Head of Social Sciences Faculty at Allameh Tabatabai University Dismissed Following Comments on Mahsa Amini

Following widespread backlash to comments made by the head of the Social Sciences Faculty at Allameh Tabatabai University regarding Mahsa Amini, the university announced that he has been dismissed from his position. Ali Entezari, on August 20, during a television program called 'Shiveh' and in a debate with Taghi Azadarmaki, referred to the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 as 'the slaughter of a Sunni Kurdish girl.' He also claimed that the Islamic Republic responded 'fatherly' to protests following Amini's death and did not resort to violence. This statement faced significant reactions after a video of it was shared on social media, including a response from Amjad Amini, Mahsa's father, who wrote in an Instagram story on September 5, 'Referring to Mahsa as a slaughtered Sunni Kurdish girl comes from the mind of a lowly person.' The public relations office of Allameh Tabatabai University announced on September 6 that Ardshir (Ali) Entezari was dismissed for 'raising issues far from Iranian and Islamic discourse and using inappropriate expressions' during the television program. Just hours before this announcement, the 'Shiveh' program published an image of a note from Mr. Entezari, apologizing for his remarks. In Entezari's explanation, who is also described as a university professor and sociologist, he stated, 'I should have been more careful in my choice of words and not relied solely on local customs.' Following this university official's comments about Mahsa Amini, Mojgan Eftekhari, Mahsa's mother, also deemed these remarks 'an insult to all Iranians' and added, 'This insult is a sign of disrespect for human dignity and citizens' rights.' Ms. Eftekhari also addressed Ali Entezari, saying, 'We expected you, as a university official, to refrain from incorrect and insulting statements, but it seems that hatred is ingrained in your mind.' Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old woman from Saqqez, fell into a coma while in the custody of the morality police in Tehran on September 22, 2022, and died three days later at Kasra Hospital in Tehran. Her death sparked a wave of nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic, which became known as the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement and continues to this day. Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, like many other educational institutions, was one of the places where student protests occurred in 2022.