UNC professor Carl Ernst has received an academic award from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad personally presented the award to Ernst in Iran for his work involving a 12th century Persian poet. The Daily Tar Heel, of course, could not help itself. According to their editorial board, “the accolade he received ought to be celebrated as an opportunity for academic interaction with a different culture.”
The DTH’s sentiment is a symptom of that disease that so infests UNC: multiculturalism; an unforgiving infirmity that promises to make one stupid. Oh, Iran’s “different” alright. Everyone but Barack Obama has figured out that it is a terrorist state responsible for the murder of U.S. Military men and women; Iran actively smuggles weapons into Iraq for the stated purpose of supplying Iraqi terrorists. A U.S. defense official has noted that “these activities are coming from the senior levels of the Iranian government.”
Other favorite past times of Iranian culture is to murder both political and moral dissidents. Ahmadinejad has among his government officials those who, according to a human rights organization, “engaged in extra-judicial killings of opposition figures, political activists and intellectuals.” And, when asked at a Columbia University speaking engagement back in 2007 about his systematic murder of gays, Ahmadinejad explained, “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.” I guess not; they are all dead.
Further, Iran has, for two years, defied the United Nations regarding their uranium enrichment program which is just fantastic considering one of Ahmadinejad’s new year’s resolution is undoubtedly to bring the world to an end. Don’t believe me? He has said so himself. In a speech given November 16, 2006, Ahmadinejad stated that his main goal is to “pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi,” the so called 12th imam who (according to the Shia) will bring an end to the world upon his return.
Ahmadinejad has also denied the Nazi holocaust, calling it a “myth.” In 2006, the Iranian government held and organized a conference to examine whether the genocide of 6 million Jews ever really happened.
Lastly, a note to the UNC feminists out there: I wouldn’t recommend holding an “I Heart Female Orgasm” event in Iran; that’s probably grounds for death by stoning. In Iran, women are oppressed daily. If a woman dares dress different from the Islamic dress codes, for example, she is promptly arrested.
So there you have it. The murder of thousands, the killing of gays, the persecution of women, denying the holocaust, and supplying terrorists with weapons used to kill U.S. soldiers; all this the DTH can forgive. Why? Because it’s “different.” Well whoop-di-doo.
The DTH didn’t “forgive” Iran. It stated that the award for Prof. Ernst has nothing to do with Iranian politics, the Middle East situation, or Ahmadinejad. Whether or not to accept this award is a personal decision to be made by Ernst, but I can’t see how free academic exchange will be harmful to either party. How else can we help the Iranian people escape their current political/social/moral regime? If you by default condemn any interaction that could be deemed “cooperation” (between any member of their society and any member of ours), then all you have left is conflict. Conflict has a marginal success rate, at best.
Conflict is the only thing left, my friend. Compromise is of the Devil.
Justin,
I look forward to hearing all about your enlisting.
What are you talking about? By conflict I am refering to a necessary disagreement in fundamental presumptions and ideas that we must never share with the muslim world if it is to be lead by such people as Iran is fond of electing. Also, I am offended by your insinuation that the only way for me to serve my country is to join the military…it is an insult to those in the military who are willing to serve in that way.