On Wednesday, September 26th Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will address the world at the United Nations. The listeners already know Iran is a serial human rights abuser, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and an unabashedly undemocratic regime. The world has seen the Iranian government’s willingness to not only kill its own people when they peacefully protest, but to openly support others who do the same. This had been apparent through Iran’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with months of propaganda, war material and troops. Based on this wide range of topics that have grasped the globe’s attention, many wonder what Ahmadinejad will speak about Wednesday.
Although I do not have access to the exact speech he will deliver, I have a fairly good idea of what he will say. On Wednesday, Ahmadinejad will address the world at the United Nations headquarters in New York and likely will not cover any of the above topics. Instead he will probably give a tirade full of conspiracy theories that will blame the United States, the West and the Jewish State for the world’s problems. Ahmadinejad may once again call for the complete destruction of a UN member state, Israel. He is liable to do so while claiming that his regime has a right to develop nuclear technology. What makes me think he will do this? Simple, he has done this every single year since 2005. Every year, the Iranian president ventures to New York to instruct the world’s biggest forum about humanitarian issues, “Western Terrorism” and nuclear rights. Every year he blames the United States and Israel as the primary culprits for global pain and suffering. As Americans we understand freedom of speech. But we also understand that we do not have to play host on the world stage to anyone and everyone.
Ahmadinejad is not a proponent of free speech; in fact, he has a record of opposing it. Ahmadinejad is the leader of a regime responsible for serial abuses of not only freedom of speech, but so many of the freedoms available to those who live in liberal democratic societies like the United States. The Iranian regime has a history of abuse and violence against religious minorities, political opponents and people with alternative lifestyles. Human rights, civil rights, political rights and religious rights are suppressed in the Islamic Republic. The UN Human Rights Council went so far as to note that Iran has shown a “striking pattern of violations of fundamental human rights guaranteed under international law.” In Iran those practicing religions other than Shi’ite Islam, including Jews, Baha’is, Christians and Zoroastrians, are often subject to severe restrictions on their freedom of movement and faith. LGBTQ rights, simply put, do not exist. The Iranian Penal Code provides for the death penalty in cases of sodomy and is carried out all too frequently.
In addition to these abuses of human rights, the Iranian government is a primary state sponsor of terrorism, giving resources and training to numerous terror groups. The Iranian regime has carried out, supported, and condoned numerous attacks on American targets. Some examples from the quite lengthy list of Iranian linked acts of terrorism include the bombing of a US Marine Barracks in Lebanon in 1983 killing 241 US Marines; the Iranian-backed Mahdi Army killing scores of Americans in Iraq; and the attempted assassination of the Saudi Ambassador, just to name a few. Additionally, Iran has been linked to the slew of recent attacks on Israeli diplomats and civilians in India, Bulgaria, Georgia, Thailand and other nations. Rhetoric from top Iranian leaders regularly lambastes the United States. Our nation is often referred to as the “Great Satan,” and our pluralistic values are regularly mocked and demeaned. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has stated that conflict between the US and Iran is “natural and unavoidable.” The Iranians have gone so far in their bellicose language as to threaten to cut off access to the Persian Gulf.
With all of Iran’s actions, it is almost comical that President Ahmadinejad would once again be given a pulpit in New York City from which to preach. After years of civil rights abuse and historical denial, after numerous incidents of violence and terror, it is time for something to change. The Iranian government needs to start a dialogue of Human Rights, not Nuclear Rights. Until these positive steps are made, it must be clear that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is #UNwelcome at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
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Mason Leon is the Vice President for Advocacy in Hoos for Israel._
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