Petition with Hundreds of Signatures; Iranian Students Concerned About Being Unable to Study in the U.S.

More than 1,800 Iranian students and researchers have signed an online petition protesting Donald Trump's executive order regarding the temporary ban on citizens from six countries entering the U.S., calling for the repeal of this order. The signatories, whose number has reached 1,822 by the time of this report, praise the characteristics of American society, including modernity, progress, and support for thinkers, stating that part of these successes is 'the result of the activities of thinkers from around the world, of which Iranian students are also a part.' The signatories, many of whom are inside Iran, referenced multiple examples of individuals for whom this order has created problems; including a student named Omid who, despite winning multiple medals in scientific Olympiads, has been unable to enroll at Stanford University. Iranian researchers and students say they have endured many hardships to gain admission to top U.S. universities, and now, according to them, some U.S. universities are refusing to accept their applications due to the current situation. The signatories state that many of them have even completed security checks and were waiting for their interview appointments to obtain student visas. They wrote to the U.S. government that it is within the government's authority to remove these obstacles and 'open the way for the cultural and scientific advancement of humanity, the dissemination of the message of peace, and the construction of a better world and a greater America.' This letter from hundreds of students and researchers was published after thousands of academic activists in the U.S. also criticized Trump's executive order. Over 41,000 signatories of a protest letter in this regard stated that this order is not in the interests of the U.S. as it 'damages America's leadership in higher education and research.' According to statistics from the Institute of International Education, a non-profit organization in the U.S., Iranian students ranked eleventh among foreign students in the U.S. last year, with more than 12,000 individuals. The implementation of the initial executive order by the U.S. president was halted after a wave of protests and by the ruling of several courts in the country, and it was later re-signed with changes. This order prohibits the entry of citizens from six countries, including Iran, into the U.S. for 90 days. The implementation of this order is set to begin on Thursday, March 16, but several states have already protested this order and stated that they will sue in federal court. In response to critics, the U.S. government has stated that this order was issued to maintain domestic security and organize the vetting of individuals entering the country.