'It's a free country' – for Ahmadinejad, too

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appearing at "The World Without Zionism" conference Oct. 26, 2005

The United States is a free country, even for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has sworn to see the eradication not only of Israel but the United States, and denies that the Holocaust happened.

That was the response from White House spokeswoman Dana Perino when asked about Ahmadinejad's pending visit to the United States by Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House.

"The head of the Institute for Holocaust Studies, Dr. [Rafael] Medoff, has compared Columbia University's speaking invitation to Iran's Ahmadinejad to Columbia's hosting of Nazi speakers and Columbia faculty members attending Nazi ceremonies in Germany in the 1930s. And my questions, does the White House agree or disagree?" Kinsolving asked.

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"Look, it's a free country," Perino said. "We wish the same were true in Iran. And if people want to attend and listen to a person who has advocated the destruction of Israel and treats his people terribly, then that's their business."

Medoff's perspective on the issue was released by the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, where he is director.

The commentary said the issue was Columbia University inviting "a representative of the world's most anti-semitic regime to speak on its campus. This week's news? Try 1933."

The commentary said 70 years prior to this week's invitation to Ahmadinejad, "Columbia rolled out the red carpet for a senior official of Adolf Hitler's regime. The invitation to Iran's leader may seem less surprising, but no less disturbing, when one recalls that in 1933, Columbia president Nicholas Murray Butler invited Nazi Germany's ambassador to the United States, Hans Luther, to speak on campus, and also hosted a reception for him."

At that time, Butler insisted Luther represented "the government of a friendly people." Students who criticized the Luther invitation were "derided as 'ill-mannered children' by the director of Columbia's Institute of Arts and Sciences."

Said Medoff: "In 1936, the Columbia administration announced it would send a delegate to Nazi Germany to take part in the 550th anniversary celebration of the University of Heidelberg. This, despite the fact that Heidelberg already had been purged of Jewish faculty members, instituted a Nazi curriculum, and hosted a burning of books by Jewish authors. Prof. Arthur Remy, who served as Columbia's delegate to the Heidelberg event, later remarked that the reception at which chief book-burner Josef Goebbels presided was 'very enjoyable.'"

While other U.S. colleges also fell under the spell of Nazi propaganda for a time, he noted, "Columbia is unique. … It's administration alone seems to have learned so little from the mistakes of the 1930s that it is prepared to welcome the leader of yet another anti-semitic, terrorist regime."

Ahmadinejad, who also plans to address the United Nations, had wanted to visit Ground Zero, but New York City law enforcement officials refused to provide him with security, prompting Ahmadinejad to express "disbelief" that the visit would offend Americans.

The U.S. State Department calls Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, and Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust "a myth." He's also urged the destruction of Israel.

Columbia president Lee Bollinger said the visit is part of the school's "long-standing tradition of serving as a major forum for robust debate."

In a second question, Kinsolving asked: "In view of the President's expressed opposition to racism, what was his reaction to Jesse Jackson's accusing Sen. Barack Obama of 'acting like he's white'?"

"I'm not going to comment on that," Perino said.

"You have no comment?"

"No," Perino said.

"You're left speechless?"

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