Mahmoud Mistranslated, Says Aide

A Western translator misquoted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said an Iranian presidential aide. Ahmadinejad became an international laughing stock last month when he allegedly told a Columbia University audience, “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.”

Now, weeks later, an aide insists the translator got it wrong:

What Ahmadinejad said was not a political answer. He said that, compared to American society, we don’t have many homosexuals.

An astute Queerty clarifies further:

…His translator really screwed him. As a Farsi speaker, it was very clear what he really said, he said, “We do not have any execution of gays our country”, the translator missed it, the man has bad luck and cant’ catch a break.

Considering Mahmoud’s bad politics, the distinction’s pretty moot.