President of Iran warns universities to stay out of politics

Tuesday, September 5, 2006 

The College of Fine Arts of the University of Teheran.

The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at a meeting today, advised the heads of Iranian universities to restrain from political involvement.

On the occasion of the National Youth Day, the president met with university students. He declared that "Today, students have the right to strongly criticize their president for the continued presence of liberal and secular professors in the country's universities." He complained of how difficult the reforming process at the universities, affected by secularism, progressed, but added: "Such a change has begun."

The president is also the head of the Council of Cultural Revolution, thus having the power to institute such changes. Last November, the regime appointed a cleric as head of the Teheran University, against the will of student protesters. The current events are in line with previous reports of the Iranian regime interfering with university activities.

Ahmadinejad also praised the students by saying that they have spectacular talents and intelligence compared to students elsewhere in the world.

Sources

• "President: Heads of universities must not be involved in politics" — Islamic Republic News Agency, September 5, 2006

• Nasser Karimi. "Iranian President Wants to Purge Profs" — The Guardian, September 5, 2006

• "Iraanse president kondigt zuivering aan van universiteiten" — De Standaard, September 5, 2006 (Dutch)

• Robert Tait. "Iranian hawk swoops on universities to crush dissent" — The Guardian, March 27, 2006