Azadeh Moaveni

The chatter surrounding Ahmadinejad’s visit to the United States simply won’t stop, so at risk of ignoring the gigantic fil in the room, here are my immediate thoughts. Firstly, the president should pay heed to Hugo Chavez’s PR tactics. That particular populist manages to capture international headlines and warm the hearts of anti-globalization college students with far more flair. The notion that there are no gay people in Iran is untellably absurd, and worst of all, is offensive without a point.

Also distressing was the insulting opening address of Columbia University President Lee Bollinger. This may not be the most original point to make, but I think his nastiness carried an undercurrent of racism. Were Bollinger introducing a European official, however controversial or despotic (say a Le Pen or his ilk), I hardly believe he would have spoken in the terms he reserved for President Ahmadinejad. That degree of insolence, which is also offensive without a point, is reserved for figures from the Arab and Islamic world. It brings to mind the needlessly uncivil way in which Mike Wallace dealt with Ahmadinejad. If I were an armchair psychologist, I would surmise that people like Bollinger are subconsciously pleased to be dealing with someone like Ahmadinjead, as it gives them an opportunity to say unspeakable things to an Iranian and disguise it as frankness in the face of evil, or someother such bollocks.