The fear all along has been that the United Nations conference on racism would be manipulated into yet another forum for demonizing Israel. All too predictably, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ”” who has called the Holocaust a myth and has advocated Israel’s destruction ”” did just that.
In an ugly speech on Monday that served to divide and incite rather than find constructive solutions to racism, Mr. Ahmadinejad said the formation of the state of Israel left “an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering” in order “to establish a totally racist government in occupied Palestine.”
We commend France and other European nations for walking out in protest.
How can the NYT say such unkind things about John Chane’s friend?
i wasn’t able to read this article, it is 24 pages; but i am of a mind that either you believe in free speech or you don’t. that is why there is no such thing as ‘free’ speech except in theory only, most people only believe in it if they agree with the words.
True, freedom of speech is a right guaranteed by the American Constitution, but I doubt Iran has such a clause.
point 1: I don’t see where it says Mr. Achiwannajihad was denied his free speech rights.
point 2: the right to walk out of a speech with which you disagree is also being exercised.
He exercised a freedom to speak and those who walked out were exercising a similar freedom of speech – their actions spoke loud and clear. But note, in this country, he only has freedom to speak words that are not incendiary … that do not have the potential for causing civil unrest (can’t yell “fire” in a crowed theater). He bordered on that, I believe.
well, again i didn’t read the whole thing but it looked like it was a UN conference in NY and so it took place here. i was really just making a general comment that MOST people really don’t believe in free speech if it runs contrary to their beliefs.