Seyyed Mohammad Khatami with the Beautiful Slogan of Woman, Life, Freedom Moving Towards a Better Future

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami with the beautiful slogan of Woman, Life, Freedom moving towards a better future

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami reacted to recent events by issuing a message on the occasion of Student Day, expressing sorrow over the pain and suffering caused by the bloodshed and the damages people have faced in economic, political, social, and especially moral arenas.

In the name of God

The 16th of Azar must be viewed and evaluated within the context of what has happened to this land over more than a century and the journey and progress the noble Iranian nation has made. The course of the nation’s movement has been the rejection of despotism, colonialism, backwardness, discrimination, and corruption, and correspondingly, the demand for freedom, independence, progress, and justice, in short, achieving a life befitting human dignity and the demands of the times. However, some events and days have taken on symbolic significance, including the 16th of Azar, which represents the high status of the university and the pioneering role of students in future-oriented social transformations.

Despite the pain and suffering from the bloodshed and the damages people have seen and are seeing in economic, political, social, and especially moral fields, it is pleasing that after the imposed inactivity on the university, we are now witnessing the presence and expression of students in recent movements. It is even more pleasing to see the empathy and dialogue of a significant portion of professors with the students.

On the other hand, what is deeply regrettable is the widespread arrest of students and the imposition of educational, professional, and political restrictions on them, as well as the dismissal and pressure on professors. This is neither compatible with the principles and standards of freedom and human rights nor ultimately ensures the sustainable security of the university and society.

The university, in particular, is expected to bear in mind that while freedom is an urgent need and an important demand, security is also important for the country. The freedom referred to is the freedom of the nation, and the security referred to is the security of the homeland. Freedom and security should not be set against each other, resulting in the sacrifice of freedom under the pretext of maintaining security or the neglect of security, which is a condition for establishing good order and organization in society, in the name of freedom.

Now that society, with the beautiful slogan of Woman, Life, Freedom, is showing its movement towards a better future, we see, in an unprecedented or perhaps rare way, intellectuals, professors, elites, and students present in the core of this movement.

I advise the authorities to value this presence and instead of inappropriate confrontations, extend a helping hand to them and, with their assistance, correctly identify the inappropriate aspects of governance and move towards good governance before it is too late.

I hope that, with the grace of the Almighty Lord and attention to the rightful demands of society, more effective openings will emerge in all areas. Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, Azar 1401