Ahmadinejad says they don’t have Homosexuals in Iran
Posted Sep 24, 2007, 4:40 PM ET

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the country does not need a nuclear bomb, Holocaust is myth, and that there are no homosexuals left in Iran.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during a speech at Columbia University that his country is not pursuing nuclear weapons and that he is open to diplomatic discussions with the United States.

“We do not believe in nuclear weapons. Period,” Ahmadinejad said through a translator in his address at the Columbia University World Leaders Forum.

The Iranian president was challenged by Lee C. Bollinger, the president of the university, to address his previous statements about the reality of the Holocaust, Iran’s dedication to the destruction of Israel, its development of nuclear weapons and its alleged support for terrorist organizations.

Ahamdinejad did, however, address many of Bollinger’s questions, though not always to the satisfaction of the packed auditorium, which booed him occasionally and applauded his comments at other times.

On the destruction of Israel, Ahmadinejad said the thought is contrary to the foundation of Iran. His country, he said, “loves all nations.”

"If the Holocaust is a reality of our time, a history that occurred, why is there not sufficient research that can approach the topic from different perspectives?" he asked.

The Iranian leader has made statements in the past suggesting that Israel be politically "wiped off the map," though he insists that can be accomplished without violence.

Asked about widely documented government abuse of women and homosexuals in his country, Ahmadinejad said, "We don't have homosexuals" in Iran. "I don't know who told you we had it," he said.