I must say I reluctantly almost admire Columbia U’s audacity in making possible this event. Compare this to the pusillanimous Concordia University, Montreal,
2002:
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=22&x_article=381
2004:
Two former Israeli prime ministers, respectable, democratic leaders, both of whom signed agreements with Palestinians, and tried to push for comprehensive peace with all Arab states, were prevented from speaking at Concordia.
And here is Columbia U, taking the bull by its two horns, one being academic freedom, the other – freedom of speech, by providing a stage for a bellicose, superstitious, antisemitic, misogynistic, homophobic, Holocaust denier, wannabe genocider and a megalomaniac of the first order.
You’ve got to admire such dedication to the absolute right of someone, not just to speak, but to be heard.
Oliver Kamm, speaking of another matter pertaining to the thorny issue of freedom of speech, comes close to providing a proper measure for evaluating the advisability of Columbia’s choice to host Ahmadinejad:
“I am close to being an absolutist on free speech. I do not, however, consider that defending someone’s right to utter pernicious sentiments obligates you to provide the vehicle by which he may do so. ”
http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2007/07/comment-is-free.html
I wonder if Columbia U would allow its students’ magazines to publish the Danish cartoons, in the name of the same absolutism?
