Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the current President of Iran. He was invited to speak at Columbia as a part of the World Leaders Forum in the Fall of 2006, but the invitation was revoked after apparent confusion at the highest levels of the Columbia administration, between then-SIPA Dean Lisa Anderson and President Lee Bollinger. However, he was invited back in 2007, this time by Bollinger directly, showing, if nothing else, more courage than the man has previously displayed at Columbia. His speech is scheduled for Monday, September 24, 2007.
The first time provoked a great deal of criticism as well as praise. The second time has been even more controversial, everyone having their arguments already rehearsed and ready to shout. Protests and condemnations of Columbia in the media began days before the event. Geraldo Rivera made a special visit to campus,[1] and many members of the Columbia community were interviewed, including SIPA dean John Coatsworth and College Republicans head Chris Kulawik. The Spectator ramped up its coverage with an "Ahmadineblog".[2]
The appearance has led to the release of a Columbia architecture school alum, Kian Tajbakhsh, who was imprisoned in Iran. PrezBo had planned to question Ahmadinejad about his holding, but Iran released the Columbian preemptively.
