In Friday’s Perspective column, Alan Cesar urged readers to hear Ahmadinejad’s point of view so that we can better understand the issues in the Middle East. While it is hard to deny that understanding is the first step to any kind of action, the same cannot be said in the case of this radical, dangerous leader.

In an attempt to further understand his policy, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger asked Ahmadinejad several questions about the freedoms of his people and about Israel and his denial of the Holocaust.

When asked about women and homosexuals, Ahmadinejad responded that Iran allows women to vote and does not have homosexual citizens like the U.S. does.

When asked whether he seeks the destruction of the state of Israel, the Iranian president refused to respond directly. He did not say he does; however, he would not say he does not.

And finally, when asked whether he denies the Holocaust, Ahmadinejad said there is not enough research to prove that 6 million Jews were, in fact, murdered by the Nazis. Of the six questions asked by Bollinger, none received a direct response.

The question arises: What can we “better understand” from Ahmadinejad’s rants?

Victorya Troyansky
Sophomore, speech-language pathology

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