Green Path Movement (Jaras): More than 88 professors at the Faculty of Technology of University of Tehran have written a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei declaring that they do not see the necessary potential and ability in government and other officials in resolving the current problems plaguing Iran.
According to a Jaras reporter, the signatories of this letter have emphasized that their intention is nothing but to improve the current condition of the country and the lives of the people, and they expect their letter to be looked upon in that context. The letter reads: Vicious raids in the middle of the night on the University’s dormitories that are supposed to provide a safe haven for students, and attacks against the students during the day on the campus where they are supposed to be researching, learning, and studying are not signs of the strength of the regime; nor does imprisoning students suit the Republic and Islamic character.
The professors have added: “It is still very difficult for us to believe that in the Islamic Republic a group armed with various gears and arms enter the university, and for two consecutive days beat up students, destroy public properties, insult professors, and desecrate the faculty that is considered the cradle of the engineering profession in our country. Unfortunately, all these actions are taking place under the pretext of protecting Islam and supporting Velayat [absolute guardianship and leadership of religious jurist, the privilege enjoyed by ayatollah Khamenei], and no individual or official has taken responsibility for these acts.
Here is the full text of the letter:
In His great name
Your Excellency, Ayatollah Khamenei, the great leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
With all due respect and regards, the events in the wake of the tenth presidential election has unfortunately caused many of those devoted to Iran and Islam great grief and concern.
We the undersigned are a group of professors from the Faculty of Technology at University of Tehran. We consider ourselves dedicated to our country and the revolution. We have spent the great part of our youth serving the civilization, the culture, and the progress of this land; and some of us were key players in the Islamic Revolution [of 1979].
Based on the words of our master Ali [Shiite’s first Imam succeeding Prophet Mohammed], that “You are all responsible,” it is very difficult for us to sit and watch the calamities who might wither the flowers of hope in this country, ruin all the opportunities, and render fruitless all the difficulties incurred and the courage shown by many generations in our country.
The reason we are taking your precious time is that unfortunately we do not see the necessary potential and ability in the government and other officials to resolve the current problems plaguing Iran.
The intention of all the signatories of this letter is nothing but to improve the current condition of the country and the lives of the people, and we expect our letter to be looked upon in that context. What has upset all the people devoted to Iran and Islam are the extra-judicial and violent acts, in particular against scholars and students. It is clear that vicious raids in the middle of the night on the university’s dormitories that are supposed to provide a safe haven for students, and attacks against the students during the day on the campus where they are supposed to be researching, learning, and studying are not signs of the strength of the regime; nor imprisoning students suits the Republic and Islamic character.
Unfortunately, and despite your instructions and all the responsible officials, those responsible for these acts have not been named and tried. However, the students are arrested, beaten, and imprisoned on a daily basis under some pretexts.
Do you agree that it is extremely hard for students to pay attention to the lecture and participate in discussions and researches with a peace of mind?
The anniversary of 16 Azar (December 7th) was held every year after the revolution free of any tension. However, this year, who were these people, and what were they afraid of that they launched such an assault on the university, and depicted its conquer as a proud victory?
On December 7th, a group in the thousands, some of whom were armed with knives, pepper spray, and tear gas, entered the university campus and turned the campus (which is an environment of intellect and knowledge) to a scene of their hooligan shows.
It is still very difficult for us to believe that in the Islamic Republic a group armed with various gears and arms enters the university, and for two consecutive days beats up students, destroys public properties, insults professors, and desecrates the faculty that is considered the cradle of the engineering profession in our country. Unfortunately, all these actions are taking place under the pretext of protecting Islamic and supporting Velayat [absolute guardianship and leadership of religious jurist, the privilege enjoyed by ayatollah Khamenei], and no individual or official has taken responsibility for these acts.
We request that officials, and particularly your Excellency, to take appropriate measure so that such events are not used by Zionist media and the enemies to depict the Islamic Republic as a regime that is hostile toward education and intellect. In the unstable and opaque atmosphere, a rumour has been spreading that the elements who attacked the university on December 6th and 7th were organized, and the raids were coordinated by an office which works under your auspices.
In the belief of the undersigned, the remedy lies in a change of perspective. All country officials, all members of the nation (regardless of their political orientation) as one united body should have their voices heard and their rights for freedom be protected. In our opinion, violent acts against scientific communities and continued detention of students and scholars are not in the interest of our country. Therefore, we request that you instruct that all the non-academic forces leave the sacred campus of the university, and the related officials apologize, those responsible for these acts be prosecuted, and all detained students are released in order to conciliate all students.
We hope such positive measures from the Faculty of Technology at the University of Tehran (which has been ranked amongst the top in the word), along with other universities and scientific centres in the country, help continue growth so we can serve our Islamic country even more.
Sincerely yours,
A group of professors from the Faculty of Technology
- Siavosh, Persian2English
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