Student Day (16 Azar) in Iran

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December 7th marks the National Student Day in Iran. The student movement is a power to be reckoned with and has been for many years. Students in Iran have been actively and consistently working against the Islamic Regime for many years. We all remember the pro-democracy student demonstrations in July of 1999, as well as numerous anti Regime protests and demonstrations we have witnessed in the past 10 years. Since the elections students have once again been very active and very involved in asking for a secular/ non religious, free and democratic government. As a result the number of arrests and imprisonment of students has increased in the past few months. Iranian students have marked the National Student Day with protests and demonstrations every year to show their opposition against the Regime. This year will not be any different. As the Student Day approaches numerous different groups and organizations including many student organizations have organized protests and gatherings in solidarity with the Iranian students. A protest was organized today (December 5th) by the students of University of Toronto in front of the Hart House building. This event was extensively advertised on Facebook, which gave me the opportunity to write to the organizers on their discussion board, and openly ask whether this was a Anti-Regime or a pro-reform or another kind of gathering.

The answer I received from one of the organizers was that this was NOT an Anti-Regime event and that it was organized in support of the students in Iran. I truly want to believe that some or most of these students had the best of intentions, however they were either grossly misinformed or are being taken advantage of by Islamic Regime Agents who are amongst them. The students in Iran are not protesting in a vacuum, and for no particular goal. They are protesting against tyranny and for a secular and democratic Iran. Things that will clearly not be possible until the Islamic Regime in it's entirety is removed from power. It is difficult to understand how anyone can claim to support the Iranian Students ( who are risking their education, their freedom and ultimately their lives to fight against the Regime) and yet organize an event that is NOT anti-Regime. If an event is not Anti-Regime then what can it be? Pro Regime? There doesn't seem to be a middle ground. If one is not part of the solution one is part of the problem, as it has happened in the case of these students. (Read more...)