THE CATASTROPHIC EVENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEHRAN IN 1999

By Hasse-Nima Golkar

THE CATASTROPHIC EVENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEHRAN IN 1999

The day-by-day restrictions of the human rights and socio-political freedoms, following Ayatollah Khomeini’s dictatorial takeover power on 22 February 1979 in Iran, all the higher education institutions were closed by the state, under name of “Cultural Revolution”. The goal was to continue to Islamize them. The massacre of the political and conscientious prisoners, the summer of 1988 and the beginning of a series of the chain murder of various intellectual dissidents have continued to this day.

The closure of the reformist newspaper “Salam” (Hello) on July 8, 1999, with the fully acceptance of the state led by the religious leader Ali Khamenei and President Mohammad Khatami, two liars and hypocritical Shia Islamic politicians, along with all their like-minded, was with the pretext among other things, the “media’s confrontation with the state and the opposition to political development”, etc.

Therefore, about 300 students from the University of Tehran with different political tendencies, protested inside the campus against this policy. The student demonstration was then dragged to the surrounding streets, accompanied by violent clashes from government forces. These student demonstrations, which were likely to continue and spread, frightened that system.

Around midnight at 11 pm on 8:th July, the military and security forces, using their extended arm “Supporters of Allah’s Party” (known as “the civilian clothes”), begin a fascist attack on the dormitory complex near the university, and until the morning of July 9, 1999 continues. They enter and destroy room after room, severely beat the students (even the sleeping), and plunder away all their belongings.

The continuation of these horrific and violent clashes between the military and security forces against the students will take place in the streets around the university and will continue until July 14, 1999. It is said that at least seven people have been killed and one is still missing (Saeed Zeinali) during the almost week-long bloody clashes, and more than 300 had been arrested and many more injured. The highest authorities, including the fundamentalist Ali Khamenei and the reformist Mohammad Khatami, shed crocodile tears after this heartbreaking catastrophe and “condemned” it !!

The catastrophic event at Tehran University in 1999 can be seen as one of the major political challenges between the students and the Shia Islamic State in Iran. And fortunately, in the last decade; The new anarchist movement in Iran, especially among the rebellious youth, students and intellectuals, has begun to grow and expand. This will gradually stabilize and seal its stamp of approval in the history book of the social movements.