Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to the United States raises significant concerns for the safety and security of this country and Israel, an important ally in the Middle East. Prior to his speech to the United Nations, Ahmadinejad addressed a crowd of more than 600 students and administrators at Columbia University.

Besides denying the right of Israel to exist as a nation and denying the Holocaust, Ahmadinejad denied the existence of homosexuality in Iran and avoided explaining the maltreatment of Iranian women.

These examples only solidify his extreme positions. Ahmadinejad, acting against the best interest of his country and his own people, repeatedly has called for the destruction of Israel and has referred to the holocaust as a “fairytale.”

While Ahmadinejad may be only acting as the puppet figure for the radical mullahs who control him, he serves the dangerous face of the Iranian government to the rest of the world.

Ahmadinejad continues to defy the international community in his pursuit of nuclear capabilities. Despite being a signatory in the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Ahmadinejad is vigorously pursuing the technology to make energy for nuclear weapons.

While Ahmadinejad claims his nuclear program is for “peaceful purposes,” he rejected an offer made by the Russians that would have provided Iran with the energy they “intend” on producing. The Russians offered to send Iran their own nuclear fuel so Iran could not recycle the fuel to use for nuclear weapons. Ahmadinejad rejected their offer.

Ahmadinejad is not only a threat to Israel, he is a threat to the entire international community, including his own country. A leader who openly calls for the destruction of a sovereign country cannot be appeased, contained or ignored.

This is a crucial time for action. Benjamin Netanyahu, one of Israel’s leading political figures stated, “it’s 1938, and Iran is Germany, racing to arm itself with atomic bombs. Believe him and stop him. This is what we must do.” We must stop Ahmadinejad.

Political activism is the best way to solve the threat of Ahmadinejad. No one wants to see a war with Iran, and no one wants the Iranian people to pay the harsh price for the words and actions of their belligerent leader. We need to exhaust every possible diplomatic and economic route to solve this crisis with Iran.

Support for HR1400, the Iran Counter Proliferation Act, is the first step to ensuring that America, as well as the international community, will not have to live with a nuclear Iran. HR 1400 works to close loopholes in existing sanctions law, strengthen U.S. tools to cut off funds to Iran’s nuclear program and prohibits U.S. nuclear cooperation with those aiding Iran’s atomic efforts. This bill has strong support from both sides of the political aisle.

The United States cannot sit and watch while this political pariah perpetuates his message to the point of reality. The President of Columbia University introduced Ahmadinejad at his prestigious University by saying he “[exhibits] all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator.”

Universities are supposed to be a bastion of free expression and thought. Let’s hope that Ahmadinejad’s expression of intolerance and hate inspires University students to affirm their stance against the ideals and lies of a “cruel dictator.”

There is an urgent need for diplomacy, and an urgent need for dialogue.

But can the United States trust the words of a madman?

On our search for responsible diplomatic solutions, we must stand together against a nuclear-armed Iran led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the sake of the security of our country and abroad.

- Payton Bradford is a junior from Rome and the president of Young Democrats. Hadas Peles is a junior from Seattle, Wash., and the president of Dawgs for Israel.David Ballard is a senior from Fayetteville and the chairman of College Republicans.