by: Heshmat Alavi
Unemployment, poverty, drug addiction, crimes, street kids, sale of body limbs, selling infants and even sell of babies in the wombs of their mothers . . . all are consequences of the religious dictatorial rule in Iran. These circumstances have turned this country into a barrel of gunpowder. This is, of course, what the Iranian regime is totally afraid of, and is endangering its whole existence.
University professors and teachers have their own dignity in any society. In Iran ruled by Mullahs, however, the intellectuals are deprived of their basic rights. According to official state reports, university graduates constitute, almost half of Iran’s unemployed. The situation is worse for female graduates.
In his recent visit with the spokesman of the Croatian parliament, Rafsanjani warned about the exasperation among Iranian youths. When he was asked why he and other Iran’s state officials were so much worried about the situation of the Iranian society، Rafsanjani said, “There are different answers to this question. The huge army of youths and unemployed , broad poverty and hunger, widespread disputes in all ranks of society, all exist, but beside all that what is seen in our society is an obvious trend of day by day increasing protests , in particular, among professors and teachers whose work is always with pupils and students.
The widespread protests in Iran included this year October 8th teachers’ demonstrations that not Large numbers of teachers in Tehran and other cities took part in protests against the regime despite a heightened crackdown by the authorities. only the regime’s utmost efforts failed to stop, but on the contrary the demonstrations got wider dimensions. Large numbers of teachers in Tehran and other cities took part in protests against the regime despite a heightened crackdown by the authorities.
Teachers, denouncing the detention of their colleagues, held signs reading “Imprisoned teachers must be freed” and “Teachers, rise up against discrimination.”
On Tuesday October 6th, a group of university students in Harseen, west center of Iran, set up a protest gathering in the university’s student affairs building to protest the poor welfare system of the university. They also protested officials’ refusal to offer dormitory rooms and student loans to non-local students. Also on Monday 5th, clashes broke out between the youths and government suppressive forces in the Taboogh area of Abadan. The fight started when the government forces affronted the local people and women, in particular.
In Kermanshah, west of Iran, teachers and especially women teachers’ presence in the demonstrations was eye caching. They carried banners in support of imprisoned teachers and called for their immediate release. On the same day (October 6th) cities of Iranian Kurdistan were scenes of demonstrations by teachers who sympathized with their colleagues in other parts of Iran. Protesters in the cities of Sannadaj, Baneh, Mahabad, Marivan and Saghez demanded the release of their colleagues in the other cities and called on the government officials to respect their rights. The regime implemented all its intelligence and security forces to disperse the crowd but it was neutralized by the vigilant resistance of teachers. Regime’s mercenaries were not able to do anything.
Participants in all the widespread protests demanded the release of their colleagues who were jailed in Tehran’s Evin prison and Gohar Dasht prison in Karaj.
Demonstrators all over Iran chanted slogans such as “no suppressive atmosphere in education”, “free education is children’s absolute right” and “I am a hungry student”.
Teachers and schools, Professors and universities have always had a historical headway task in the Iranian communities. This task is observed today in the Iranian society. Iranian youths, boys and girls, have found the permanent solution to end all of these injustices and corruption, that is to strive for a regime change in Iran.
Heshmat Alavi is a political activist and supporter for regime change in Iran. He writes on Iran and the Middle East. He tweets at @HeshmatAlavi