Persecution of Educators, Students Is Not New in Iran, Baha’is Say

The dismissal of thousands of educators and students from Iranian universities and schools over the past months recalls the “purge” of Baha’i professors, schoolteachers and university students which began soon after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the New York-based Baha’i International Community (BIC) has said. 

Many university professors have been expelled, suspended, banned from teaching and arrested across Iran over the past year for protesting increased security measures in campuses during nationwide protests, or for supporting student demonstrations.

On October 12, Etemad newspaper reported the dismissal of 32,000 tenured professors at Islamic Azad University alone, which has many branches across the country. It said that 20,000 doctoral students were granted professorships to replace them after completing a 40-hour training program.

Simin Fahandej, the BIC representative to the United Nations in Geneva, said on October 12 that the mass purge of Iranian universities has deprived many students of the education offered by their former instructors.

“Now these thousands of students and their dedicated and highly trained educators are being forced to share the anguish and loss that has been inflicted on the Baha’is for more than 44 years—adding to the oppression of all in Iranian society,” Fahandej said.

She pointed out that the Islamic Republic has barred tens of thousands of young Baha’is from university since its establishment because of their faith, “depriving them not only of university education but employment and intellectual development, eviscerating their hopes for a fulfilling career and prosperous future, and depriving Iran of some of the most talented minds in the country.”

“Failing to capitalize on this talent and desire to serve is a terrible loss to the country and a national shame,” she added.

“For many years, Baha’is who passed Iran’s national university entrance exams were later told that their applications were ‘incomplete’ or ‘defective,’ despite this being inaccurate,” while Baha’i preschool teachers, music instructors and other academics are also “harassed, arrested and jailed for teaching and tutoring children and young people across the country,” according to BIC.

In recent weeks, the organization said, university hopefuls from the Baha’i community “were asked to sign a declaration form renouncing their beliefs in order to be allowed admission to university,” in blatant violation of their right to education and their right to freedom of conscience, religion or belief.

The form was produced by the Iranian government’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and can be seen in Persian and English at the Archives of Baha’i Persecution website.

“By publishing this declaration form, the Iranian government has again shown its true face. Four decades of official lies and deceit—saying that Baha’is are not discriminated against for their beliefs—are also once more exposed,” Fahandej said.