I earlier rebutted claims by Farideh Farhi, an adviser to the National Iranian American Council, an organization which advocates for stronger ties to the Islamic Republic, which took me to task for mistranslating a double negative here. I did inadvertently and unintentionally, although the rest of Farhi’s accusations were false and malicious, based on little more than her own cherrypicking.

Let’s take a look: First, did I mischaracterize Rezai? No. And Farhi knows this. Let’s take a look at what is in the “subtitle” box summarizing the Rezai’s comments:

During the seminar Rezai said: The line of the Imam is clear and no one can claim Islam and weaken the clergy or question the logic of fighting against America. Our fight against America serves the purpose of strengthening the foundation and principles of our revolution and no one has the right to interpret it according to his personal or his party political interests and legitimize his interpretation.

To argue that Rezai, now a presidential candidate, is really a good guy and that Roger Cohen got him right, Farhi omits the context and substance of the article leaving aside such things Rezai’s role in the terrorist bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires among other terrorist attacks, a personal history which adds a special irony to Cohen using him as a source.

Farhi is an adjunct at the University of Hawaii. I’ll be on Oahu later this week week, alas for work rather than play. Farideh, I’d be perfectly happy to debate the issue publicly any evening. Do you accept the challenge?

The fact remains: Roger Cohen parachuted into Iran and sought to paint a picture of the regime as he’d like it to be rather than the regime that it is. He used a synagogue as a backdrop with which I’m not only familiar, but attended regularly when I lived in Isfahan for several months. The point to those throwing flak? Everyone hope that diplomacy with Iran will resolve all outstanding differences. But, for engagement to work, it’s necessary to base it in reality rather than optics.