love him: hate him
He is always an interesting and provocative politician. And who worse to interview him than news lightweight Katie Couric. He might just as well been interviewed on Regis or The View. Anyway….
When asked about the elections, Couric showed a picture of Neda dying graphically on the streets of Teheran. An embarassing and awkward moment for some. For Mahmood, an opportunity. He apologized for the death, expressed his regret and then said western media had provoked people in Iran to protest. Then he showed Couric a picture of Marwa El Sherbini, the woman in Germany who was stabbed and killed in court over a hijab issue. He summed up saying the western politicians do not want American people to see what goes on around the world.
He also responded to the holocaust denial saying 60 million people in WWII were killed. Why do we focus just on these people? Aren’t they all human beings? He’s got a point.
Can’t wait for tonight. Should be interesting.
CBSNEWS has video and transcript of the Couric interview.
null 9:15 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink |
I understand the point, but there’s something really sick about using the pictures of dead women to argue your case.
Should be an interesting interview.
Buzz 9:29 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink |
Yes, To his credit – it was Katie that showed Neda on the ground dying. MA just showed Marwa in a pic with her husband and child.
I can accept that people can disagree with Ahmadinejad. It is propaganda to dismiss him as crazy.
null 9:42 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink |
Yes, its gotten to the point where you could accuse him of anything and people will buy it. “I heard he thinks he’s the Mahdi and has been called upon to nuke Israel!”. There are so many rumours, I don’t know what to believe about him anymore. Him and Tom Cruise.
null 10:25 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink |
Watched the interview.
It seems like they were talking past each other on the Holocaust issue, which is a shame. I would have liked for him to be more forward and concise and clear up the matter once and for all in a quotable kind of way. If you connect all the things he says on the topic together it sounds like: “Yes, of course the Holocaust happened but it happened in Europe and shouldn’t be a pretext to justify Palestinian occupation.”
But when Couric asks him for a definitive direct response on whether the Holocaust happened or not, he tends to just shrug his shoulders and talk about the Palestinians. *Heavy sigh*.
Love the bit where he asks Katie Couric with a raised eyebrow, “Are you concerned about me?”. Awww, too sweeeet.
Naila 12:47 am on September 24, 2009 Permalink |
I don’t think Ahmedinajad or anyone for that matter needs to play to America’s obsession with the Jewish holocaust. The fact is that it is America’s — Katie Couric and ilk — issue with needing to show allegiance to Israel. The constant need to focus on all things Israel is what should be condemned, not whether Ahmedinajad thinks to what extent it happened. Many non-Jews were slaughtered during that time. Many millions have been slaughtered since around the world — Cambodia, Vietnam, Bosnia. Why aren’t news networks talking about why their interviews focus on only one thing: the legitimacy of Israel? There is a nutso in that room, and it’s not Ahmadenejad, in my opinion.
null 2:38 am on September 24, 2009 Permalink |
I can agree with all of that in principle.
But we also know that the dominant narrative is such that nothing gets everyone’s white guilt all a’ tingling like mention of the Shoah.
Anyone who is perceived as minimalising it in any way is seen as an instant pariah with no credibility on anything.
Ahmedinejad’s larger point – that Palestinians shouldn’t be punished for Europe’s genocidal tendencies – is perfectly defensible. It would be much better received if it were not muddled with red herrings about just how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust – which is at its worst reduced to “Holocaust denial” by people who want to discredit him quickly. It doesn’t impact his argument if it were 2 million or 6 million anyway, so why bring it up at all?
I get the feeling its not so much Ahmedinejad’s message that is hard to swallow, but his delivery. He would be a more convincing advocate for the Palestinians if he understood his Western audience better.
null 2:41 am on September 24, 2009 Permalink |
On a lighter note, ever since my brother got married four years ago – its been bugging me that his father-in-law looks like someone famous but I just can’t put my finger on it. Ahmedinejad!!! Zomg. Doppelgangers.
It’s funny too, cos sister-in-law is a spitting image of her father. I can’t stop staring at her today…
Buzz 3:02 am on September 24, 2009 Permalink |
Not a choice for Americans in the public eye – Naila
You cannot imagine the hell that rains down from all corners when someone says something mildly anti-semetic or vaguely anti-Israel in America. Believe me, Katie’s boss, her boss’s boss and her bossx3 are most likely all Jewish. Katie would be looking for a job if she was not really openly rude to Ahmadinejad. Still, he worked her. Pretty brilliant.
The christian religious right have decided to align with Israel. Some people believe that this is about the end of days and second coming. I feel VERY confident that the last thing a televangelist like Pat Roberts or the douches over at Coral Ridge Ministry are concerned about is the end of days. They are greedy little bastards and I am sure that money comes in bags from Tel Aviv.
When some scholars like John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt try to alert the public about the power of pro-Israel lobbies in American government, a series of vicious attacks immediately ensues.
Again, I got nothing specific against Jews or Israel, as an American, like any Iraqi, I just don’t like being occupied by a foreign country.
null 3:12 am on September 24, 2009 Permalink |
Buzz dearest, do you think that the tide has shifted towards this opinion just a little teeny tiny bit over the last couple of years? That Israel is more of a liability than an ally in securing American interests?
Maybe I’ve just been running in the wrong circles – reading too much AmercianConservative and Michael Scheuer and overestimating their influence to come to the wrong conclusion.
Buzz 3:45 am on September 24, 2009 Permalink
Yes. And I think Obama is catching a lot of hell because of it. Savy American observers knew exactly why we went to Iraq, and it was not all about Israel, but Israel was a major component. That kind of influence and the fact that Iraq was a monumental debacle of mismanagement probably lost alot of tolerant Israel allies in congress. We all realized by about 2006 that we had been led down a very long terrible road. I think alot of people realize that even if they cannot say it out loud.
shams 6:24 am on September 24, 2009 Permalink |
I feel VERY confident that the last thing a televangelist like Pat Roberts or the douches over at Coral Ridge Ministry are concerned about is the end of days
Yeah? What about John Hagee?
Bush quoted Ezekiel on Gog and Magog to try to get Chirac to send troops into Iraq, and Cheney and Rumsfeld put bible quotes as cover slides for briefing packets.
This is not getting any press coverage….wonder why?
Buzz 6:47 am on September 24, 2009 Permalink
I think Hagee is one of a long list of religious charletans and mil / industrialists who have manipulated W. During Bush/Cheney, media people said we should not underestimate Bush’s intelligence. Personally, I don’t think it is possible to underestimate Bush’s intelligence. He is one of those special cases where they do the autopsy after the refrigerator falls on him or some bizarre and inexplicable accident occurs and they find that his head was full of fluid and he operated all those years with like a nub of a cortex and a shriveled brain stem.
shams 6:19 am on September 24, 2009 Permalink |
Nejad is actually quite brilliant, he has an engineering degree from Tehran uni that he never mentions. He is a stealth elite pretending to be an anti-intellectual populist like traditional republican leadership in this country. He is more Nixon than Palin, however.
He can at least run Couric.
And like Nixon, he is quite evil and will do anything to retain power.
It is fascinating that in America the clerical class is populist and anti-intellectual, and homogeneously conservative, while the Iranian clerical class is intellectual, elitist and and at least partly (i would say mostly now) liberal.
Nejad has nothing on Rafi though….my prediction?
The Green Wave will submerge Mister Potoatoes (Nejad) within a year.
Nejad desperately needs the Israeli/Palestine issue to stay inflammatory and remain deadlocked, but things are changing.
The original Islamic Revolution took a year.
aziz 9:52 am on October 3, 2009 Permalink |
And like Nixon, he is quite evil and will do anything to retain power.
I am no fan of Mahmoud but I don’t think he is evil, unless we are expanding the definition to include cynical, unprincipled narcissists. “Doing anything to retain power” is certainly a common trait of politicians worldwide.
Bassman1994 9:39 am on October 3, 2009 Permalink |
I stumbled across this site accidentally. I’m impressed. Most of these chat sites are filled with hatred and petty one-liners but the posts here are actually thoughtful and useful. It’s amazing.
I come from a Christian background so I thought it might be interesting to present my view.
I’ve always seen Ahmedinajad through the lens presented to me by the media. However, seeing him put Couric (for whom I have very little respect) on the spot was so refreshing, I had to look up the president’s claims about numbers of people who died in the war. Wikipedia has death tolls broken down by percentage per country. Russia was hit hardest.
Also, when asking why Christians and Christianish people feel the way they do about Israel, it’s good to look at the context. It’s true there are those of us who believe that one day all nations of the world will rise against Israel and that will mark the “second coming” (as Christians call it) of Jesus. Naturally, this is a huge event to look forward to and sympathy for Israel tends to be high.
Also remember that Christians regularly hear stories about Moses, David, Joseph, Daniel, Samuel, and a host of ancient prophets, kings and leaders from Israel’s history. This has created an afinity for all subjects Israeli among the conservative Christian groups.
Lump this together with the idea that people in the general population are perfectly content to accept whatever comes out of the TV set from cable or the six o’clock news (and I think we all agree this is laced with pro Israeli messages), and American sympathy toward Israel is huge.
I find it hard to believe that Coral Ridge or Pat Robertson receive funding directly from Israel. I would be very interested to see any link between Israel, or Jewish businesses and either of these ministries. Mr. Robertson and the Late Dr. Kennedy (both of whose work I’m relatively familiar with) don’t strike me as the type of men who would knowingly participate in that without it having already been widely exposed.
aziz 9:54 am on October 3, 2009 Permalink |
It’s important to note that there is indeed something that sets Holocaust victims apart from the rest of the dead in WWII.
null 10:05 am on October 3, 2009 Permalink |
I read that post yesterday Aziz. Well done.
Buzz 10:30 pm on October 3, 2009 Permalink |
Bassman
You might be right. That was a presumption that religious leaders, like political leaders (Muslims included) are almost always on the take from someone..
It will be difficult to find information. Even with Non Profit religious tax information available. I will check and see what I can find to validate the claim. Or I may, indeed, be wrong.
Check back – I will post one way or the other.