Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is under the heat lamp, especially from Jewish critics, for his Alternative Christmas Message that aired on Britain's Channel 4 today, said the BBC. He said that if Jesus returned to Earth, "he would fight against the tyrannical policies of prevailing global economic and political systems." Even if this is a thinly veiled attack on the West, let's remember that Ahmadinejad doesn't accuse the West directly; he simply wished good cheer and condemns society's rejection of religion.
Channel 4 has had controversial guests for its Alternative Christmas Message in the past, said Liz Robbins in The New York Times online: Marge Simpson, Jesse Jackson, and Sharon Osborne, to name a few. But none of these others "has publicly advocated for the destruction of Israel or denied the existence of the Holocaust, as Mr. Ahmadinejad has." This is, in fact, an attack on the West, and we should react accordingly.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.