Rouhani: Universities and Students Should Not Be Viewed Through a Security Lens

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, warned on Tuesday, July 1st, during a meeting with university professors and doctors that universities and students should not be approached "with a security lens" and that students cannot be made revolutionary "by force." The Mehr News Agency reported on Wednesday that Rouhani raised the question, "Why do we not trust universities, yet we want them to trust us?" Rouhani delivered his speech just four days after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also warned in a ceremony with other professors that the atmosphere of the country’s universities must remain "revolutionary." The Supreme Leader, during the meeting on Saturday evening, June 29th, warned in a stern tone that no support should be given to "anti-revolutionary tendencies" in the country’s universities. Khamenei also urged officials in higher education to "be careful that universities do not become a place for divergence from the concepts and values of the revolution." However, according to Rouhani on Tuesday night, students must consciously and freely gravitate towards "revolution, the interests of the country, Islam, and ethics." He further emphasized that "can belief be created through force?" Rouhani also noted that in Iran, "all positions" are elected by the direct and indirect vote of the people, and therefore, the country’s managers must consider the "vote and will" of the people. The Iranian President has referenced the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA in each of his speeches over the past year, discussing its importance and the openings it has created. His latest speech was no exception. He emphasized the "role of the JCPOA in strengthening better connections with the world’s scientific centers," touching on an issue that has concerned the Islamic Republic for decades and has repeatedly caused trouble for university professors and students: connections with other countries and their scientific centers. Rouhani stated, "They say if our professors connect with professors from other countries... it may pose threats to the country, and this relationship should be cut off." This point directly recalls Khamenei’s speech on Saturday, where he spoke about "scientific diplomacy." Khamenei emphasized that despite the importance of scientific communications and diplomacy, "we must be vigilant not to be deceived and that the groundwork for scientific communications does not become a gateway for enemy infiltration." The Iranian leader also stated that "the enemy uses every means, including scientific communications, for infiltration, and this has happened in the past and is still seen in some cases today." On Tuesday, Rouhani also stressed that his government seeks to establish a closer relationship with universities and "is trying to create a more open atmosphere in universities and return powers to universities and professors." Rouhani continued to complain about the problems some create for the government and promised that he would respond to them "in due time." He said, "Why does a problem arise for the government in the media every day? Some may be very angry about the conditions and openings that have been created, and of course, we will respond to them in due time." In recent days, several figures close to Rouhani’s government have described the publication of the salary slips of government managers as a "political act" that they claim is motivated by "pressure on the government" and "forgetting the major corruptions" during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration. The government spokesman also reported last week in response to reports published against Rouhani’s government in recent weeks, including "salaries of several hundred million" for some managers, about the existence of a "think tank" formed with "political motivations" against the government that "determines what should happen every Saturday."