Six Discriminations Between University Students and Seminary Students

The religious nature of the Islamic Republic's government and the absolute and exclusive power of the clergy form the basis of its discriminatory practices. The most significant discriminations exist between clergy and non-clergy, and then between (apparently) ideological and non-ideological individuals. These discriminations can be observed against non-clerics and non-religious individuals in elections, job acquisition, obtaining government positions, securing government contracts, gaining titles, and education. (Discrimination against women, non-Muslims, non-Shiites, non-heterosexuals, and dissenters is a routine and legal practice). In this article, I will explain the discrimination in the field of studying religious and non-religious sciences in both academic and seminary environments. Most students are forced to take loans for their tuition at non-governmental universities and living expenses during their studies at all universities, and when they graduate, they and their families fall under millions of tomans, sometimes tens of millions of tomans in debt. However, seminary students have all their expenses covered by the government, the regime, and the clergy who benefit from government rents today (and factories and companies are behind their deeds). Among social classes in Iran, clergy are under the least loans and debts because they do not need to take loans during their studies and are not forced to take large loans after graduation. Even those who take loans usually get interest-free loans from benevolent institutions, which, considering the inflation rate, becomes very cheap for them. Some seminary students even receive interest-free loans for buying homes and cars. Seminary students were initially exempt from military service at the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Even today, when they are not exempt from military service under certain conditions, their military service is discriminatory in terms of location and type of service. Seminary students can generally complete their military service by performing their normal activities as clergy and are only required to undergo military training for 45 days. According to the secretary of the seminary and education cooperation headquarters, 'with the leader's approval... interested and qualified seminary students can complete their military service in education.' (Fars, April 29, 2016) Education is just one of the 28 government institutions where seminary students can complete their military service. None of these opportunities are given to university graduates from undergraduate programs. In higher education, 'connections' and 'favoritism' help only some graduates complete their service in government agencies. The government's sensitivity towards university students, especially those in state universities, is very high, and students are suspended or deprived of education for political and religious reasons (such as being Baha'i). In seminaries, there is generally no organization for this purpose, and no one has heard of seminary students being politically and ideologically screened for studying jurisprudence and principles. Only clergy who are tried in special courts are defrocked. Over the past 37 years, tens of thousands of students from various courses have been expelled from universities for political, ideological, and religious reasons, or have been completely barred from entering universities. Thousands were expelled from universities only in the years 1980 to 1982. The unemployment rate among university graduates is about 30 to 40 percent (depending on the field), but the term 'unemployed seminary graduates' is unheard of because clergy have enough influence to fabricate jobs for seminary students in government offices and agencies. Those who do not have a stable and permanent government job benefit from government resources as preachers and prayer leaders. The absence of unemployment among clergy is evident from their standard of living (high or at least middle class) and their lack of presence in places where the unemployed gather or in jobs that the unemployed pursue. Despite claims from some seminary administrators about unemployment among some seminary students, no external signs of this unemployment have been observed. For example, no clergy member has been seen engaging in street vending or begging, while unemployed graduates resort to various methods to make a living. Also, unemployed students refrain from marriage, while seminary students are generally married and have children, and their living expenses are covered. According to reports from government officials in recent years, tens of thousands of seminary students have been recruited into education. If no jobs are found for seminary students, they can at least become prayer leaders in an office or school and receive salaries equal to or sometimes higher than other employees simply for their prayers. Unlike the past, today most mosques in the country operate under the Mosque Affairs Organization, and the clergy of these mosques receive various government and state salaries and benefits. In the years before the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the quality of life for university students was significantly better than that of seminary students. As a university student in Shiraz and Tehran between 1978 and 1989 (except for the period of university closures) and a seminary student in Shiraz and Qom between 1980 and 1982, I experienced these two systems firsthand. Students during the Pahlavi era had better food, health and medical facilities, heating and cooling systems, and transportation compared to seminary students. However, immediately after the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the decline in the quality of life for university students began. This decline has continued. The improvement in the quality of life for seminary students began during Khamenei's leadership. Qom became a city of construction with various facilities for seminary students. Those who want to enter state universities and receive higher education without tuition must pass the entrance exam. However, in seminaries, where no tuition is charged, there has never been an entrance exam. The admission of seminary students is based on an open-door policy, and no one is rejected. However, state universities have a limited quota. Additionally, foreign students face restrictions when entering state universities in Iran, but foreign seminary students wishing to study in Shia seminaries are accepted without restrictions. However, severe restrictions are imposed on Sunni seminaries in this regard. In sending students abroad and receiving scholarships from the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, working during studies in government centers, benefiting from scholarships from government organizations and ministries, and other privileges, there is no discrimination between seminary students and Basij and loyal students (they benefit from these privileges), and all discriminations are against non-loyal students.