Just the facts Ma’am, as Dragnet’s Jack Webb used to say. When it comes to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad however, facts can be hard to find. We hope to present a few facts here that may have escaped your attention.
The Iranian President and our designated nemesis du jour arrived in New York on Sunday, September 23, to make an appearance at Columbia University on Monday and to address the UN General Assembly Tuesday. His visit became the subject of a carefully contrived controversy.
Setting the imperial tone and expected mistreatment to follow, the city was only too happy to deny Mr. Ahmadinejad’s request to place a wreath at the World Trade Center 9/11 site - citing “security” reasons. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton expressed her “outrage” at his request.
Outrage? Why? I don’t recall the names of any Iranians on the planes that crashed into the Trade Center. Maybe its just blind acceptance of the deadly propaganda that passes for news in this country. Maybe we can dispel some of the obvious disinformation.
Columbia University was the scene of more orchestrated outrage. Columbia President Lee Bolllinger introduced Ahmadinejad with scathing criticism, calling his invited guest provacative, ridiculous, uneducated and a petty, cruel dictator. Among other things. Everything but a Jew-hating evil madman.
Go to your room, Bollinger. You’ve soiled yourself. You’ve brought shame and disgrace on your institution of “higher” learning. In all your condescending arrogance, you have just reinforced the worldwide opinion of this country as being intolerant, hateful and deserving of as much respect as you’ve shown your guest. Absolutely none.
Of course, you were only following orders. Maybe you’ll receive a nice lapel pin for a job well done. A six pointed star you can wear with pride, testifying to your well-rewarded subservience.
Getting back to Ahmadinejad, lets consider the accusations against him:
1. Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons.
Fact: Mohammed ElBaradei, Nobel prize winner and head of the International Atomic Energy Agency disagrees. He has stated that exhaustive UN inspections have produced no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons. Period.
ElBaradei, of course, is treated with the same disrespect as Ahmadinejad. His conclusions are disparaged and ignored and we can look forward to a repeat performance of our Israeli-inspired devastation of Iraq.
Iran claims its nuclear development is for peaceful purposes - and it has every legal right to that end. Taking a lesson from Iraq, however, I wouldn’t blame them a bit if they were actually developing a weapon. America likes to attack defenseless countries. If a country is able to defend itself and retaliate, America suddenly discovers the wonders of diplomacy.
2. Iran is accused of helping Shiite militias to target US forces in Iraq. Another unfounded accusation lacking only one thing: proof. When the time is right, of course, I’m certain our Israeli “allies” will be happy to produce as much manufactured “proof” as required.
3. Iran is accused of supporting terrorism. One man’s terrorist, of course, is another man’s freedom fighter - and the word itself can be applied with equal justification to just about anyone. Mr. Ahmadinejad represents a country that has never attacked anyone,.
Mr. Bush, on the other hand, is responsible for killing over a million Iraqis and creating a living refugee nightmare for 4 million more. He represents a country that supports brutal dictatorships all over the world. He supports ethnic cleansing and genocide and the real Holocausts that are never discussed. He supports a country guilty of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He supports the legalization of torture! To which President does the appellation of terrorist really apply?
4. Now to one of the two deadliest accusations. Ahmadinejad denied the Holocaust. (Gasp!) Except, he didn’t. In response to a question at his Columbia University inquisition, Ahmadinejad denied he was questioning the existence of the Holocaust. He said he wanted more research on the Holocaust, which has somehow become the justification for Israel’s mistreatment of the Palestinians.
He defended the rights of scholars who have been prosecuted and sentenced to jail for denying or minimizing the Holocaust. “There’s nothing known as absolute,” he said. Indeed, it would seem obvious that “truth” cannot be legislated.
When anyone can be kidnapped, brought before a kangaroo court and sentenced to jail for the thought crime of questioning the Holocaust - maybe - just maybe - there might exist something suggesting further investigation and honest discussion.
When you are told something is the truth, and you will pay a penalty unless you unquestionably accept it as the truth - well, that so-called “truth” can be a little hard to swallow. If it is indeed the truth, there should be nothing to hide.
5. The most serious accusation of all: Ahmadinejad called for the destruction of Israel, and for Israel to be wiped off the map. Except - again - he didn’t! He never called for the destruction of Israel! He never said, “Israel must be wiped off the map.”
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a speech about Zionism on October 25, 2005, used a quote from Ayatollah Khomeini. He said, “The Imam (Khomeini) said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time.” The words were Khomeini’s, not Ahmadinejad’s.
The word “Israel” was not used, only the word for “regime”. The word “map” was never used. “Wipeout” was never used. Ahmadinejad is accused of threatening to “wipe Israel off the map” despite never using the words “Israel” “wipe out” or “map”.
The mistranslated quote has spread worldwide, repeated countless times by world leaders and every media outlet imaginable. I think Fox Fake News repeats it hourly, at least, and I fully expect to hear it in their weather forecast.
“Mostly sunny today with light and variable winds. Perfect weather for Iran to wipe Israel off the map. Partly cloudy tonight...”
Even though the mistranslation has been brought to public attention, the fact that it is still being promulgated over and over and over again as “fact” is a testament to the incredible propaganda powers of worldwide Zionism. Joseph Goebbels would be proud.
The misquote is, of course, a call to war. Before you accept that call, however, consider for a moment a few things about Iran and its “designated” enemy.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, after his Columbia University interrogation, attended a more pleasant ceremony on Monday afternoon. He met with a group of Jewish rabbis who gave him a silver grail as a sign of friendship.
What? Didn’t those rabbis get the word? Don’t they know their homeland is about to be wiped off the map?
The rabbis carried a placard which read, “I am Jewish not a Zionist.” A senior rabbi said ahmadinejad was a pious man who made a distinction between the religious beliefs of Jews and the violent behavior of Zionists.
The Iranian President thanked the rabbis for their gift, said he was happy to visit with them and said, “All people in the world have now understood that Judaism is different from Zionism.” He pointed out that Zionists were a group seeking political advantage, while Jews were followers of Moses who promoted peace and friendship.
You must have read about this and seen the pictures in your local paper or the nightly news. No? That’s funny... neither did I. The controlled media, of course, is still working on wiping Israel off the map. Friendship between Iranians and Jews doesn’t exactly correspond with their unfounded accusations.
Another unlikely event is an hour-long TV drama called Zero Degree Turn. Its a heart wrenching love story between an Iranian-Palestinian Muslim man and a French Jewish woman. Its a wildly popular story about European Jews during World War II, and its watched faithfully every week by millions in Iran!
Hassan Fatthi, the show’s writer and director, notes that Iranians are quite capable of differentiating between ordinary Jews and a minority of Zionists. They are sympathetic to the murder of innocent Jews during World War II - and shocked at the murder of innocent Palestinians by racist Zionist soldiers.
How can this be? A popular TV show sympathetic to Jews - in a country that wants to wipe them off the map? Maybe we’ve been fed more than a little misinformation. You think?
Still another unfathomable conundrum: If President Ahmadinejad is such a Jew-hating monster who actually denies the Holocaust (Gasp!) - and wants Israel to be wiped off the map - how do you explain the 25,000 plus Jews who happily proclaim Iran to be their home?
They are guaranteed equal rights in the Iranian Constitution. They are free to study Hebrew in school, shop at kosher markets and pray in synagogues. They are free in Iran and even have their own representative in the Iranian Parliament - currently, Morris Mottaned. Mr. Mottaned and other heads of Iran’s Jewish communities expressed outrage by the disrespect shown to the Iranian president during his Columbia visit.
How happy are the Iranian Jews? Happy enough to decline cash bribes to move to Israel! Wealthy expatriate Jews established a special fund to finance the migration to Israel from Iran’s Jewish community.
Incentives of $10,000 a person up to $60,000 for families were offered with Israel’s official blessing. No takers!
The Society of Iranian Jews said, “The identity of Iranian Jews is not tradeable for any amount of money.” They noted that Iranian Jews were among the most ancient Iranians, and that they loved their identity and their culture.
Morris Mottaned, Iran’s Jewish MP, said the offers were insulting. “Iran’s Jews have always been free to emigrate,” he said. “Three quarters of them did so after the revolution, but 70% of those went to America, not Israel.”
Wipe Israel off the map? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad didn’t say it and doesn’t endorse it. Neither does his boss, the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel is hereby allowed to stay on the map a little longer.
If New York rabbis can meet with Ahmadinejad and give him a silver grail as a sign of friendship -
If Ahmadinejad can ask why people are imprisoned for questioning the Holocaust and why Palestinians have to pay for it (It’s time somebody asked!) -
If the most popular TV show in Iran is sympathetic to Jews -
And if 25,000 Iranian Jews prefer living in Iran, declining bribes to move to Israel -
Maybe - just maybe - the greatest danger lies not in Ahmadinejad or Iran, but in believing the lies and propaganda about them.
When you hear the drum beats for war, from Fox Fake News or from one deluded presidential candidate or another, just ask yourself: Cui Bono.
When you witness the President of another country demonized, insulted, mistreated and disrespected, ask yourself: Cui Bono.
When we bomb another innocent country and destroy the lives of millions - including our own - ask yourself: Cui Bono.
Who benefits indeed! When you discover the answer you will know the real enemy.
In the meantime, Dr. Ahmadinejad, I apologize for the civility challenged behavior of my countrymen. The next time you get the urge to enlighten another university audience, select a more civilized country; one that will treat your appearance with the dignity and respect it deserves.
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