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Edited by: TJVNews.com
In a striking gesture of international solidarity, Mohammad Moazzeni, the head of Shiraz University in Iran, has announced a significant initiative to offer scholarships to students in the United States and Europe who have been expelled due to their participation in pro-Hamas demonstrations, according to a report published on the Iranian news website known as PressTV.ir. This announcement was made during a gathering of university students and professors in Shiraz, the capital city of the southern Iranian province of Fars.
The announcement comes amid ongoing tensions and widespread protests across various global campuses, where students have voiced strong opposition to what they perceive as Israeli aggression in Gaza. The report on the PressTV web site said that these protests have sometimes led to severe repercussions for the participants, including expulsions and threats of hindered future employment. Moazzeni’s offer is a direct response to these punitive measures against student activists and is framed as a critique of Western responses to the protests.
During his speech, Moazzeni condemned the actions of Western nations, particularly the treatment of student protesters by police forces, which he described as violent and autocratic. He suggested that such measures are indicative of a broader decline in what he termed “global arrogance,” as per the information provided in the PressTV report. Moazzeni also linked the current events in Gaza and the global solidarity movements with them to the principles of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, which prominently advocated for the Palestinian cause.
Shiraz University’s scholarships are intended to provide an academic refuge for those students and professors who have faced disciplinary actions due to their activism. As was revealed in the PressTV report, Moazzeni expressed confidence that other educational institutions in Shiraz and across Fars Province would likely join in extending similar offers, thereby broadening the scope of support for expelled students.
This move by Shiraz University not only highlights the university’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but also positions it as a center willing to challenge the norms of Western academic repercussions in political matters. The PressTV report noted that the scholarships may attract a range of international students and academics who are seeking to continue their education and professional lives in a supportive environment, particularly those who feel marginalized or penalized by their home institutions.
Students are vocally criticizing their institutions’ ties to companies that support what they describe as the “occupying regime’s war” on Gaza, the PressTV report suggested. This movement has seen a dramatic increase in student-led protests, leading to a considerable number of academic disciplinary actions including arrests, suspensions, and expulsions.
The student protests are a reaction to the escalated military actions in Gaza that have reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 people since October of the previous year. The Washington-backed Israeli military operations in Gaza have drawn widespread international condemnation and have now become a major point of contention on college campuses, the PressTV report declared. These students are demanding that their universities sever relationships with any entities providing direct support to these military activities.
The response from universities to the protests has been varied but significant, with many institutions taking strict actions against participating students. In the past 10 days alone, hundreds of students have faced serious consequences including arrests and expulsions, highlighting the tension between student activism and institutional governance, PressTV said. These measures have sparked further debates about the freedom of speech and the role of educational institutions in political and ethical conflicts.
The protests also focus heavily on the role of the United States in the conflict. The U.S. government provides substantial military assistance to Israel, amounting to $3.8 billion annually. Additionally, recent developments have seen President Joe Biden signing a funding package that includes an extra $17 billion in support for Israel. This support has continued despite numerous calls at the United Nations for a ceasefire, which the U.S. has vetoed, further inflaming criticisms of U.S. policy both domestically and internationally.
