The Orbis

Issue date: 10/2/07 Section: News/Features

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is no stranger to controversy and last week was certainly no exception. Though he was denied a visit to Ground Zero for security reasons, Ahmadinejad was invited to speak at Columbia University. To no one's surprise his comments during the speech were often outrageous, like his assertion that there are no homosexuals in Iran.

In his introduction of Ahmadinejad, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger asserted that he was a petty and cruel dictator, citing the Iranian suppression of free speech (including the jailing and execution of dissenters), as well as his denial of the holocaust which Bollinger stated, "is the most documented event in human history."

Ahmadinejad has certainly done enough to embarrass himself and his country without the help of Bollinger or the United States media. But while Bollinger's assertion that he is petty and cruel may be correct, the label of "dictator" is not accurate.

First of all, Ahmadinejad is an elected official. I don't mean to assert that Iran has free and open elections, which they do not. Iran's Guardian Council has to approve all candidates that wish to put their name on the ballot, preventing many reformers from even having a chance to run. That said, he still had to stand for election against real opposition and he must continue to win elections to remain in office, in contrast to dictators who typically remain in power until their deaths or until a revolution successfully unseats them.

Secondly, the President of Iran is more of a figurehead position than the presidency in most other countries. While Ahmadinejad has some control over Iranian affairs, he is not the commander-in-chief, nor does he have any control over the country's national security policy.

The real executive power in Iran belongs to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was chosen by the Assembly of Experts. This is an elected body, but they limit their membership by requiring that all candidates have rigorous qualifications in interpreting Islamic Law, which for practical purposes means that they are clergy. Among the body's membership is Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ahmadinejad's principle opponent in the last presidential election.

Iran's Supreme Leader is by no means a friend of the United States and he is actively working towards Iran's uranium enrichment. He has blocked many of the social reforms that Ahmadinejad's predecessor President Mohammed Khatami attempted to implement. His anti-Semitic remarks and non-recognition of the existence of the state of Israel have further estranged him from the U.S.

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