Head of Tehran University’s Social Sciences Faculty Defends 'Attack' on Students; Refuses to Apologize

The release of a video showing Gholamreza Jamshidiha, the head of the Social Sciences Faculty, engaging in a heated confrontation with students, using vulgar language, has sparked widespread reactions. He attributed the altercation to the 'inappropriate atmosphere' of the university and told Rokna news agency, 'Perhaps I said something in anger, and the students asked me to apologize! I told them I have no apology to give.' The security environment and 'disciplinary' actions in academic settings have intensified in recent weeks. In this context, student guild councils recently issued a statement titled 'The Rampage of Mandatory Hijab Enforcers in Universities,' reporting an increase in student summons to disciplinary committees in recent weeks, noting that such levels of confrontation with students are 'unprecedented' even compared to the peak of protests last year. In this atmosphere, the release of the video showing the Social Sciences Faculty head's confrontation with a group of students has elicited numerous reactions. Jamshidiha attributed his anger to the 'inappropriate behaviors of students,' stating, 'Unfortunately, girls and boys are engaging in behaviors that are not befitting of a university. Students shake hands, kiss each other, as if they are related, and this is not a university. It was very hard for me to see these behaviors, and I was truly affected.' He further explained that on the day of the incident, 'I asked the offending student to give me their ID card, which they did, and then came to my office. When this student arrived at my office, other students gathered at the door and said irrelevant things, which made me angry.' Jamshidiha claimed that students, in some cases, 'do not observe considerations,' asking, 'Is it right for a girl and a boy who have no relation to shake hands and kiss each other in the courtyard and area of the faculty?! Students smoke and sleep on the grass; are these behaviors really acceptable in the Islamic Republic?!' He emphasized that students 'do not follow the rules and expect me to adhere to the laws and rules, and they even remind me that this is an academic environment.' The head of the Social Sciences Faculty, referring to his 'revolutionary' background, stated, 'I am of an age that has witnessed the Islamic Revolution, the imposed war, and I was from the generation of revolutionaries, and now I see a few students and even a few kids wanting to do what they want and constantly repeating that they are seeking an academic environment.' He asserted that he is accountable for his behavior and that students must also 'maintain the rules.' Jamshidiha, who has been the head of the Social Sciences Faculty at Tehran University, published a book in 2021 titled 'American Human Rights from the Perspective of Imam Khomeini's Thought.' The pressure on students and their summons under the pretext of 'not adhering to mandatory hijab' has intensified following last year's nationwide protests. One Iranian media outlet reported the 'inspection' of female students with electronic equipment. The increase in pressure and summons of students; student guild councils say it is 'unprecedented' and under the pretext of hijab. Suspension of a medical university professor from teaching due to 'signing' several statements. A member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly: 15,000 to 20,000 school managers have been dismissed 'for political and ideological reasons.'