Suprisingly, locating the entire text of the speech that President Ahmadinejad delivered to the United Nations September 24 proves to be difficult. Perhaps it is because it is long and it is more exciting to talk about his claim that most of the United States citizens think that the 9-11 attacks happened because of a conspiracy by the American government. . I am providing a link to it here: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=49445
This speech is a lesson in different narratives and the way a persons or group of people understand the world influences the way in which they solve problems and interact with others. Please consider reading the text critically and then make non inflammatory comments. Look for a glaring recitation of an event that did not happen.
For a interesting look at this event please see the coverage of it by Al Jazeerra: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/09/201092484215227248.html
The full text of the story is interesting, but if you are pressed for time, consider reading this quoted material:
"Bin Laden initially denied, but later admitted in a taped statement aired on Al Jazeera in 2004, planning the attacks....
About 46 per cent of the world's people believe that al-Qaeda launched the 9/11 attacks, while 15 per cent think the US government was behind the assault, and seven per cent blame Israel, according to a
2008 world public opinion study carried out by the Program on International Policy (PIPA) Attitudes at the University of Maryland, which interviewed 16,063 people worldwide.
But Ahmadinejad views himself as a leader in the Arab and Muslim worlds. And, in these regions, surveys show significant sectors of the population believe that the US and Israel launched the 9/11 attacks to meet their own geopolitical goals.
In Jordan, 31 per cent of those polled by PIPA believe Israel was behind the attacks, while only 11 per cent blame it on al-Qaeda. Likewise, 43 per cent of Egyptians blame Israel, and 12 per cent
think the US was responsible, while only 16 per cent think al-Qaeda brought down the towers.
A 2006 poll from Scrippsnews says 36 per cent of Americans consider it "very likely" or "somewhat likely" that US government officials either allowed the attacks to be carried or launched the attacks
themselves.
'Last, a different narrative of the world given by Tony Blair in an interview to the Wall Street journal/ A very interesting but different narrative- one from the West- it is not in reference to the speech but is a different story and he comments on the importance of the narrative.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704523604575511453790276626.html
Well It looks as if we're playing the blaming game. I really have a hard time understanding why we even try to act like we know what's going on. If there are so many opinions and so many agenda's we all should just try to look at things in a positive way and try not to worry about who blamed who.
ReplyDeleteOn Ahmadinejad, I really don't see why America seems to demonize him. It's not like he can really cause any harm to us and there are plenty of people in the U.S that think this is an evil country. I really wish I could directly say what I mean but I can't. It just seems that the way everyone is handling this issue is counterproductive.
I agree it may not be wise to focus on blaming a group or country, but it also cant be ignored. Diplomacy has always, and will always have power. When a world leader gives a speech, those words are carefully chosen, because they have impacts. If you think about it, every law and decision is made of words. I also think that there is plenty ahmedinijad can do to "harm" us. Maybe not himself, but he's the president of an influential and unstable nation. When a leader gives information that distorts the truth, or is combative, policies, and mindsets are based off of that distortion. A few examples: a few years ago he stated the holocaust did not happen as a tragedy, he claims you can protest in Iran without imprisonment, he claims that people are not stoned in his country any more... Etc. Etc. Its important because his people look to him aas a figure of power, and strength. These kinds of sentiments cant be ignored, they have the ability to do great harm to people everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThese are just some of my thoughts. Sorry for typos, im on the iPad.
Words have power. The berlin wall showed us that, and the declaration of independence showed us that.
I would say it's safe to say that it wasn't Al Qaeda or the U.S government. In my opinion, I think that 9/11 was due to a terrorist attack that was supported by the U.S government. I would say that it is going a little too far saying that it was 100% U.S.
ReplyDeleteI am reading the speech and I think that it is very interseting how many times he makes religious references. He even states that he thinks the world needs to be governed by "virtuous" religious people. He obviously believes in religion!
ReplyDelete"And about the glorious Iran" ?? Really? He talks about other countries, but when he gets to Iran? It needs glourious apparently. Maybe he is zealous? I said this in class but I will say it again, I think that Mahamud Ahmadinejad would be a very interesting person to talk to just as long as polotics were not mentioned... he has some interesting political veiws.
"In making a world full of purity, safety and prosperity people are not
rivals but companions." I think if everybody thought this and acted on this it would be awesome... if only, if only... Then again if we knew all the little quirks of doing this it would be awesome too.
I was asked this once: If you could choose between world peace and power which would you choose? I chose world peace. He was of the opinion that power was the better choice. 'You could make peace for everybody if you had power though.' He told me. But not every leader thinks of "peace" in the same way. To each his own deffinition. If you had autmatic "world peace" there would be no disputing. My point with this is each leader has is own opinion of peace.
Maggie,
ReplyDeletedon't love our country? I really don't find it that weird that he calls Iran glorious. I love the country I live in, I might not use the word "glorious" but I'm sure I could come up with something.
I forgot to login so just to let you know this is Fombrot.
Kalo..get off my blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to think he's less crazy, and more just down right ingenious. The more I comb through the speech, the more I find little things embedded throughout it that are down right devious. There's the Conference on Counter-Terrorism announcement, which I mentioned earlier in my post, and then there's a statement that's been drawing a lot of attention, but maybe for the wrong reasons. You know that statement about how most people in the U.S. believe 9/11 was an inside job? I know that's wrong, and most people in the U.S. know that's wrong, but what about foreign delegates in the U.N.? If they didn't hold quite as close a relationship with the U.S. as say, Britain, they might not know the state of public opinion in the U.S. That, coupled with the amounts of conspiracy nuts on the internet and the fact that our delegation walked out during that portion of the speech, may plant doubts in the minds of less connected delegates. Just a theory, mind you, but it shows a possibility that he's a bit more clever than people like to give him credit for.
ReplyDeleteI did not mean that he should not call his country glorious. But Iran has problems! I would not call Iran glorious. I would not call the U.S. glorious. I think glorious is a strong word that does not fit the situation. I know it's a little thing. I should have been more clear. Sorry. :)
ReplyDeleteAhmadinejad says that the "majority of the American people as well as other nations and politicians" believe that "segments within the US government orchestrated the [9/11] attack." Maybe I don't know enough people, but i've never heard anyone say that that was their opinion on this event
ReplyDeleteHe also states that we have witnessed the "inhumane act" of burning the Holy Quran. This never happened. I personally think that this shows that he doesn't really know as much as he says he does.
maybe the same guy that told him the Quran was burned told him that the US bombed....the US???