. But we probably should have shot the SOB on sight. And then carried his corpse to Ground Zero so he could pay his proper respects to the victims of 9/11.
We've forgotten how to treat enemies.
