Weprin Boos Iranian President's Columbia Visit (UPDATED)
September 21st, 2007
City Councilmember David Weprin has joined Council Speaker Christine Quinn in opposing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech at Columbia University scheduled for Monday.
Weprin will host a rally at Columbia at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, where he will be joined by other “elected officials, community groups and civic leaders” to voice their opposition, according to a press release.
Weprin, by the way, is an announced candidate in the 2009 city comptroller race.
Earlier today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg hesitated to criticize Columbia for inviting the Iranian president. Earlier this week, however, the mayor did say the president would not be allowed to visit Ground Zero, despite an earlier request. The Bloomberg administration has barred Ahmadinejad from the World Trade Center site for security reasons.
What do you think? Should the Ahmadinejad be permitted to visit Ground Zero? Do you support his visit to Columbia?
Update: In related news, Quinn is now scheduled to appear on CNN’s “The Situation Room” at 5 p.m. and on Fox News’s “The Big Story with Gibson and Nauert” at 5:02 p.m. today, regarding the appearance of the Iranian president in New York City.
By Courtney Gross on September 21, 2007, 2:05 pmIn category: Civil Rights, Education, Gotham City | 5 Comments »

September 22nd, 2007 at 6:21 am
Why are we letting a known terrorist set foot on American soil. wasn’t Ahmadinejad involved in the hostage crises during Carter’s administration and in fact one of the ring leaders of the whole incident? Now we are going to let him speak at Columbia. Are we a door mat for these kind of people. It’s time America takes a stands against the evil in this world instead of embracing it with open arms all in the name of peace.
September 24th, 2007 at 1:13 am
If anyone thinks he is hell bent on destroying Israel they are wrong. He wants to see Zionism gone. Zionism is a monopolizing agent and has done so by making a grab for most media outlets and consequentely AIPAC emerged. Not to mention other devious plans. I am with the Persian president when he speaks of the holocaust. Why is that the jews are the focus of the entire thing. The Nazi’s were going after anyone that wasn’t white or had the charactertistics set forth by Eugenics. Jews died so did alot of other people. Jew’s should stop hating muslims so deeply and especially Persians. The Persians saved the Israelites from the Babylonians. So lets talk about that history. that is all.
September 25th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
One can not minimize history Benito Cero. There were others, but none quite so oppressed or eliminated as the Jewish people in Europe at the time. One must remember, that in WWII the pushing reason to end the war, and quickly was the need to free Europe, the mass extermination camps were not truly verified to later in the war. Guess what though…. Zionism is no more wrong today, ,than yesterday. It wasn’t wrong then, isn’t wrong now. Support Israel, hell encourage Israel, to develop dominion over the lands of the Middle East. Through peace is prosperity, and through force of arms, purpose.
—-
September 25th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
One can not minimize history Benito Cero. There were others, but none quite so oppressed or eliminated as the Jewish people in Europe at the time. One must remember, that in WWII the pushing reason to end the war, and quickly was the need to free Europe, the mass extermination camps were not truly verified to later in the war. Guess what though…. Zionism is no more wrong today, ,than yesterday. It wasn’t wrong then, isn’t wrong now. Support Israel, hell encourage Israel, to develop dominion over the lands of the Middle East. Through peace is prosperity, and through force of arms, purpose.
—-
December 20th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
[...] to make way for the Manhattanville campus. And others still harbor resentment over Columbia hosting Iranian President Mahmoud [...]