Bnai Haman Condemns the Assassination of Hizbullah's Imad Mughniyeh

Unlike Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had the honor of speaking at Columbia University last September, Imad Mughniyeh had not had the opportunity to address students and the media at a major American university before his death. Had he, Bnai Haman believes, the Hizbullah operative most certainly would have faced the same kinds of academic inquiries that Columbia's students and faculty posed to Ahmadinejad.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) February 17, 2008 -- Bnai Haman, a group of Columbia University alumni and concerned citizens, has posted a new statement on its web sites condemning the assassination of Hizbullah's special operations chief Imad Mughniyeh. Mughniyeh was killed by a car bomb that detonated this past week in Syria, where he was in hiding.

Unlike Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had the honor of speaking at Columbia University last September, Mughniyeh had not had the opportunity to address students and the media at a major American university before his death. Had he, Bnai Haman believes, the Hizbullah operative most certainly would have faced the same kinds of academic inquiries that Columbia's students and faculty posed to Ahmadinejad.

"As Columbia made clear, students and faculty at democratic, free-speech schools can learn so much about the mind of terrorists by inviting them to speak on campus," says Jed Christianson, a spokesperson for Bnai Haman. "Mughniyeh's credentials in this regard were impeccable and with his untimely death, Columbia and its community are robbed of the opportunity to hear from this influential Middle East leader."

Unlike Ahmadinejad, who has openly called for the destruction of Israel, Mughniyeh worked behind the scenes, quietly, to achieve much the same ends. "Here we have two similar spirits using different methodologies to achieve their purposes," Christianson said. "How instructive it would have been for students to have the chance to compare these two anti-Zionist, anti-American leaders and their methodologies."

Among topics Mughniyeh might have addressed was the July 1994 bombing of the Jewish community offices in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people. Mughniyeh continued to be sought for his role in the attack until the day he died.

"We are sure students would have asked him to explain why he and Hizbullah chose to kill innocent Jews in Buenos Aires, if he and his clan are only opposed to Israel and Zionists," Christianson said. "Moreover, we would have welcome the introductory remarks that Columbia president Lee C. Bollinger no doubt would have made for Mughniyeh, putting him down before giving him a worldwide stage to express his views."

Bnai Haman called upon the United Nations and especially its High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, to protect other terrorists from assassination before they've had their opportunity to address students in the U.S. generally, and at Columbia specifically.

For more information, visit www.leebollinger-bnaihaman.com.

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