Bus Accident at Azad University; "A Mirror of the System's Crises and Contradictions"

The wave of protests over the deaths and injuries of at least 35 people in the bus accident at Azad University and the students' demand for the resignation of Ali Akbar Velayati, the president of this university, has not yet subsided. The overturning of a bus in the internal area of the 'Science and Research Unit of Azad University' in Tehran on December 24 led to the deaths of 10 students and the driver, in addition to injuring 25 others, several of whom are reported to be in critical condition. The cause of the incident has been attributed to faulty brakes and particularly the negligence of the university's transportation unit, which had left the driver and bus unattended for months without receiving a health card and technical inspection. The incident that resulted in the deaths of 10 people at Azad University has become a mirror reflecting various crises and contradictions of the Islamic Republic system. In other words, injustice, inefficiency, corruption, and evasion of responsibility are all evident in such a mirror. However, according to Mehdi Amineh Zadeh, a former student activist residing in Washington, this is not the whole story, and this accident, in his view, represents a smaller world reflecting a larger one. He told Radio Farda: 'The unfortunate incident at Azad University that resulted in the deaths of 10 people has become a mirror reflecting various crises and contradictions of the Islamic Republic system. Injustice, inefficiency, corruption, and evasion of responsibility are all evident in such a mirror.' According to Saeed Peyvandi, an expert in higher education in Iran based in Paris, what is reflected in the mirror that Mehdi Amineh Zadeh refers to has an old background. This sociology professor at the University of Lorraine in Paris told Radio Farda: 'For the past two or three years at Azad University, we have witnessed a kind of managerial chaos that occurred after the coup against supporters of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani and their removal. We have faced multiple changes in the past two or three years.' The bus accident, along with other events, has called into question the managerial competence of Mr. Velayati and others. Public opinion and students are angry because this incident occurred at a university that has not been suffering from financial shortages and numerous financial problems that could justify such an incident. According to Saeed Peyvandi, the discussion about those who are currently in charge at this university has spread in Azad University circles and Iranian academic circles. The bus accident, along with other events, has called into question the managerial competence of Mr. Velayati and others. Public opinion and students are angry because this incident occurred at a university that has not been suffering from financial shortages and numerous financial problems that could justify such an incident. This higher education expert concludes that the mentioned accident 'can only be attributed to mismanagement and lack of attention to the basic facilities of the university, the result of which is this painful accident in which several students lost their lives. This accident is not justifiable because it could have been prevented. The cause of the incident was solely negligence and mismanagement of the university.' The accident on Tuesday has now, according to Mehdi Amineh Zadeh, revealed the shortcomings of the university's management and the government. This former student activist adds that the consequences of the accident 'reflect systemic corruption. A person named Ali Akbar Velayati, due to his closeness to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, is appointed as the president of this university despite holding more than thirty other positions. A very large university that naturally requires a lot of time and energy to manage.' According to Mehdi Amineh Zadeh, 'Injustice is completely evident here. The coincidence of this incident with the death of Ayatollah Shahroudi and the way officials dealt with these two events reflects the relationship between the system and the people. That is, a person dies at the age of 70 after a long illness, while simultaneously, several students lose their lives at a young age due to the negligence of Azad University. However, the attention of various officials of the Islamic Republic to the death of Mr. Shahroudi—from declaring public mourning to condolences—cannot be compared at all with their response to the deaths of these students.' The mentioned accident has led to the dismissal of five managers and deputies of this university. However, this has not satisfied the demand for the resignation of Ali Akbar Velayati, the chairman of the board of trustees and founders of Azad University, nor prominent figures aligned with him such as Mohsen Rezaei and Mohammad Reza Bahonar, who are now trying to distance themselves from him, nor some representatives of the reformist faction in parliament like Mostafa Kaveh Kabi and Parvaneh Salahshouri. Mehdi Amineh Zadeh adds: 'All the factions that supported Mr. Velayati for the presidency of Azad University are now trying to evade the responsibility that rests on each of them.' According to this former student activist, 'From individuals like Mohammad Reza Bahonar to Mr. Mohsen Rezaei, who is a prominent figure of the right and is aligned with Mr. Velayati in one camp, to representatives in parliament like Mr. Dahmarde, who are considered part of the same government faction, all are now trying to delineate themselves from Mr. Velayati and thus evade responsibility.' However, according to Saeed Peyvandi, evading responsibility is not a solution. He states: 'The management of Azad University is particularly in the hands of those who hold various responsibilities at the national level, and managing Azad University is one of these responsibilities.' This sociologist adds: 'Considering that Azad University, with 1.4 million students, is the largest university in Iran, and the responsibility for the quality of education and general management of the university, research issues, and student welfare are all issues that have been widely raised by students and academic councils in recent years, the most energy that the board of trustees and university officials have spent in recent years has been on disputes to purge the university of supporters of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani and reformists.' The most energy that the board of trustees and university officials have spent in recent years has been on disputes to purge the university of supporters of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani and reformists. Saeed Peyvandi concludes his assessment of the reasons for the protests against Ali Akbar Velayati's management of Azad University with these words: 'Although particularly after Mr. Velayati's arrival at the presidency of Azad University, the principlists have dominated the management of Azad University, we have not witnessed any transformation in this university in practice. Therefore, the anger and critical wave currently seen at Azad University relates to all these accumulated problems that have intensified in recent years. The cause of these criticisms is mismanagement and the existing managerial chaos at Azad University.' For now, the attention of students and critics of Azad University's management from all factions is focused on Ali Akbar Velayati, a pediatrician who at the age of 73 holds 37 other governmental positions in addition to the presidency of Azad University. Critics of Ali Akbar Velayati now include Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the public prosecutor and revolutionary prosecutor of Tehran, as well as social media users who have targeted him with hashtags like 'Velayati resign' and 'controversial old man.'