Reactions to the Eviction of the 'House of Human Sciences Thinkers'; Efforts for 'Complete Purification'

One of the deputy mayors of Tehran has supported the eviction of the 'House of Human Sciences Thinkers,' accusing the current operators of this institution of managing it with 'a specific viewpoint and a limited intellectual current.' Amin Tavakolizadeh, the social deputy of the mayor of Tehran, stated in an interview with ISNA news agency on Thursday, July 6, that the 'House of Human Sciences Thinkers' is 'under the control of a specific group of activists.' Meanwhile, several experts in the field of human sciences have rejected this accusation. Taha Morghati, a political law professor at the University of Tehran, told Ensaf News that the 'House of Human Sciences Thinkers' has managed to utilize various perspectives in the country through the clash of ideas and such spaces should not be closed. The insistence of the Tehran municipality on the eviction of this civil institution has been met with criticism from users and experts on social media. Ehsan Badaghi, a journalist, described the 'closure of the House of Thinkers' as an 'attempt for complete purification' by government institutions. Abdolmajid Arfaei, a researcher of ancient languages, also came to the location of this think tank with an oxygen machine and, with labored breaths, told Shargh newspaper: 'Do not let the House of Thinkers fall apart.' Mohammad Fazeli, a sociologist, considered the 'closure' of the 'House of Human Sciences Thinkers' as part of the 'discrediting' of human sciences, stating, 'When you are compared to the Taliban, do not be upset.' Zahra Amouzegar, a professor of Persian language and literature, also noted the interest of young people in this think tank, saying, 'I cannot believe that such a base would be closed.' Zahra Amouzegar told Shargh newspaper, 'Isn't it wiser to strive to water fruitful trees instead of cutting them down, and if there is a need to create another cultural center, to plant a new sapling?' The current controversy arose after several managers and executive agents of the Tehran municipality entered the House of Thinkers with a 'verbal order' on Tuesday, July 4, and demanded its evacuation by changing the locks and expelling some of the staff of this center. However, some officials of the House of Thinkers, emphasizing the lack of a judicial order and the absence of legal proceedings for the eviction of this property, have continued to resist and spent the last two nights in this building. Members of the institution of this civil entity have announced that they have officially filed a complaint against the representatives of the Tehran municipality and are seeking a resolution from the prosecutor's office. The House of Human Sciences has stated that in the contract of 2014 with the municipality's real estate organization, no specific duration was determined.