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Dublin: 16 °C Monday 20 May, 2013

Supporting homosexuality is ‘for capitalists’, says Iranian president

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied that his criticism of homosexuality amounted to a denial of individual freedoms.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said politicians in other countries supported homosexuality merely to win
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said politicians in other countries supported homosexuality merely to win "four or five additional votes".
Image: Richard Drew/AP

SUPPORTING HOMOSEXUALITY is the stuff of hardline capitalists who do not care about real human values, the president of Iran has said.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an interview on CNN that homosexuality is a “very ugly behaviour” that he said was banned by “all prophets and all religions and all faiths.”

In New York to attend the UN General Assembly, Ahmadinejad said that just because some countries tolerate homosexuality, that does not mean his criticism of it amounts to a denial of people’s freedom.

He ridiculed politicians and parties who, he said, approve of gays and lesbians just to win “four or five additional votes.”

More broadly, he said tolerating homosexuality had nothing to do with supporting human development.

“This kind of support of homosexuality is only engrained in the thoughts of hard-core capitalists and those who support the growth of capital only, rather than human values,” the president said through an interpreter.

He insisted that people become homosexual, rather than being born that way, and dodged a question as to what he would do if one of his three children were gay.

The president said the world has myriad woes such as grinding poverty, repression and dictatorships, and he supports resolving them and championing human dignity.

Asked if such support for freedom should not extend to homosexuals, he said: “Homosexuality ceases procreation.

“Who has said that if you like or believe in doing something ugly and others do not accept your behavior, they’re denying your freedom. Who says that?”

- © AFP, 2012

Previously: Ahmadinejad: ‘The capitalist system is in decay’

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Comments (67 Comments)

  • Who’s shocked?

  • This is the ultimate answer to the question religious apologists put to me when they say whats the harm with people having private belief. The problem is it is never private. We can laugh at Ahmadinejad now thanks to secular enlightenment but this ability is only a recently won victory one which many developing countries have yet to see. In this instance were it not for religion this man would be deemed to require psychiatric treatment

  • I’d love to know what would he do if one of his kids were gay as he against it.

  • @Tom Fitzgerald the latest neuroscience studies show differences in brain formation in gay people. All of which indicates people can be born Gay.But since you and your Iranian friend have stated the “facts” maybe the highly educated doctors and professors are wrong. I know which side I’d put my money on.

  • Mick 25/09/12 #

    I think you will find Iran can and will defend itself, they develop their own military technology to a large extent. Why do you think Israel will not attack without big brother backing them up?

  • “Homosexuality ceases procreation”
    With world population 7bn and rising, I’d say we need a bit more pink in the world

  • When you say light his ass up, you mean that thousands of Iranians will probably die. Iran has quiet a large Jewish population ad well as Christian. Not all Iranians agree with Ahmedinejad . Unfortunately he has been able to crush any opposition

  • Let’s face it if he thinks it’s wrong then there’s definitely nothing wrong with it.

  • Cian a war monger in the making , I hope you don’t get into politics .

  • Idiot , at least he acknowledges the worlds woes include “repression and dictatorship” which is kinda ironic , he’s using the gay politics card on the platform just to distract from the real issues and problems he’s steering Iran into….

    • he is not liked in Iran either, however the vested interests there who really run the show behind the scenes prefer to have an instable goon ‘in charge’ as it preserves their control of the internal wealth and population.
      Last thing they want is a progressive leader diluting their monopoly, or allowing foreign multinationals compete with their own operations.

  • This chap is totally unstable and dangerous.

    • Lets send a flotilla of mis-informed publicity seeking politicians & rugby players to help Iran’s Gays!

    • @Derek: No one has prevented him from expressing his opinion and indeed he has a much larger platform than most for having his views aired and carried around the world. I think it’s safe to say he has not been censored. However, calling him unstable and dangerous in response to his freely expressing his opinion is also free speech. Or do you believe free speech means no one is allowed to disagree?

    • Homosexuality is a hanging offence in Iran. It’s not that long ago it was a criminal offence here. Of course we can always count on the guidance of those experts on human sexuality, Pope Benedict and his gang to enlighten those still in the dark ages.

    • Reading all these posts on homosexuality makes me realise that opinions are like a..holes. Everybody has one.

    • @Thomas – “Because the Jews don’t want a strong Islamic state, who pressure them over Palestine, because they won’t be able to bully them, hence all the treats and interference in his country. I’d build a nuke if I just saw what happened to Iraq Afghanistan and now Syria. It’s the only defence against them.”

      By the same measure, the Jewish people are probably one of the most persecuted groups in documented history. So now that they have a relatively stable nation to call their own, aren’t they also entitled to pursue a strong stance against threats to their well being?

      Christians, throughout history, killed and persecuted Jews simply because in the bible, they are viewed as being responsible for the death of Christ. It is only in recent times, when the grasp of religion has lessened in the west, that Jews have been able to able to live in relative peace in our societies in the west.

      Because of the Israeli – Palestinian conflict, relations between Jews and Muslims have soured once again. A large majority of practising Muslims, form their opinions of the Jewish people based on passages in the Qur’an where they are described as swine and the spawn of Satan. So obviously when a lot of the other nations near Israel are theocratic, and the main text they believe in calls for the destruction of Jews, they are going to be highly defensive of the small bit of territory they have.

      The conflicts over the landmass that is Israel goes far back into history. The Jewish people did originate around that area, and they have been expatriated from the area many times of the course of history. They have as much right to the area as any of the Abrahamic religion and cultures which originated there.

      In this day and age, it is a silly conflict, drawn out by poor leaders and politicians. As of 2007, the majority of Israelis and Palestinians voted in favour of the two states residing together within the same landmass. I’d wager that the reason it seems like the West always sides with Israel is because of a guilt complex over the way Jews were treated in the past and because Jewish people have had a much bigger impact on Western society than Muslims.

      I personally feel that it is short sighted the way so many Irish internet warriors feel the need to spout off facts about this conflict, when it is extremely complicated and has it roots far in the past. I always get the impression the majority of Irish people who are vocal on this subject always side with the Palestinians. I feel this is because of Ireland very small population of Jews and most people never have to deal with them in everyday life.

      The amount of generalisations I see, especially on the Journal comments section, about Jewish people being evil, greedy and traitorous is ridiculous. If anyone made such comments about any other race or religion, they would be hounded and attacked for holding such a view.

      People need to educate themselves more before commenting on things.

      TL;DR Jews aren’t all bad people, the situation in with Israel and Palestine is complicated, people should read up about the conflict and Middle eastern history before commenting.

      Also back on topic, Ahmadinejad is nuts and he gets far too much attention for the random and stupid things he says.

  • Stop the Press! So he shares the views of the present Pope as well as the last one.

  • He should join the Tea Party in the US…..

  • I disagree with him , but about 33% of people in Ireland have the same view as him including the bishops and the leader of our government who has refused to acknowledge that gay people should have the same rights as straight people, at least the Iranians uses a decent argument that they believe in religion and its against their religion unlike Kenny and Obama (until recently) who use the stupid argument of I don’t know all the facts, to hide their homophobia

  • I hope some day that Iran can transition to a fair and secular democratic government, like y’know the one they had before they were overthrown by the USA because they nationalised their oil. Fighting back from foreign interference is exactly the reason the Islamic Republic now exists.

    I don’t agree with the warmongering because it is not the fault of the regular Iranian people and they are the ones who will suffer. I hope the change is peaceful. I’d love to visit Iran because they have a very interesting history and culture but I won’t visit as long as it is ruled by this theocracy.

  • http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/film/story/2008/08/26/f-homosexuality-iran-sex-change.html

    This cbc news article gauges just how bad the situation is on the ground over there.

  • Never more proud to be a capitalist :D

  • He’s a keeper that fella

  • @Mick – That is exactly my point though, Israel knows it wouldn’t be able to survive in the long term in a war with Iran. That is why I predict that they will strike first, take out the missile threat and then hammer the Iranians in conventional warfare. As regards Iranian military tech…it is lacking in quantity, quality and modernisation.

    Iran spends roughly 10 billion dollars on its military per year. It has 550,000 active personnel and 1,800,000 reserves fit for service. Most of their tanks are relics from the 50s,60 and 70s. The only new one they have is from the 90s. Their MBT, the Zulfiqar, is based upon the T-72 and M48/M60. In total they have roughly 1000 tanks…100 of which are modern.

    Their air force is again mainly cold war era, the only new fighter they have in the Saeqeh. Again it looks like it has been designed based upon the older jets they have such as the American f-5. Their total inventory is over 680 jets if all are in working order, with less than 150 of these being modern.

    Israel on the other spends 50 billion per year on its military. 176,000 active personnel and 3 million fit for service. It has a modern inventory of equipment. The Merkava MBT is the latest model from the late 90s. The rest of the inventory are late 80s/early 90s. This gives them over 4,100 tanks ready for service.

    Their air force is comprised of mainly F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighters. The majority were purchased in the 90s and 00′s. Total inventory is around 1,100 at the ready.

    As regards Israeli air defence, the Iron Dome, is short range and designed to protect against rockets and artillery at short ranges. The sunburn missile you refer to is developed from the soviet Moshkit anti ship missile, but even allowing for drastic changes that would make it effective at attacking land targets. The Israeli’s still have their Patriot and Arrow missile defences which are used for taking down medium and long range ballistic missiles.

    My money would still be on Israel if any conflict ever kicks off. The only risk for them having to go to war with Iran is that they would be turning their back on the other enemies they have. This is where I believe Israel would need its allies.

  • As a Gay Socialist I can confirm he is utterly wrong.

  • At least he has an opinion not like the so called leader of our country … At least he’s not playing politics with the issue …no grey area there

  • Cian, i bet u would be the first on here crying like a b***h because when the west attacks Iran, it ain’t ending there. Make no mistake its happening, either pre US election or after it. Just another group of rich old white men who are sciopaths starting world wars again. As Einstein said ” i don’t know what weapons WWIII will be fought with but i do know WWIV will be fought with sticks and stones” When corporate media are all over Iran like a rash u know whats coming.

  • Couldn’t care who lights his ass up, it better bot interfere with my gay lifestyle. I’d be partying 8 days a week if possible. Sure there’s no fun in Iran!

  • @werejammin – Military service is mandatory for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18. Some ethnically Arab citizens are exempted if they want to be and other exceptions can be made on religious religious reasons. Tal law exempts ultra-orthodox Jews from military service but the legal side of it is shady, and I believe it is up for review. You are right though, I should have said the vast majority of Israeli citizens are obliged to serve in the military, rather than all of them.

  • Spot on ..What are irish gay groups doing to help their Iranian counterparts that have to live under this nut job..S.F.A…If it was a catholic bishop talking the same crap the would be in an uproar.No the only reply from most of them is to blame the jews,” starting to think that liberalism is a mental disorder” and by the way it was another little man with a funny moustache ad the same mindset has this creep and we all know how that ended

  • So what? It’s none of any State’s business what consulting adults do to each other in private. Doesn’t make a blind bit of difference whether being gay is “natural” or not.

  • As does Enda Kenny.

  • FYI Olaf 7 million Israelis does not mean a military of 7 million as 70 million Iranians does not equate to 70 million Iranian soldiers , 90 perc on both sides are sick to shit of what is happening to them it’s just the ridiculously wealthy flexing their muscles , they couldn’t care less about the normal people just trying to live their lives . And at the end of the day it’s all about my book is right and your book is wrong and of course resources , they should all just read the beano

  • Religion ruins everything.

  • This fool amamadone or whatever he’s called is like the proverbial ostrich with it’s head in the sand…rather that labelling gays as unwell he should check in a clinic or hospital that deals with delusional behaviour….apart from believing in invisible gods who by all accounts had less than credible morality he is also a dangerous warmonger and An egoist bully

  • Reading some of the flawed logic from some of the morons on the Journal is both hilarious and worrying in equal measure.

    To think that in 2012 some people are so backward and uneducated on certain topics it’s a sad state of affairs.

    The old saying is true “Never argue with an idiot they will only drag you down to their level and beat you on experience”

  • He would prob join in a Hetero pride march.

    When is the next Hetero pride march anyway.

  • he’s a bit of a hottie

  • @ Mick – That is bullshit as someone else has said. Israel could attack Iran and do significant damage with just conventional warfare, possibly even crippling the Iran’s ability to respond in kind. Israel is a nation constantly prepared for war, every citizen, male and female does real military service. They are well prepared for any strategic attack with essential buildings made from highly reinforced concrete, they even have an underground airbase.

    The only reason Israel need Western support is to deal with the response they would get from the surrounding Arab neighbours. Israel is about the same size as Wales, it has a population of about 7 million….Iran is the 18th largest country in the world and has a population of 74 million. Yet everyone acts like the Israeli’s are bullying others around the world. They are constantly kept on edge and wary of attack from all sides. The only way they could truly survive aggression against them would be to attack first. I think this reflects Israeli foreign policy around the world, the orchestrate small and precise operations to set back their enemies and stay one step ahead.

  • From Homosexuality, to military service, to drone planes, to wars – Would it be fair to say that ‘us’ homosexuals are the cause if wars? Or is it quite just simply that this tyrant is trying to be like a modern day Hitler, but in a softer way if ya get what I mean??

  • I’d still prefer him to Bertie

  • I love how gays say that. So if youre not a supporter of them, you must be one. lol

  • @cian warmonger!

  • The far-leftists/pro-Islamic regime people can’t stand when Iran is criticzed or exposed for what it truly is.

  • What does Homosexuality have to do with Capitalism? These statements shouldn’t be surprising. Since he claims the anti-Islam video was by Jews when it was cleary made by a Coptic-Christian but the Islamic world still cannot accept that.

    •”They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets.”
    • “We ask the West to remove what they created sixty years ago and if they do not listen to our recommendations, then the Palestinian nation and other nations will eventually do this for them.”
    •”The real Holocaust is what is happening in Palestine where the Zionists avail themselves of the fairy tale of Holocaust as blackmail and justification for killing children and women and making innocent people homeless.”
    • “The West claims that more than six million Jews were killed in World War II and to compensate for that they established and support Israel. If it is true that the Jews were killed in Europe, why should Israel be established in the East, in Palestine?”
    • “If you have burned the Jews, why don’t you give a piece of Europe, the United States, Canada or Alaska to Israel. Our question is, if you have committed this huge crime, why should the innocent nation of Palestine pay for this crime?”
    · “Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury.”

    · “Remove Israel before it is too late and save yourself from the fury of regional nations.”

    · “The skirmishes in the occupied land are part of a war of destiny. The outcome of hundreds of years of war will be defined in Palestinian land. As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map.”

    · “If the West does not support Israel, this regime will be toppled. As it has lost its raison d’ tre, Israel will be annihilated.”

    · “Israel is a tyrannical regime that will one day will be destroyed.”

    · “Israel is a rotten, dried tree that will be annihilated in one storm.”

  • well, yes; I heard recently something rather similar from a Catholic … – perhaps is is just a matter of peolke who leave thinkng to higerh instances

  • The Leader of the Fine Gael party the largest party in Ireland which would suggest the majority of people voted for has a serious problem with homosexuality and their right to marry .So before ye go bashing Ahmadinejad and backward Iran have a good luck at who’s running this little rock at least their President will say what he’s thinking right or wrong but its wrong to us westerners because deep down we think were superior to Asians Arabs every other race and there in itself lye’s the problem.HE’s right most politicians use it to look Liberal to the electorate to get votes behind close doors it’s a different story so we endorse politicians who lie about their beliefs’ and condemn foreign ones who tell the truth right or wrong.Funny that.

  • he should probably stick with his nuclear plans instead of talking nonsense – he hasn’t a clue what he’s talking about.

  • That’s bullshit mick. The reason Israel has not already attacked is because polls in Israel show that the public are not in favour of an attack without the support of America. However their military are more than capable of doing it themselves should they feel the need to.

  • more dirt designed to make us think Iran is the black.army of death, so when we Israel and the u.s. going to start dropping bombs on iran? some time soon?

  • Some of the comments on here are just sad. He expressed an opinion shared by many, shared by the Catholic Church that so many here would jump to defend. It’s a fairly common opinion.
    But hey he’s hiding weapons of mass destruction and he won’t conform to our ways so he must be a loon.

    • A fairly common opinion? Shared by many? Get a grip.

    • I didn’t say I shared his opinion but yes of course his is a common opinion.
      Not all parts of the world are as liberal as we’d like them to be, neither are organised religions.
      There are generations of backward thinkers just like him that’s all I meant. If you think his opinion is only shared by a few then you need to get a grip. His opinion is shared everyday with the teaching of religion to our young in schools, it’s shared as long as the fight for equal rights to all couples goes on.
      People don’t need to shout it from the rooftops, but his views are still shared at least in part by many.

    • Unfortunately it is a common opinion. It’s utterly ridiculous, granted, but I think you’d be surprised at how many hold that view. Just look at the catholic church’s stance on gay marriage.
      The church wants a referendum on gay rights, I’d prefer a referendum on the church!

  • Mick 25/09/12 #

    @Jonathan o Hici

    Iran have their drones, submarines, sunburn missiles (ship sinkers), Jets, tanks and more.
    http://www.businessinsider.com/irans-military-weapons-2012-6?op=1
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_equipment_manufactured_in_Iran

    Iran also have the region mapped inside and out. How will Israel destroy them?
    With its unmonitored nukes…doubtful.
    Other than that they must fly over a 1000 miles to strike Iran and remain undetected

    Read either of the following articles before you reply:

    by Noah Shachtman
    http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/09/iran-war-plan/all/

    by David Eisenberg
    http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/02/israeli-attack-on-irans-nuclear-facilities-easier-said-than-done/

    Better yet keep tabs on presstv.ir

  • …nuke the panda…..

  • Are the ultra-orthodox not excluded from the compulsory military service, King Olaf?