Ahmadinejad VS. Academia

Approaching 16-Azar (Rooz-e Daneshjoo; day of university students), the coup d'etat regime has intensified arresting students with the slightest inclination for reforms. Increasing reports suggest Ahmadinejad's regime is gearing for massive lay-off of university professors that do not fit the regime's bill of fundamentalism!! Of course, students are also gearing for massive protest, should their professors be forced to retirement or be banned from academic practice.

The "cleansing" of universities began 3 years ago; when in a controversial speech amongst university students, Ahmadinejad stated: "Today, students must shout scorns at a president who allows liberal and secular professors be present in universities." After this radical statement, conditions for firing and retiring prominent university professors was set. After this speech the following professors were banned from teaching in Tarbiyat-Modaress university (a post-graduate university in Tehran, with particularly strong philosophy and humanity programs).

I have not been able to find links to academic activities of all, but notice the fields of research from which these individuals are purged. It seems that Ahmadinejad is intent on getting rid of anyone who will hold him accountable to political history of the middle east, challenge his revolutionary claims, or raise issues with his illegal practices on the international and domestic fronts (labour, human rights, trade ... and criminal justice)

(This list is by no means complete, there are many more ...)

• Saeed Hajarian; Philosophy
• Mohsen Kadivar; Philosophy
• Mohamad-Taghi Ahmadi; fired because he protested to the firing of other colleagues
• Abolfazl Shakoori; Political Sciences
• Hashem Aghajari; head of History department
• Masood Ghaffari
• Hatam Ghaderi

The following were forced to retirement with the excuse of "low performance", or accused of spreading "velvet-revolution theories":

• Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari
• Mohammad Ashoori, professor of criminal justice
• Hasan-Ali Doroodian, professor of civil rights
• Iraj Goldozian, professor of criminal justice
• Amir-Naser Katoozian, professor of civil rights
• Mahmoud Erfani, professor of contract laws
• Abulghasem Gorji, professor of Islamic laws
• Hosein Bashiriyeh, Political science
• Hadi Semati, international relations (see his views on nuclear issue [Persian], his positions seems very similar to what was proposed and agreed to by Iran in the recent Geneva meetings.)
• Homayoon Elahi, professor of Middle East and Persian Gulf
• Ahmad Sayee Safayee, Third-World politics
• Mir Jalal-Kazzazi, Classical literature (!!)
• Reza Reis-toosi, political science, specializing in history of petroleum economics
• Ezatullah Araghi, professor of labor law

Now the second wave of forced retirements has begun. In the first months of the illegitimate government, the following prominent professors of law are let go and BANNED from academic jobs:

• Mohammad-Reza Ziyayee Beygdeli, emeritus professor of international law, head of the department of law and political science in Alameh University
• Ai Azmayesh, Professor of international penal law, and criminologist
• Hossein Sharifi Taraz-Kouhi: professor of human rights
• Mohammad Mohammadi Gorgani: head of the department of human rights in Alameh Tabatabayee University was let go last year!
• Morteza Mardiha: professor of law and political sciences of that university was let go last year too.

(See a related article in English)
(See Dr Soroush's report on militarization of Tarbiyat Modarres, after Ahmadinejad's first election and and older report from Sarmayeh, before it was banned)[Persian]