320px|Ahmadinejad addresses the University. Invited to participate in a debate at Columbia University during his visit to New York City this week to address the United Nations General Assembly , Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad engaged University president Lee Bollinger on a number of topics, including his country's human rights record, opinions on Israel and the Holocaust and the role of nuclear weapons and terrorism on the global stage. The Iranian president's speech was marked by protests, but also drew applause from students. After reciting the Bismillah and asking for guidance from God, Ahmadinejad countered that "In Iran, tradition requires that when we invite a person to be a speaker, we actually respect our students and the professors by allowing them to make their own judgment and we don’t think it’s necessary before the speech is even given to come in with a series of claims..." Ahmadinejad questioned U.S. nuclear policy. "Making nuclear, chemical and biological bombs and weapons of mass destruction is yet another result of the misuse of science and research by the big powers." He added, "Without the cooperation of certain scientists and scholars, we would not have witnessed production of different nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Are these weapons to protect global security? What can a perpetual nuclear umbrella achieve for the sake of humanity? If nuclear war is waged between nuclear powers, what human catastrophe will take place?" Student Sunsara Taylor saw the event as just an instrument in the larger symphony of American imperialism. In a rebuttal to claims that his country oppressed women and homosexuals, Ahmadinejad responded by claiming "It is wrong for some governments, when they disagree with another government, to...spread lies", pointing to the fact that over 50\% of Iranian voters are female, and the two female Vice Presidents. When challenged by Bollinger for Iran's treatment of gays he stated that "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country," drawing laughter from the audience. "In Iran we do not have this phenomenon, I don't know who has told you that we have it." He framed questioning of the Holocaust as stifled academic debate: "Right now, there are a number of European academics who have been sent to prison because they attempted to write about the Holocaust or research it from a different perspective, questioning certain aspects of it," later adding that "you shouldn't ask me why I'm asking questions, you should ask yourselves why you...want to stop. Do you ever take what is known as absolute in physics? We had principles in mathematics that were granted to be absolute for over 800 years, but new science has...gone forward."
320px|Ahmadinejad addresses the University. Invited to participate in a debate at during his visit to New York City this week to address the United Nations , Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad engaged University president on a number of topics, including his country's human rights record, opinions on Israel and the Holocaust and the role of nuclear weapons and terrorism on the global stage. The Iranian president's speech was marked by protests, but also drew applause from students. After reciting the and asking for guidance from God, Ahmadinejad countered that "In Iran, tradition requires that when we invite a person to be a speaker, we actually respect our students and the professors by allowing them to make their own judgment and we don’t think it’s necessary before the speech is even given to come in with a series of claims..." Ahmadinejad questioned U.S. nuclear policy. "Making nuclear, chemical and biological bombs and weapons of mass destruction is yet another result of the misuse of science and research by the big powers." He added, "Without the cooperation of certain scientists and scholars, we would not have witnessed production of different nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Are these weapons to protect global security? What can a perpetual nuclear umbrella achieve for the sake of humanity? If nuclear war is waged between nuclear powers, what human catastrophe will take place?" Student Sunsara Taylor saw the event as just an instrument in the larger symphony of American imperialism. In a rebuttal to claims that his country oppressed women and homosexuals, Ahmadinejad responded by claiming "It is wrong for some governments, when they disagree with another government, to...spread lies", pointing to the fact that over 50\% of Iranian voters are female, and the two female Vice Presidents. When challenged by Bollinger for he stated that "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country," drawing laughter from the audience. "In Iran we do not have this phenomenon, I don't know who has told you that we have it." He framed as stifled academic debate: "Right now, there are a number of European academics who have been sent to prison because they attempted to write about the Holocaust or research it from a different perspective, questioning certain aspects of it," later adding that "you shouldn't ask me why I'm asking questions, you should ask yourselves why you...want to stop. Do you ever take what is known as absolute in physics? We had principles in mathematics that were granted to be absolute for over 800 years, but new science has...gone forward."
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Columbia University
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General Assembly
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Lee Bollinger
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Bismillah
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Iran's treatment of gays
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questioning of the Holocaust