Exclusion from Education in Iran: From the Cultural Revolution to Tomorrow’s “Mahsa” Movement / Farzaneh Goli
To examine the story of deprivation of education in Iran, we must have a brief and concise look at its history. “Deprivation” is a familiar term for the people of Iran. They have been familiar with this term for centuries and have experienced it with their skin, flesh, and blood. However, the issue of educational deprivation – which is the focus of this article – must be examined in the modern era and the past hundred years, since academic education was officially established in Iran. Nevertheless, what we know as educational deprivation has not been seen in the political periods before the February 1979 revolution, or it has been rarely implemented in specific circumstances. Even during the Pahlavi era, we were not faced with such methods. Many revolutionary activists and individuals affiliated with anti-Pahlavi parties continued and completed their higher education without pressure or deprivation. A thorough examination of this oppressive punishment for students in the post-revolutionary era, without considering important factors such as the Cultural Revolution, is not
The Cultural Revolution of 1359 marked the end of the unrest that had begun in universities, coinciding with the intensification of conflicts that led to the overthrow of the monarchy. In the continuous protests that weakened the foundations of the Pahlavi government, students played a significant role. However, with the closure of universities in the spring of 1359 and the expulsion of professors and students under the pretext of having a political bias or conflicting with the values of the Islamic Revolution, the Cultural Revolution officially began and is recorded as one of the most important and influential events in Iran after the revolution. It should be noted and emphasized that from the beginning, the Cultural Revolution and the subsequent program of Islamization of universities under the name of purging Western influences did not have any positive results, but the short-term political goal of the Cultural Revolution, which was to expel left-wing groups from universities and prevent the use of university environment for organization, was achieved. The 30-month closure of universities,
When the revolutionary government took power in February 1979, universities were among the few places where conservative clerics did not have control. Although students played a significant role in the victory of the revolution and had an important role, Ayatollah Khomeini and his supporters did not have a significant ideological influence and support in the university environment. Students were more influenced by Ali Shariati. At the same time, several secular leftist organizations were also active in universities and used student protests to carry out activities in high schools, factories, and areas where ethnic minorities resided.
Despite all of this, the cultural revolution and the closure of universities, followed by their reopening with restrictions for professors and students, was the beginning of a path that continues to this day with all the oppressive measures of the ruling government. The accusation of being a “star student” is also associated with this period; students who were deprived of their right to education and legal rights due to expressing opinions, criticism, or participating in critical student events. It is interesting and sad to note that even Wikipedia states the following about this phenomenon: “Star students in Iran refer to students who have been condemned for their political activities. These students may be prevented from entering university, deprived of continuing their education, or later – with the forgiveness of officials – allowed to enroll under special conditions. The ban on entry is a tool for suppressing students and their mostly political activities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
But what is more interesting is that the term “starred” was introduced into Iranian political literature during the Mustafa Moin era in the Ministry of Reforms and by Seyyed Mohammad Khatami. As a result, students were classified into three categories: one-star, two-star, and three-star. One-star students had “file deficiencies”, while two-star students had not only file deficiencies but also received warnings. However, three-star students were individuals who were deprived of education due to their political activities. In fact, the political students who were left behind in their studies were the same main starred students who were unable to solve their deprivation problems. From the beginning, the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic played a fundamental role in these deprivations; in such a way that if this institution did not approve the public qualifications of the applicant for admission to the university, the Selection Committee Secretariat in the Measurement Organization, based on the opinions of the Ministry of Intelligence and other factors,
We must remember that the first declaration of human rights, on December 10, 1948, recognizes the right to education for all human beings, regardless of race, color, belief, religion, and gender. Article 26, paragraph 1 of this declaration states: “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory (it should be noted that according to official statistics, in 1403 [the Iranian calendar], only 930,000 students in Iran were deprived of education). Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.”
Deprived individuals of higher education in Iran are divided into three main groups: the first group consists of those who are deprived of the right to education on the verge of entering university. In other words, this group has the right to education up to primary and secondary levels, but are deprived of higher education. This deprivation mostly affects students from religious minorities, and currently the largest number in this group are members of the Baha’i community. After the revolution, alongside various forms of deprivation and pressure on the Baha’i community in Iran, the deprivation of higher education and pressure on Baha’i students began simultaneously with the cultural revolution in 1979. This deprivation includes the dismissal of employees, professors, and all Baha’i students, and preventing them from entering university in the following years. From 1979 until the start of the cultural revolution in 1979, gradually all professors who were still in service were faced with dismissal from the university, and to this day, despite their efforts
The second group consists of students who, while studying, are either temporarily suspended (up to 5 years) or expelled from the university by receiving disciplinary measures. The third group includes those who are deprived of continuing their studies at higher levels (from bachelor’s to master’s, from master’s to PhD), meaning those star students.
In the second official government of the Islamic Republic and after the reopening of universities, the first group to be deprived of education in scientific and academic centers were the Baha’is. During the years 1983 to 1988, despite the efforts of these students and their appeals to various legal authorities and the reflection of their situation in the media and international forums, and despite the fact that many students who had been expelled on charges of political tendencies gradually returned to university, none of the Baha’i students were able to return to university because the condition for their return was to renounce their Baha’i faith, which Baha’is do not consider permissible to conceal. This happened while during the same decade, many former prisoners and even those who had been released from prison without any problems were able to return to university and complete their education. However, the restrictions on education for Baha’is did not change in any of the governments after the end of the war and continued. It is
At the end of the 1970s, despite the arrival of the reformist government, with slogans of freedom and a return to principles related to human rights enshrined in the constitution, no change was made in the situation of this group until the end of the government. Article 23 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran states: “Investigation of beliefs is prohibited and no one can be prosecuted for holding beliefs.” Also, in a section of Article 9 of the Constitution, it is stated: “No authority has the right to deprive legitimate freedoms in the name of preserving the independence and territorial integrity of the country, even with the establishment of laws and regulations.” However, it was in 2004 that the question of religion was removed from the registration form for the university entrance exam and the possibility of registration was provided for Baha’i citizens. In that year, nearly a thousand Baha’is, mostly without sufficient preparation, participated in the entrance exam and were
Perhaps the eight-year period of Ahmadinejad’s government should be considered the worst in history in dealing with the student movement. The year 1385 marked the beginning of these confrontations, during which the office of the Islamic Association…
Kabir.
“With the approval of the president and…”
Y. (This is a single letter and cannot be translated.)
Vali.
Jurist.
At the university, on the morning of Friday, the sixth of August, the destruction and properties were confiscated. Furthermore, in 2007, these confrontations became more severe and difficult with the students. Examples of these include the deprivation of 309 students, along with being banned from entering, being summoned to the disciplinary committee, being summoned to court, being detained (less than a week), the expulsion of more than 40 university professors, and the imprisonment of students such as Saeed Derakhshandi.
World ruler.
“Ehsan Mansouri, Majid Tavakoli, Ahmad Qasaban, and Ya’qub Mirnehad, among others. This trend continued throughout the presidency of Ahmadinejad. The peak of these confrontations was seen in 2009, after the presidential elections and the events that followed, with the students affiliated with the “Green Movement”. The widespread arrests of students during the tumultuous days and months of that year, accompanied by the deprivation of many of them, some of which continues to this day. On the other hand, during the years of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government, approximately one thousand students were deprived of education, and this treatment further intensified the fear of student protests among students. The trend of “starred” volunteers for master’s and doctoral degrees by the country’s assessment and education organization during this period was another sign of the formation and expansion of the policy of university restructuring through coordination between the higher education institution and the security apparatus of the Islamic Republic
The Rouhani government began while he inherited a strange and expensive legacy from the previous government in the university area. Statistics show that about 40% of the professors at the University of Tehran were selected as university professors during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency under government orders known as “Amriyeh”. As a result, the university was taken over by security forces in a bloodless coup. Although during Hassan Rouhani’s presidency, the suspension, expulsion, and star-rating of students decreased compared to the previous period, with the adoption of a preventive policy, there was no longer a need to suppress protesting students. This means that if during the presidencies of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, security forces, along with officials from the Ministry of Science and university presidents, were responsible for suppressing students, during Hassan Rouhani’s presidency, non-political departments of universities, such as the educational deputy and even professors, carried out the plan to suppress protesting students. These
With the end of the Rouhani government and the appointment of Ebrahim Raisi as president and the consolidation of power with the pre-election coalition, in policymaking, especially after the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement and the events following the death of Mahsa Amini and the rise of paramilitary Basij forces within universities, there were no longer any obstacles or excuses for imposing stricter restrictions. With the start of Raisi’s government, 110 university professors were dismissed with letters such as non-renewal of contracts or retirement and declaring no need. Although Ebrahim Raisi issued orders for review, nothing special happened. During this period, the targeting, expulsion, and deprivation of protesting students and also individuals such as Baha’i students continued with even greater intensity. This has continued until today and it does not seem that any change will occur in the near future. With the unexpected change of government and the slogans that were given by physicians during the election campaign, many believe
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"Student suspension" Angel flower Cultural Revolution Disciplinary Committee Expelled students Mahsa Movement Masoud Pazhakian National unity peace line Peace Treaty 161 Student movement The fourteenth government ماهنامه خط صلح