Walkout at Iran leader's speech [UN anti-racism conference]

[edesignuk]

Diplomats have walked out of a speech by the Iranian president at a UN anti-racism conference after he described Israel as a "racist government".

Two protesters, wearing coloured wigs, briefly disrupted the beginning of the speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but he continued speaking.

Shortly afterwards a stream of Western delegates walked out when he attacked the creation of the state of Israel.

France, whose ambassador walked out, described it as "hate speech".

Some of those who stayed clapped as Mr Ahmadinejad continued his speech.

The walkout is a public relations disaster for the United Nations, which had hoped the conference would be a shining example of what the UN is good at - uniting to combat injustice in the world, says the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva. BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8008572.stm).

Well, that went well. :rolleyes:

[chrmjenkins]

What did they think would happen when they let him speak?

[edesignuk]

What did they think would happen when they let him speak?The World would come together and be as one under his supreme all knowingness?

[John Jacob]

But what did he actually say? The French ambassador described it as "hate speech" but there is no link to a transcript of his speech, or even a description of what he said. :confused:

[SteveMobs]

Good, that man hackmodinijad is lunatic. Those few countries that didn't even show up did the right thing, give him no legitimacy.

[obeygiant]

But what did he actually say? The French ambassador described it as "hate speech" but there is no link to a transcript of his speech, or even a description of what he said. :confused:

(CNN) -- The opening of a United Nations conference in Switzerland on anti-racism was marred by chaotic scenes Monday as protests and a walkout by delegates disrupted a controversial address by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The presence of the Iranian leader at the conference had already prompted Israel to withdraw its ambassador from Switzerland, while several countries including the United States are also boycotting the gathering.

Dozens of delegates walked out of the chamber as Ahmadinejad accused Israel and the West of making "an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering ... in order to establish a totally racist government."

He said Zionism, the Jewish national movement, "personifies racism," and accused Zionists of wielding economic and political resources to silence opponents. He also blasted the United States-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Protesters in brightly colored wigs interrupted Ahmadinejad as he began to speak, shouting: "You're a racist!" in accented English.

But some delegates cheered, while security officers dragged at least two protesters from the chamber.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called Ambassador Ilan Elgar home to protest a meeting between the Swiss president and Ahmadinejad, Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The meeting of a president of a democratic country with a notorious Holocaust denier such as the Iranian president, who has openly declared his intention of wiping Israel off the map, is not in keeping with the values represented by Switzerland," the ministry said.

This Ahmadinejad guy just can't get a break can he?

[BoyBach]

The fact that Apartheid is alive and well in the Eastern Mediterranean doesn't offend the anti-racists, yet 'calling it out' does. Pathetic.

[Burnsey]

They were opposed to the content of the document banning insulting islam because they claimed it would go against freedom of speech, and yet they walked out on him and called what he said flat out "hate" speech. So much for freedom of speech.

"The meeting of a president of a democratic country with a notorious Holocaust denier such as the Iranian president, who has openly declared his intention of wiping Israel off the map, is not in keeping with the values represented by Switzerland," the ministry said.

both those reasons are false. What an f-ed up world we live in.

[obeygiant]

both those reasons are false. What an f-ed up world we live in.

In a December 2005 speech, Ahmadinejad said that a legend was fabricated and had been promoted to protect Israel. He said,
“ They have fabricated a legend, under the name Massacre of the Jews, and they hold it higher than God himself, religion itself and the prophets themselves...If somebody in their country questions God, nobody says anything, but if somebody denies the myth of the massacre of Jews, the Zionist loudspeakers and the governments in the pay of Zionism will start to scream.[74]link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust_denial)

[skunk]

What exactly are the "values of Switzerland"? A curious world would like to know.

[Macky-Mac]

What exactly are the "values of Switzerland"? A curious world would like to know.

nice watches and chocolate perhaps

[skunk]

Billions in unclaimed looted gold, perhaps?

[Burnsey]

link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust_denial)

One of Ahmadinejad's most controversial statements was one in which, according to the initial Islamic Republic News Agency translation, he called for the state of Israel, referring to its government, to be "wiped off the map," though the translation and interpretation of the comment is disputed.[15][16] He has also been condemned for describing the Holocaust as a myth,[15][17] which has led to accusations of anti-semitism; the interpretation of this quote is also disputed.[18] In response to these criticisms, Ahmadinejad said “No, I am not against Jews, I respect them very much.”[19] Ahmadinejad also clarified, "I'm not saying that [the Holocaust] didn't happen at all. This is not the judgment that I'm passing here."[20]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad

In a September 2006 with NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams, Ahmadinejad clarified his remarks, saying that when he called the Holocaust a myth he was merely trying to communicate that it was not just Jews that died, but millions of people and he wants to know why it is the Palestinian people that have to pay for the Nazis' slaughter of the Jewish people.[87]
wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad_and_Israel#Denying_the_Holocaust.3F)

His rhetoric is irresponsible, and there is a major gap between the two languages, but really all he's questioned about the holocaust is it's role in Palestine, and how people are quick to show outrage and disgust at the slightest questioning of it, and yet continue to use it as an excuse to obtain impunity.

Here is the Israeli response to today's events:
"The sad fact is that as we commemorate the events of the holocaust here in Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, there are those who have chosen to participate in the demonstration of hatred against Israel and Jews in the heart of Europe," he said, addressing a gathering commemorating the victims of the Holocaust.

That response alone proves his point. They are swift to label others as anti-semetic, holocaust deniers etc... at the slightest questioning of their policies, and encourage other countries not to listen (AIPAC lobbied the US not to attend BTW).

[obeygiant]

His rhetoric is irresponsible, and there is a major gap between the two languages, but really all he's questioned about the holocaust is it's role in Palestine, and how people are quick to show outrage and disgust at the slightest questioning of it, and yet continue to use it as an excuse to obtain impunity.

Yeah, the guy is a snake. In public he's not a holocaust denier, he's merely a holocaust revisionist.

On April 24, 2006, Ahmadinejad demanded a free evaluation of the real extent of the Holocaust "in order to find the ultimate truth."[78] In a May 30, 2006 interview with Der Spiegel, Ahmadinejad again questioned the Holocaust several times, insisting there were "two opinions" on it. When asked if the Holocaust was a myth, he responded "I will only accept something as truth if I am actually convinced of it".[79]
On December 11, 2006, the "International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust" opened to widespread condemnation.[80] The conference, called for by and held at the behest of Ahmadinejad,[81] was widely described as a "Holocaust denial conference" or a "meeting of Holocaust deniers",[82] though Iran insisted it was not a Holocaust denial conference.[83] A few months before it opened, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi stated: "The Holocaust is not a sacred issue that one can't touch. I have visited the Nazi camps in Eastern Europe. I think it is exaggerated."

And as for the wiped off the map comment:

The full quote translated directly to English:

"The Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time."

Word by word translation:

Imam (Khomeini) ghoft (said) een (this) rezhim-e (regime) ishghalgar-e (occupying) qods (Jerusalem) bayad (must) az safheh-ye ruzgar (from page of time) mahv shavad (vanish from).

antiwar.com (http://www.antiwar.com/orig/norouzi.php?articleid=11025)

Its too bad the existence of the state of Israel and the zionist regime are inextricably linked. This whole scenario has been beaten to death on these boards. So I'm happy to leave it a just a disagreement.

Although I still think Ahmadinejad is one slimy guy talking out of both sides of his mouth, but I digress. :)

[Burnsey]

Yeah, the guy is a snake. In public he's not a holocaust denier, he's merely a holocaust revisionist.



And as for the wiped off the map comment:



antiwar.com (http://www.antiwar.com/orig/norouzi.php?articleid=11025)

Its too bad the existence of the state of Israel and the zionist regime are inextricably linked. This whole scenario has been beaten to death on these boards. So I'm happy to leave it a just a disagreement.

Although I still think Ahmadinejad is one slimy guy talking out of both sides of his mouth, but I digress. :)
He is a typical politician, the US had it's own snake for 8 years.

"The Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time."

vs:

"we have the intention of wiping Israel off the map"

First of all, the "Imam said" part is very important, because he was quoting what imam khomeini said 30 years ago. He was not talking for himself.

second the quote "this regime occupying palestine must vanish from the pages of time" is very different from the world wide belief that he said "we have the intention of wiping Israel off the map" and him quoting what some guy said 30 years ago is no basis for boycotting a UN summit. The Israelis however have swiftly jumped to conclusions of "anti-semetic" and "hate speech" and "see, we must attack Iran, they are a threat" as usual.

finally you can have an Israel without zionism, and a country that is home to ALL the people in the region, rather than just a homeland for the Jews. This aspect of the quote is just re-iterating Iran's long time push for a one state solution.

Regardless Iran is a major player in the region, without its inclusion in the process, there will never really be any peace. The first step is to actually listen to what the guy is saying, but as was shown in this conference, supposedly the most tolerant nations on earth are not willing to tolerate someone speaking out against zionism, and that itself raises a ton of suspicion.

Finally I must be missing something, but aren't Jewish-only settlements in the West bank and east Jerusalem racist? That you must be of a certain religion or race to live here and use the roads, schools etc...? Isn't the idea that god promised certain people land racist as well? That god "chose" certain people (who are thus superior) to live there? And isn't the entire concept of a country only for Jews (or Muslims, or Christians, or Blacks etc...) racist as well? That you must be of a certain religion or race to be really a part of the country, and that if you are of a certain race or religion you receive immediate citizenship? And doesnt all of that pretty much sum up what zionism is?