Why Ahmadinejad Can Appear at Columbia--But Will NOT at Tehran University

At The Corner, Michael Ledeen provides a translation--courtesy of Banafsheh Zand Bonazzi--of a letter from the reformist student organization in Iran to President Ahmadinezad, and and notes Ahmadinejad's change of plans and decision not to appear on Tehran campus at the start of the academic year. Here is the note about Ahmadinejad's decision not to show up:

On Monday however, Ahmadinejad’s scheduled visit to attend this morning’s commencement ceremony of the 1386-1387 scholastic year of Tehran university’s centers for research and technology, that was to take place in the Allameh Amini auditorium of the central library of Tehran University, was cancelled. Previously too, on the actual first day of classes (on Sept. 22nd) Ahmadinejad was scheduled to appear at Tehran University but because it interfered with his travel plans to New York the visit was postponed. The public relations office of Tehran university’s centers for research and technology, in a statement, announced the postponement of his visit to another, as of yet unknown date.

Observers believe that the “postponement” is out of fear of the repetition of last December’s events at Amir Kabir University where Ahmadinejad was jeered and chased out by student protestors. The news of that protest hit international media and 3 of students photographs were recklessly published in these reports lead to the arrests of these innocent students. They are still in detention and several others are in fact in hiding.

Well, Ahmadinejad can always go back to Columbia and appear the martyr--at least at Columbia the students will fall for his act.

Technorati Tag: Ahmadinejad and Tehran University.