No enemies on the left (or in the Iranian government)

The Columbia Coalition Against the War acknowledges that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad holds some "inexcusable" views. That doesn't mean they will, you know, confront him about it:

We fear the demonization of Ahmadinejad, because we think this demonization contributes to the likelihood of war. In the current climate, with many on the political right in the U.S. and Israel pushing for air strikes, a campaign against Ahmadinejad is dangerous, regardless of the intentions of most involved. A call to action, unless it prominently rules out war, implies military action.

A rally where each speaker denounces Ahmadinejad's reactionary policies and just a few call explicitly for military action will still be perceived, on campus and around the U.S., as pro-war. The right-wing media, from Fox News to the New York tabloids, has already jumped on the event, and will spin it to favor their cause. Conservative organizations with no affiliation to Columbia's campus, such as the David Project, have already signed on to the rally on Facebook, and are likely to distribute hundreds of warmongering flyers and picket signs. The rally will seem to be a sea of pro-war demonstrators -- and the more people who attend it and the more organizations that endorse it, the more powerful this disastrous message will be.

[...]

There are other means for engagement with Iran than war, and other means for disagreement with Ahmadinejad than the planned protest. [Maybe they can send him nasty thoughts, or something. - DP] We call on those who do not support a war with Iran to be wary of the vilification of Ahmadinejad, to avoid Monday's rally, and to express vocally their opposition to military intervention.

Yes, we wouldn't want to see this gentleman "vilified," now, would we?

Damian P.

Posted by damian at September 22, 2007 07:08 PM