Iran’s universities are seeking to capitalise on the chaos that is engulfing US universities as pro-Palestinian protests show no sign of letting up. Mohammad Moazzeni, head of Shiraz University in the southern region of Fars, has extended a proposal to those students protesting Israel’s actions in its war against Hamas: come study in Iran for free.
“Students and even professors who have been expelled or threatened with expulsion can continue their studies at Shiraz University, and I think that other universities in Shiraz as well as Fars Province are also prepared [to provide the conditions],” he said in an interview to the Iranian state-owned outlet Press TV.
According to a Newsweek report, Shiraz University, formerly known as Pahlavi University, was established in 1946 and is one of the Islamic Republic’s most prestigious universities. It is listed among its top three research-oriented schools.
While Iranian officials have not commented on Moazzeni’s comment, they consistently voiced their support for the pro-Palestine protests taking place in the US. Iran’s human rights chief Kazem Gharibabadi, said on April 25 that the detentions of protesters showed the US was an “accomplice” to Israel’s “genocide” of Palestinians.
Other Iranian officials have followed suit. In a post on X the following day, on April 26, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani shared a video of US police officers arresting protesters and asserted, “American officials lack the moral authority to lecture [others] on human rights.” This is not the first time that Iran has done this. According to a local media report, Iranian officials had last year urged the French government to “respect human rights and not resort to force” during widespread protests in France against proposed pension reforms.
Critics believe Iran’s focus on protests in the West is a way for the Islamic Republic to deflect from its own record in this matter. Iran has consistently been accused by international organisations, such as HRW of harsh crackdowns against protesters.
The focus on the US protests has brought Iran and HRW on the same platform. In its blog, HRW wrote: “As protests spread to campuses across the country, university administrations should be careful not to mislabel criticism of Israeli government policies or advocacy for Palestinian rights as inherently antisemitic or to misuse university authority to quash peaceful protest. Instead, universities should safeguard people’s rights to assembly and free expression.”
These sentiments were echoed by Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who posted a statement in Arabic, English, and Persian on X stating that the crackdown on demonstrations in the US was “deeply worrying” and that the world was “disgusted” by it.
According to a CNN report, over 1,000 people have been arrested in over 25 campuses in 21 states in the US. Protests are also rising in Australia, Canada, Italy, the UK, and France.
(With inputs from agencies)
