Call to end oppressive policies against Iranian universities

Source: Radio Zamaneh

A group of professors of Tarbiat Modares University, which specializes in training university staff and researchers to join university faculties, wrote an open letter to Ayatollah Khamenei warning him that the continuation of fear tactics in the universities will have "destructive effects."

Basij militia attacking University of Tehran - June 2009

Today, Wednesday, Kalameh website published the letter signed by 116 professors expressing grave concern over the arrest and expulsion of students and scientific committees in Iran.

Addressing the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, the signatories maintain: "Today we are witnessing academics being treated in ways that are at odds with the common traditions of the academia, and until a short while ago, such acts were unimaginable."

In recent months scores of students have been arrested and imprisoned while others have been summoned by university disciplinary committees and given various forms of bans from continuing their education.

Since two weeks ago, a series of compulsory retirements have been taking effect amongst the academia starting with 12 professors at Alameh Tabatabai University.

On top of all these pressures, pro-government forces in plain clothes have been attacking student gatherings in the campuses beating and injuring students.

The authors of the open letter criticize the violence and write: "We need to stop the extremists, who seem not to be concerned for Islam, and make sure everything is defined in the orbit of the constitution."

The professors add that "we should not fear the phenomenon of hearing diverse voices from the universities; it is the silence of the universities that should raise our concerns."

The letter concludes that by taking "smart and balanced" measures, the country will move toward stability and calm.

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