Ismail Abdi: The Islamic Republic Has Taken Education Hostage

Ismail Abdi, a teachers' union activist who left Iran due to judicial and governmental pressures and moved to Germany, described the teachers' protests as "one of the most powerful protest movements in Iran in the last two or three decades." According to Voice of America, Mr. Abdi emphasized on Sunday, January 27, that "the education institution in international communities is an independent institution," adding, "However, the Islamic Republic has taken education hostage and linked it to politics and economics." The former secretary of the Tehran Teachers' Union stated that due to the "commodification" of education, "more than 90% of Iranian students cannot benefit from standard education," adding, "Because education has turned into a luxury and expensive commodity, it is not easily accessible." This teachers' rights activist also considered the entrance exam (Konkur) as a lethal blow to education, which has "led to the formation of large mafias." According to Ismail Abdi, as a result of the Islamic Republic's policies, "clergymen visit schools and are continuously present in schools, supervising the educational process and the performance of teachers, which endangers the independence of education." He also stated, "By uniting teachers, we have changed the image created by the Islamic Republic of teachers who are 'serving the regime, going to the polls, and having an ideological function,' and teachers have become demanders who challenge the rulers and stand alongside the claimants for justice." According to Mr. Abdi, teachers' unions "held more than 100 protest gatherings in 2020 and 2021." He emphasized that these protests were "educational for students who saw their teachers becoming demanders," and as a result, "students also joined the protests, and we saw that in 2022, the regime suffered a severe blow from these youth of the 80s and 90s." Ismail Abdi, a well-known activist for the rights of educators and former secretary of the Tehran Teachers' Union, arrived in Germany on Sunday, January 27, welcomed by a group of Iranians. Mr. Abdi was first arrested in 2006 during a teachers' gathering in Tehran. The former secretary of the Tehran Teachers' Union was imprisoned in 2015 and spent years in prison. Ismail Abdi, who was imprisoned for years due to his union activities, was dismissed from his job after 24 years of service and forced to buy back his position. Additionally, see: Ismail Abdi's dismissal on World Teachers' Day; The National Council of Educators emphasized the creation of new organizations. In mid-December, Ismail Abdi was banned from leaving the country due to a complaint from the Revolutionary Guards. Following this action, the Coordination Council of Teachers' Unions in Iran issued a statement referring to Mr. Abdi's years of imprisonment and his release after posting a two billion toman bail, stating that this teachers' union activist "is once again facing restrictions and pressure due to new charges fabricated by the Guards." Also see: Ismail Abdi banned from leaving due to 'fabrication of charges by the Guards' against union activists.