Iran’s Khatami and Harvard’s Democratic Tradition
Iran’s former President and controversial cleric bathed in the glow of democratic sunshine/traditions of Harvard where the audience listened to his remarks with extreme politness.
Thus the university teachers and students gave yet another shining example of Harvard’s tradition of allowing a person the freedom to express his opinion, howsoever different this may be to their own way of thinking.
Encouraging an end to the ‘cycle of violence’ and a development of democracy in the East, former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called on the United States to allow countries to develop their own model of modernity in a speech at Harvard on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, says The Harvard Crimson.
“In his 30-minute address under heavy security, the Muslim cleric also defended the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah as a legitimate resistance movement fighting for the ‘territorial integrity’ of Lebanon.
“Khatami, who condemned Osama Bin Laden and those who carry out terrorist acts in the name of Islam, also criticized the US for its ‘double standard’ when it came to violence.
” ‘We cannot and should not justify a state’s total war against a defenseless population on the basis of its sovereignty or international recognition but condemning the violence perpetrated by that population as barbaric and inhumane,’ he said.
“Khatami’s remarks were followed by a question and answer session where a number of students and members of the community asked him about his position on Israel.
“Responding to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reported comments that Israel should be ‘wiped out from the map,’ Khatami said that he has ‘never wanted the elimination of a person or nation from the international sphere’.
” ‘A nation by the name of Palestine has been eliminated from the map,’ Khatami added.
” ‘I think that the speech left a lot more questions unanswered than answered,’ said Eric P. Lesser ’07, the Dems president. ‘It was clear from the speech that President Khatami certainly talks in ways that make him seem like a reformer’.
“Massachusetts Governor W. Mitt Romney called Harvard’s invitation of Khatami ‘a disgrace to the memory of all Americans who have lost their lives at the hands of extremists’ and said state taxpayers should not fund any part of his visit.
“Romney announced on Tuesday that he would not allow any state agencies—including state police—to provide support for the event. Yesterday’s event was secured by Harvard and Cambridge police as well as the US State Department.”
8 Responses to “Iran’s Khatami and Harvard’s Democratic Tradition”
Due to this kind of nonsense, Harvard alumni are refusing to donate money and people are discouraging their children from applying to Harvard.
“”Khatami, who condemned Osama Bin Laden and those who carry out terrorist acts in the name of Islam, also criticized the US for its ‘double standard’ when it came to violence.”
It sucks when the victim hits back, eh?
Mmmm fresh hate from Holly, strait out of the oven.
Moderate bad! Holly and Mitt want war at all costs!
I don’t have a problem with Harvard having Khatami speak at their university. On an academic level, it’s got to be interesting to hear the other side of the story, regardless of the honesty of his speech. I just hope they take what he said with a grain of salt and think for themselves. If the Iranian government is good at anything, it’s propaganda.
Noone- As are we. After all, aren’t we spreading the word that by allowing free elections in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have built two model democracies where there was tyranny? Any moderately intelligent observer can see that elections without the corresponding democratic institutions and hallmarks of economic progress are almost meaningless.
Meanwhile the permanent bases we are quietly building in Iraq get almost no attention in our nation’s discourse.
Unless your name is Lawrence Summers, of course.
pyst, yes Holly rightly hates terrorists as anyone with moral clarity would.
When you grow some moral clarity I might beleive you Laura.
Btw, Khatami isn’t a terrorist, he was the link to a moderate Iran we wish we had now.
Moron.