If you’re tempted to think that Ahmadinejad’s Columbia appearance discredited him, and that most people around the world saw through his lies and evasions and now have a deeper understanding of Iran’s schemes as a result, think again.

The president of Iran had a wonderful chance at Columbia to act as the more educated and civil person, and he used that chance.

America needs to recognize that Iran’s hostilities will not falter as long as ours hold so high. A little bit of trust could make them no longer have desire to use the weapons they may or may not have. Unless the west intends on starting a war, it may be beneficial to placate them, otherwise we won’t make any progress whatsoever.

Columbia wasted a good chance there.

Galen, Connecticut, USA

…

The reactions and actions of American unlearned society and their institutional behaviour at Columbia University shows how arrogant Americans are. American education is geared toward bully rather than the pursuit of knowledge. By insulting Ahmadinejad Americans have shown the world their shallow, hallow cognition. I had predicted this would happen. American politics, civil administration and social institutions are intertwined. You are with us or against us is the thinking. What a dementia hell

Obwota Omwony, Magwi, Sudan

…

America attacked Afghanistan and Iraq and achieved nothing! and you are calling the Iranian president a terrorist! America was all too happy to snuggle up to Iran when the shah was in power and acted deaf dumb and blind while he slaughtered his people! or did you all forget that, i suppose you are all still hung up about the whole American Embassy fiasco! but your quick to forget your government is responsible for deaths of 1000s of innocent Iraqi civilians because of the so called war on terror

Kawther Al-Aaraji

…

This was not an invitation to embrace freedom of speech. It was a propaganda campaign organized by Mr. Bollinger and co. - one which they lost to Ahmadinejad. How can the president of a famous university be so “astonishingly uneducated” as to take it upon himself to dictate to his audience what to think of his guest? Is this freedom of thought, common courtsey?
Rather than insulting a nation by insulting its elected president, Mr. Bollinger should take a look at his own president right at home.

hamid, Toronto

…

The Iranian President’s visit to the U.S. has served to help Americans understand Iran’s perspective on various issues and also Iranians in general better. There should be more of these types of cultural exchanges to foster understanding between the two sides. I think that the Iranian President was bold in taking this step and I hope Americans recognize this fact.

Brijesh Shah, New York, United States

…

Although Ahmadinejad (AJad) is no saint, he managed to score some very good points. He stayed composed in the face of childish insults from Bolwinkel:),he made some very good points on hypocrisy of US with regards to terrorits & Nuclear issue. As he pointed out, US has designated the MEK as a terrorist organization yet it harbors them in Iraq because they serve its purpose. AJad’s speech showed the hypocrisy of the West and media that were trying so hard to discredit him by spinning the outcome!

Bahram, San Jose

There are currently 31 pages of this stuff at the BBC web site, overwhelmingly in favor of Ahmadinejad. The comments above are just from the first page.

(Hat tip: Weasel Zippers.)