2008 Woodie Awards
Is this really how we should treat guests?
By: Chen-Yu Wu
Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Having followed the media coverage of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University on Monday, I was especially shocked and appalled to read about the shameful and disgraceful way he was introduced by Dr. Lee Bollinger, President of Columbia University. As most of you know, Dr. Bollinger prominently introduced President Ahmadinejad as a "petty and cruel dictator," accusing him of being "brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated" in front of an assembled audience and proceeding to give him the most hostile reception of a guest I have ever seen. If a public dressing-down was the only thing Columbia University wanted, why bother extending the invitation to Mr. Ahmadinejad at all?
The beauty of academic institutions in the United States is the ideal of academic freedom - the freedom to take what material is available to you and use it to draw your own, unique, individual conclusions. The raison d'etre of colleges and universities is to instill the skills of critical thinking and analysis within their students. When necessary, these skills not only include the clear articulation of one's ideas and positions, but also their defense via means of well-reasoned and supported arguments. Since the 1800s, when secularists began to wrest control of academic institutions from religious authorities, academia has been a forum of constant inquiry which advances human knowledge.
I believe Dr. Bollinger overstepped his authority by drawing conclusions for the student body about Mr. Ahmadinejad. By doing so, Dr. Bollinger effectively discredited everything that Mr. Ahmadinejad was going to saybefore he had a chance to speak. This is unforgivable. Even though Mr. Ahmadinejad ended up making some ridiculous statements of his own (such as questioning the validity of the Holocaust and denying the existence of homosexuals within Iran), he also made what I believe to be some very valid points, two of which were:
1. "Let the people of Palestine freely choose what they want for their future;" essentially calling for a democratic election unhindered and unaffected by the Israeli state;
The beauty of academic institutions in the United States is the ideal of academic freedom - the freedom to take what material is available to you and use it to draw your own, unique, individual conclusions. The raison d'etre of colleges and universities is to instill the skills of critical thinking and analysis within their students. When necessary, these skills not only include the clear articulation of one's ideas and positions, but also their defense via means of well-reasoned and supported arguments. Since the 1800s, when secularists began to wrest control of academic institutions from religious authorities, academia has been a forum of constant inquiry which advances human knowledge.
I believe Dr. Bollinger overstepped his authority by drawing conclusions for the student body about Mr. Ahmadinejad. By doing so, Dr. Bollinger effectively discredited everything that Mr. Ahmadinejad was going to saybefore he had a chance to speak. This is unforgivable. Even though Mr. Ahmadinejad ended up making some ridiculous statements of his own (such as questioning the validity of the Holocaust and denying the existence of homosexuals within Iran), he also made what I believe to be some very valid points, two of which were:
1. "Let the people of Palestine freely choose what they want for their future;" essentially calling for a democratic election unhindered and unaffected by the Israeli state;
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Chris Brown
posted 9/28/07 @ 1:04 AM CST
Chen-Yu Wu, you need to learn a bit more about the
Iranian system of "popular elections." Mr. Ahmadinejad was part of a small group of presidential candidates pre-approved by the religious caliphate which rules Iran--to imply this is a "democratic" election is a farce. (Continued…)
Brandon
posted 9/29/07 @ 3:34 PM CST
The World Leaders Forum at Columbia--the program of events that included President Ahmadinejad's appearance--was conceived as an opportunity for the Columbia community to challenge and question world leaders. (Continued…)
Hamid
posted 10/05/07 @ 9:54 AM CST
I don?t know what encouraged you to write your open letter and I don?t care, I simply know that Iranian government, acting diligently, hires indirectly few writers like you to support them in their horrible statements. (Continued…)
Ryan A Simon
posted 10/10/07 @ 2:32 AM CST
I have to disagree with your assessment of the Palestinian situation. They did hold democratic elections unhindered by the Israeli state. They elected a party that has won support in the same way as Hezbollah in Lebanon: providing social services. (Continued…)
Post a Comment