How did thugs and hooligans enter universities and schools?
How did thugs and hooligans enter universities and schools? These are not Basijis; the Basijis are on this side. These are thugs and hooligans. This is part of the words of a frightened student from Isfahan University, which I’m sure you have all seen in the film. There are also other images and films from other universities, and they are not few. A famous example is the person who pulled out his gun and fired it at Tehran North Islamic Azad University.
It is said that before the recent events, the attack on the university dormitory was considered the most atrocious confrontation and attack by plainclothes on the realm of education and students in Iran’s history. However, in recent weeks, dozens of such incidents have occurred at university dormitories, and dozens of students have been arrested and expelled from universities and dormitories with the cooperation of university security and the accompaniment of university presidents. This has also happened in some schools, although fewer news and documents have been published compared to universities.
Plainclothes or thugs
The presence of plainclothes in protest gatherings to disrupt them has a long history, and they have generally been referred to as pressure groups. These pressure groups were mostly known as Ansar Hezbollah or even Basij, but it seems that since 2009, this title has acquired a new identity and dimensions. From the time when, in addition to ideological and religious forces, other individuals joined this group: thugs and hooligans.
The same ones that Engineer Mir-Hossein Mousavi mentioned in his last statement. He said, ‘What was the fate of that dishonorable commander who confessed to and boasted about this crime, other than having his life wasted in exile by another tyrant?’
Ahmad Zeidabadi, in a question to the principlist movement, referring to the same statement by Mir-Hossein, asked, ‘What exactly was the story of organizing and employing thugs and hooligans against the post-election protests of 2009, and under what authorization and law was it carried out?’ Hossein Hamdani, in his famous interview, which has been referenced multiple times, officially mentioned the use of thugs and hooligans to deal with public protests.
He said, ‘We identified 5,000 people who were involved in the riots but were not part of political parties and movements; rather, they were from the wicked and thugs. We controlled them at their homes. On the day of the call, they were controlled and not allowed to leave their homes. Later, I organized them into battalions. These three battalions later showed that if we want to train a Mujahid, we have to bring in such individuals who are familiar with knives and machetes.’
University president or security agent?
The entry of security forces or plainclothes, or the same thugs and hooligans, into educational centers, including schools and universities, certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation and green light from university and school management. If university presidents and school managers cannot or do not want to protect the realm of students like Ms. Oqab-Neshin, the principal of a girls’ art school in Karaj, at least they should resign.
You have certainly seen the statements of some school managers and university presidents these days, who officially threaten students. A famous example is a school principal in Bandar Abbas who officially threatened students with being reported to security agencies and having their nails pulled.
Student statements officially report the role of university management in threatening and restricting the university’s realm. Students at the University of Tehran have stated in their recent declaration that university officials have threatened students that if they continue their demands, they will hand over the university’s camera footage to security agencies.
In the statement from students at Mazandaran University, it was mentioned that a group of students condemned the vile actions of suppression forces, which, with the cooperation of the university’s head of security, led to the arrest and torture of freedom-seeking students at Mazandaran University over three consecutive days, October 16, 17, and 18.
In the statement from a group of students at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, it is mentioned that intelligence agents, in collusion with university officials, have created a security and intimidating atmosphere on campus through arrests and blind commitments. Students outside the university environment have been pursued and arrested by masked thugs who introduce themselves as intelligence with maces and knives, etc.
Psychologists’ protest statement
A group of mental health specialists and psychologists recently issued a statement protesting the illegal entry of police forces and attacks by unknown assailants on schools, violating the sanctity of children and adolescents in school, beating and arresting students, using children and adolescents as military forces to suppress protests, illegal pressure on school staff to provide information and introduce students to security forces, and the illegal coercion of students to participate in mandatory cultural programs, citing credible news and reports published in the media.
The statement mentions that numerous reports have been published about managers and officials of some schools speaking to students in a harsh and dangerous tone and, in some cases, even actively handing students over to security forces.
The case of the school principal in Bandar Abbas is one of these examples, and there are many other instances that cannot all be listed here. Therefore, it is expected that serious reconsideration will be given to employing managers, supervisors, and teachers in schools who have cooperated in creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation for students and have acted and spoken in an offensive and threatening manner towards them.
A protesting teenager’s place is neither a detention center nor a correctional facility.
The statement continues, ‘A protesting teenager’s place is neither a detention center nor a correctional facility. Moreover, the use of labels such as anti-social, as suggested by the Minister of Education, requires specialized review by psychologists and psychiatrists who have the authority and competence to diagnose and provide psychological treatment. Such uses are not only incorrect and unscientific but also make society tense and inflamed, and double the fear and distrust of children, adolescents, and families towards the educational system. Punishment, pressure, fear, and labeling are contrary to education and upbringing.’
The approach of the Ministry of Education towards students and adolescents in these difficult times is very concerning. It is expected that the education system will respect Article 27 of the Constitution and support the right of students to protest and provide a platform for hearing their protests and demands.
Moreover, according to Articles 12, 14, 15, 32, 37, 38, and 40 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Child Rights Law passed in 2020, and the Educational Spaces Law passed in 2021, and the Civil Code regarding the conditions for arresting individuals under the legal age, any violation of the law and violence against children and adolescents in schools and educational spaces is inappropriate and damaging.
Release detained students immediately.
In this statement, they request the immediate release of detained students and their return to the safe embrace of their families, providing accurate statistics and information on all detained children and adolescents and those referred to correctional facilities publicly, explaining their current status, and providing a transparent report on the number of students who died during the protests and attacks by official police forces and unknown assailants.
The signatories of this statement also call for serious action to address the illegal entry of police forces and unknown assailants into schools and the arrest of students, a commitment to ensuring the safety of students, and serious prevention of police and security forces entering schools or even around schools under any circumstances, and creating a safe and trustworthy environment for the relationship between students and teachers without fear and terror of political pursuits and recognizing students’ need for freedom of expression and the right to protest and creating a suitable platform for free dialogue.
Iran Gate has been reporting and analyzing the incident from the first moments of Mahsa Amini’s death. You can search for related content using this keyword.
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