Harvard Response To Khatami’s Visit A Travesty

To the editors:



Last night I watched Iran’s “moderate” former president, Mohammad Khatami, speak to the Tolerant and the Enlightened at Harvard.

At the end of the speech, during the question and answer session, a young man asked about the Islamic law that calls for the death penalty for homosexuals. The young questioner wanted to know if Khatami approved of this particular Islamic Law. The “moderate” Khatami artfully dodged, pivoted, and twirled around the issue, but in final analysis said that every country has its laws and…well…in some cases putting the homosexual to death may indeed be called for. In some cultures, he said, the death sentence for gays may be appropriate.

There were no boos. There were no catcalls. There were no protests, angry slurs, no rotten tomatoes, no obscene placards, no cursing, no contorted red faces or shaking fists held high. There was only polite and tolerant silence from the entranced crowd seated in the presence of the calm, serene spokesperson from Persia.

At the end of the evening, as Khatami left the stage, there was grateful and appreciative applause…even some standing ovations. Khatami, who just moments before had in effect condoned capital punishment for the homosexual was given a big symbolic hug from the tolerant, adoring and scholarly crowd from Harvard.

Now, just for fun, let’s pretend that ...say...the Rev. Jerry Falwell had been invited to the Harvard campus to address The Tolerant and The Enlightened at Cambridge.

Let’s pretend that while speaking at Harvard, Rev. Falwell claimed that the homosexual act is a sin in the eyes of God. Let us also pretend that Rev. Falwell explained to his audience that through faith, repentance, and God’s Mercy and Grace the homosexual could receive God’s forgiveness, spiritual and emotional healing, and rich blessings in Christ.

Can you picture the reaction?



TOM GRAFFAGNINO

Hamilton, Ga.

September 11, 2006