NETWORK OF CONCERNED HISTORIANS- circular no. 65
Available in pdf-format at:http://www.concernedhistorians.org/content/ca.html
Dear colleagues,
Today, 16 March 2011, the Network for Education and Academic Rights (NEAR) reports about the dismissal of a history lecturer in Iran. In [late February 2011], the University Security Unit of Payame Noor University in Mashhad requested the faculty of arts not to assign courses at the beginning of the new term to history lecturer Seyed Hossein Javdani. Javdani declared that this de facto dismissal, of which he had not been directly informed, was connected to articles he wrote and published on various websites before and after the June 2009 presidential elections (mostly about the Green movement that staged protest after these elections) and had nothing to do with his lectureship since he never mentioned national politics in his classes.We hope that you can send the recommended urgent appeals immediately. Please remember to write in your professional capacity.
With best wishes,
Antoon De Baets
(Network of Concerned Historians)
♦♦♦♦♦
Network for Education and Academic Rights (NEAR) - 16 March 2011
IRANIAN UNIVERSITY LECTURER BANNED FROM TEACHING
AFTER PUBLISHING CRITICAL ARTICLES
[http://www.nearinternational.org/alert-detail.asp?alertid=585]
Seyed Hossein Javdani, a history lecturer at Payame Noor University in Mashhad, was dismissed after publishing critical articles, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported on 7 March 2011.
Javdani, was banned from teaching at Payame Noor University after the University Security Unit and security organizations requested the Faculty not to assign him courses at the beginning of the new term. He declared that he has not been directly informed of his dismissal.
According to Javdani, who is also a member of the Central Council of Khorasan's Tahkim-e Vahdat Alumni Association (Advar) branch, and former Secretary of Tehran University's Islamic Association of Democracy-Seeking Students, his activities outside the university are not in any measure related to his function and duties as a lecturer. He declared that his dismissal is strictly connected to articles he wrote before and after the presidential election and published on various websites, and have nothing to do with his activity within the university since he never mentioned national politics during his classes.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Javdani, who was previously threatened with dismissal in the middle of last term because of critical articles, explains that the Iranian regime uses dismissals as a way to place opponents under financial and economic pressure to stop their political activities. He added that several other lecturers from other faculties might also be banned from teaching for political reasons. Following his dismissal, Javdani tried to fight the decision but he was ignored by the university officials, who receive external pressures from the regime. Reporting his dismissal as a form of protest is his last resort.
[Related link: http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2011/03/faculty-member-dismissal]
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
**Respectfully urging the authorities to re-examine the circumstances of Mr Javdani's dismissal.
**Respectfully reminding Iran that as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it has an obligation to guarantee freedom of expression.
APPEALS TO:
Please send appeals to:
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei
**Leader of the Islamic Republic
**The Office of the Supreme Leader
**Shoahada Street
**Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
**Email: info_leader@leader.ir
His Excellency Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
**President, Islamic Republic of Iran
**Palestine Avenue
**Azerbaijan Intersection
**Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
**Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
Mr Kamran Daneshjoo
**Minister of Science, Research and Technology
**Pirouzan Jonoubi Avenue
**Sanaat Square
**Tehran
**Islamic Republic of Iran
**Email: info@msrt.ir
COPIES TO:
Please send copies to:
Mr. Mohammad Khazaee
**Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations
**Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
**622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor
**New York, NY 10017, USA
**Email: iran@un.int
Iranian Ambassador to your country of residence
**For contact details for the Iranian Embassy in your country, please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Network for Education and Academic Rights (NEAR)
**London South Bank University
**Technopark
**90 London Road,
**SE1 9LN London, UK
**Tel: +44 (0) 20 7021 0884
**Fax: +44 (0) 20 7021 0881
**Email: contact@nearinternational.org