“The idea of Ahmadinejad as an honoured guest anywhere in our city is offensive to all New Yorkers,” Council speaker Christine Quinn wrote on Thursday.

“Ahmadinejad is a Holocaust denier, here for one reason — to spread his hate-mongering vitriol on the world stage.”

Ahmadinejad was scheduled to appear on Monday at a question and answer session with university faculty and students as part of the school’s World Leaders Forum. Columbia spokesman Robert Hornsby said on Thursday that there was no plan to cancel the appearance.

Quinn’s call came a day after New York City police officials rejected Ahmadinejad’s request to visit and lay a wreath at the World Trade Centre, citing security concerns and ongoing construction at the site of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

“Photo op”
US diplomats had blasted the request as an attempt to turn ground zero into a “photo op”.

Ahmadinejad, in an interview to air Sunday on “60 Minutes,” indicated he would not press the issue. “I won’t insist,” he said, although he expressed disbelief that the visit would offend Americans.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the City would provide protection for all guests of the United Nations without requiring that they pass a “litmus test for views”. He said of Ahmadinejad: “I personally find what this guy has said abhorrent, and I think it would be inappropriate to have him visit.”

But Quinn said, “He (Ahmadinejad) can say whatever he wants on any street corner, but should not be given centrestage at one of New York’s most prestigious centres of high education.”

Last year, the University had cancelled plans for a speech by him, citing security and logistic concerns after it came under fire especially from Jewish Defence Organisation.

City officials say they had decided to allow no dignitary to visit the WTC site as construction is going on becasue workers are laying the foundations and it would not be possible for the Iranian president to go where other people cannot go.