Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Oh...my. You cannot make this stuff up. Talk about people driven by shame and guilt. It's from an Iranian news site, but sadly believable: Columbia professors plan to visit Iran to apologize to Ahmadinejad
NEW YORK (MNA) – An academic delegation of Columbia University professors and deans of faculties plans to visit Tehran to officially apologize to Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
The delegation plans to express regret for the insulting remarks Columbia University President Lee Bollinger directed at Ahmadinejad on September 24 in his introductory speech, the Mehr News Agency correspondent in New York reported.
Since the incident, the deans and professors from the faculties of history, anthropology, Middle Eastern studies, philosophy, and Islamic studies have criticized Bollinger’s behavior toward Ahmadinejad.
A member of the delegation, who requested anonymity [I should say. -S], said the main goal of the visit is to meet the Iranian president and officially apologize to him.
"The delegation has also prepared its itinerary," he noted.
He went on to say that the delegation also plans to visit Iranian universities in various cities and to hold talks with professors and students, and may even sign memoranda of understanding with some universities. He also said the delegation is interested in visiting seminaries and the shrine city of Qom.
However, Bollinger has warned the delegation that their trip to Iran should be a private visit and should not be undertaken as an official visit endorsed by the university.
Bollinger has so far refused to meet the Mehr News Agency correspondent to explain his disrespectful behavior toward Ahmadinejad when introducing him to the students and professors at Columbia.
Let's see...packing for travel to Iran...toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, passport, knee pads...
Update: Campus Watch takes note of this story, here.
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A free photo of Edward Said for anyone who can guess which professors will trun out to be on this juncket.
My vote is for the uber-wacky Hamid Dabashi.
The real question, of course, is who is paying for this?
Professors aren't rich. Well, Nadia Abu El Haj is married to a millionaire hedge fund manager, but most professors aren't rich.
So , is the govt. of Iran footing the bill? And if not them, then who?
For an Islamic version of self-humiliation, they can take their cue from this Iranian MP. But why resort to mediation when a wet kiss might accomplish a quicker absolution?
http://kamangir.net/2008/01/07/ahmadinejads-holy-saliva/#comments
Haven't we seen this dance before?
I wish the academic sector would grow a spine and stop being apologist.
I wonder if they are more concerned about possibly losing out on potential Saudi money filtering their way? But hey, if selling your soul for a little Whabbism and cash is good enough for Harvard and Georgetown, why not Columbia too?