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Ahmadinejad at Durban II: Israel is racist government

bhkad

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Last update - 16:59 20/04/2009
Ahmadinejad at Durban II: Israel is racist government
By Haaretz Staff and News Agencies

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday branded Israel a "racist government," seemingly living up to concerns that the United Nations conference on racism which he was addressing would turn into a forum to vilify the Jewish state.

The comments sparked a mass walk-out of the conference hall by Western delegates to the summit.

Ahmadinejad accused Israel of "being the most cruel and racist regime," sparking a walkout by angry Western diplomats at the conference and protests from others.

In a rambling speech, Ahmadinejad on Monday pointed the finger at the United States, Europe and Israel and said they were "destabilizing the entire world."

Some European diplomats immediately walked out of the room when Ahmadinejad said Israel was "created on the pretext of Jewish suffering from World War II."

A wigged protester shouting "Racist! racist!" threw a soft red object at
Ahmadinejad, hitting the podium and interrupting his speech.

Ahmadinejad's speech came as Israel prepared to mark its own Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Iranian leader has repeatedly claimed the Holocaust never happened and has called repeatedly for Israel's destruction.

Ahmadinejad at Durban II: Israel is racist government - Haaretz - Israel News

By stopping just short of outright threatening Israel Ahmadinejad can plead innocence, saying he has never DIRECTLY threatened them. Yet he can rouse the anti-Israeli fervor in the M.E. and possibly goad the Israelis or the West into attacking Iran first out of existential fear.

I like the imagery of a wigged protester throwing a red nerf ball (or whatever it might have been) at Ahmadinejad and crying out, "racist! racist!". But how can Israel be called racist if they allow Muslims and Arabs the vote and to serve in government and to do business???
 
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I thought he said Israel should be wiped off the map. That's not a threat? :shock: Also I believe there are Arabs living in peace in Israel today. How many jews live in Iran?
 
Good walk out by many of the Western nations at Durban. It is unfortunate that the West is going to let Israel go it alone against Iran. When that balloon goes up the west will still find a way yo blame Israel, heck, Obama may even side with Iran. When will that war come? Later this year I think, or early 2010. The West just cannot learn that you can't talk with bullies, whether they are Nazis, Commies or Islamofascists. Bullies only understand one thing, a punch in the nose. Learned that in grade school.
 
If this is the case, seems like a smart political move. Iran looks at Israel as a rogue nation anyway. This way they can't blame the West for an attack.
 
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Thanks, apparently they are third, the US is second.
 
Thanks, apparently they are third, the US is second.

In the world, i just said ME =P

But i take your point.
Israel
US
Iran
 
I thought he said Israel should be wiped off the map.

This was a mistranslation that has been used by many people as propaganda against Ahmedinejad and the Iranian administration. I contacted Juan Cole, who is a prominent Middle Eastern historian and speaks Farsi, and this was his response:

Juan Cole said:
The speech in Persian is here:

Sorry that I misremembered the exact phrase Ahmadinejad had used. He made an analogy to Khomeini's determination and success in getting rid of the Shah's government, which Khomeini had said "must go" (az bain bayad berad). Then Ahmadinejad defined Zionism not as an Arabi-Israeli national struggle but as a Western plot to divide the world of Islam with Israel as the pivot of this plan.

The phrase he then used as I read it is "The Imam said that this regime occupying Jerusalem (een rezhim-e ishghalgar-e qods) must [vanish from] from the page of time (bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad)."

Ahmadinejad was not making a threat, he was quoting a saying of Khomeini and urging that pro-Palestinian activists in Iran not give up hope-- that the occupation of Jerusalem was no more a continued inevitability than had been the hegemony of the Shah's government.

Whatever this quotation from a decades-old speech of Khomeini may have meant, Ahmadinejad did not say that "Israel must be wiped off the map" with the implication that phrase has of Nazi-style extermination of a people. He said that the occupation regime over Jerusalem must be erased from the page of time.

Again, Ariel Sharon erased the occupation regime over Gaza from the page of time.

I should again underline that I personally despise everything Ahmadinejad stands for, not to mention the odious Khomeini, who had personal friends of mine killed so thoroughly that we have never recovered their bodies. Nor do I agree that the Israelis have no legitimate claim on any part of Jerusalem. And, I am not exactly a pacifist but have a strong preference for peaceful social activism over violence, so needless to say I condemn the sort of terror attacks against innocent civilians (including Arab Israelis) that we saw last week. I have not seen any credible evidence, however, that such attacks are the doing of Ahmadinejad, and in my view they are mainly the result of the expropriation and displacement of the long-suffering Palestinian people.

It is not realistic for Americans to call for Iran to talk directly to the Israeli government (though in the 1980s the Khomeinists did a lot of business with Israel) when the US government won't talk directly to the Iranians about most bilateral issues. In fact, an American willingness to engage in direct talks might well pave the way to an eventual settlement of these outstanding issues.

cheers

Juan Cole

I have also asked friends that I know that speak Farsi, some who still have family in Iran, and they have confirmed Cole's translation.

How many jews live in Iran?

There is a significant Jewish population living in Iran.
 
Apparently he was the only head of state left after his misunderstood translation of Farsi :roll:

Here are some comments about the misunderstood Persian Nazi Ahmademonjihad.

"Such outrageous anti-Semitic remarks should have no place in a U.N. anti-racism forum," said British ambassador Peter Gooderham

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store told the conference after Ahmadinejad had spoken that his words amounted to incitement to hatred. He said Iran had made itself the odd man out by undermining agreement on a conference declaration.

"Norway will not accept that the odd man out hijacks the collective efforts of the many,"

Rupert Colville, spokesman for Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights who convened the meeting, said she deplored the language used by Ahmadinejad.

"This speech was completely inappropriate at a conference designed to nurture diversity and tolerance," she said.

Many racist Arab and muslim nations representitives at the conference stood up and appladed the Iranian leader.

Its pretty obvious that the free world will not stand for racist rhetoric from a theocratic hater like Ahmadinejad.

Why is it that everytime a muslim religious or political leader says something hateful in his own language the defenders of hate say it was misinterpreted in the translation or its propaganda from the zionist regime? Well you know what most critical thinking honest people are not buying the lies.
 
He is partly right, just that the way he delivers the message sucks and other comments he makes triumphs over the hard cold truth. Of course Israel will use the get of jail free card each time..aka the damn jew hater or anti Semitic card. More of the same... nothing new, hardly breaking news.
 
Ahmadinejad is delusional; nations have men similar to him in their mental institutions..
No one should pay him any heed....or is this approach too dangerous???
When dealing with Iran, he should be circumvented..
 
He is partly right, just that the way he delivers the message sucks and other comments he makes triumphs over the hard cold truth. Of course Israel will use the get of jail free card each time..aka the damn jew hater or anti Semitic card. More of the same... nothing new, hardly breaking news.



Typical response from you Pete. If it had been the british priminister or president Bush who had said hatful racist things towards Arabs or Muslims I am sure you would be strongly condemning it and you would call it breaking news. Am I wrong Pete? Are you a hypocrite Pete?
 
Why is it that everytime a muslim religious or political leader says something hateful in his own language the defenders of hate say it was misinterpreted in the translation or its propaganda from the zionist regime? Well you know what most critical thinking honest people are not buying the lies.

In case you didn't notice, I was referring to one instance of mistranslation that happened years ago. I'm sorry Sgt, but no matter how you whine and squirm the fact is that he never said that Israel should be "wiped off the map".

As for what he said at this conference, I don't see at all how anything he said was racist in any way. In fact, I think it's pretty ridiculous that some claimed that it didn't belong at an anti-racism conference; you can't end racism without dealing with the issues that give rise to it, and the Israel-Palestine issue certainly does that.
 
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In case you didn't notice, I was referring to one instance of mistranslation that happened years ago. I'm sorry Sgt, but no matter how you whine and squirm the fact is that he never said that Israel should be "wiped off the map".

As for what he said at this conference, I don't see at all how anything he said was racist in any way.


Of course you don't. He didn't say anything racist. All of those diplomates got up and walked out because he forgot to shower and was exuding an awfull stench.
 
Of course you don't. He didn't say anything racist. All of those diplomates got up and walked out because he forgot to shower and was exuding an awfull stench.

Do you ever respond with anything meaningful or productive, or do you just troll all the time?
 
Do you ever respond with anything meaningful or productive, or do you just troll all the time?

Im just tired of all the excuse makers for racist and hate mongers. What do you want me to say in response to a story like this. Amhadinejad makes my blood boil. Sorry if I offended you.
 
Im just tired of all the excuse makers for racist and hate mongers. What do you want me to say in response to a story like this. Amhadinejad makes my blood boil. Sorry if I offended you.

Well, generally in a debate when you disagree with someone you respecfully inform them that you disagree with them, you outline your reasons for disagreeing with them, and then you provide evidence substantiating your claim. Then others involved in the debate respond in kind, and a discussion is had.

For example, I made the claim that I didn't think anything that Ahmedinejad said (as far as I am aware, as my knowledge is limited to what is quoted in the article) was racist. Since you obviously disagree, instead of responding with just a sarcastic remark, you could have said "I disagree; I think x statement was racist because..." and then we could have a discussion.

You have over 3,000 posts and you still don't understand this concept?
 
When it became obvious a few months ago that the agenda of Arab and Muslim conference representatives was to make Durban II a reprise of Durban I which was nothing more than a vitriolic excercise in Israel bashing, the US delegation pulled out. European nations also threatened leave the conference if this hateful agenda once again surfaced.

Kudos to all nations who refuse to be a party to such hate mongering.
 
I thought he said Israel should be wiped off the map. That's not a threat? :shock: Also I believe there are Arabs living in peace in Israel today. How many jews live in Iran?

He never said it, technically speaking.
 
Typical response from you Pete. If it had been the british priminister or president Bush who had said hatful racist things towards Arabs or Muslims I am sure you would be strongly condemning it and you would call it breaking news. Am I wrong Pete? Are you a hypocrite Pete?

Yes you are. I would never be critical of anyone calling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia racist, nore Iraq and so on. That is because they are up to a point. They all mistreat minorities in some way, which in turn can be labled as racist.

My point stands.

If anything you are the hypocrite. You never condemn the treatment of the Palestinians by Israel, but there is plenty of condemnation when the Palestinians hit back in some way. That is hypocrisy at its best.
 
If anything you are the hypocrite. You never condemn the treatment of the Palestinians by Israel, but there is plenty of condemnation when the Palestinians hit back in some way. That is hypocrisy at its best.

Really? That is hypocrisy? I thought that was 'reasoned', 'fair and balanced' debate! Surely, it must be! :mrgreen:
 
Really? That is hypocrisy? I thought that was 'reasoned', 'fair and balanced' debate! Surely, it must be! :mrgreen:
The US pulled out of Durban II before the sad spectacle even began. Apparently, Mr. Obama also had a problem with its "reasoned, fair, and balanced" agenda. Good for him. Pulling out of this rat's nest is an unequivocal message that he does indeed intend to change the image of the US.
 
This was a mistranslation that has been used by many people as propaganda against Ahmedinejad and the Iranian administration. I contacted Juan Cole, who is a prominent Middle Eastern historian and speaks Farsi, and this was his response:



I have also asked friends that I know that speak Farsi, some who still have family in Iran, and they have confirmed Cole's translation.

Wow.

I'm in agreement with Ahmedinejad.

I didn't think I'd see the day that happened.
 
Let's see here. Iran calls Israel rascist, but even though they hate Jews, they aren't? Does any one else see a problem here?
 
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