iran unfiltered

Ali-Asghar Beheshti Shirazi and Mohammad Shahri, two professors in the electrical engineering department of the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran, have been fired from their positions.  Both had signed a letter criticizing government militias' entry on December 8 on to the university's campus and their use of violence against students.

While their number and frequency have certainly dwindled in comparison to the few months immediately after the stolen June election, students continue to protest on university campuses.  This week, students at the Iran University of Science & Technology held a vigil to commemorate what would have been the 27th birthday of Kianoosh Asa, a student killed by government forces in the post-election unrest:

Students at Babol University (in the northern city of Babol) also held a protest:

Students gathered today at the University of Science and Technology in Tehran to protest the continuing detention of university student Pooya Sharifi.  In this clip, the students are chanting "Death to the dictator" and "We are the children of war, fight us and we'll fight back":

Yesterday in Ghazvin (a city west of Tehran), students protested the appearance of conservative Majles member and Ahmadinejad supporter Hamid Rassaee, interrupting him throughout his speech and apparently forcing him to leave the stage prematurely.  Toward the end of this clip, Rassaee tries to encourage chants of "Death to America" and the students respond with "Death to Russia", forcing him in the end to suggest both chants as "we're enemies of both."

In a meeting with professors at the Iran University of Science & Technology, former president Mohammad Khatami criticized the ruling faction's use of violence in the aftermath of the June election:

"The main factors in weakening the system are people’s dissatisfaction and the use of violence [by the government] in any form. Violence from any side, especially from the government, is harmful for the society, religion and establishment. The use of violence by the government will cause radicalism and distrust..."

This warning is telling, because he spends much of his speech emphasizing that his views are still within the framework of the current system and that he is still clearly loyal to the system and its constitution.

"While students, professors, scholars, artists, intellectuals who have a great background and even served the country during the Iran-Iraq war and those individuals who are saying that they recognise the constitution but have some criticisms as well are being insulted and falsely accused, unfortunately some [radical] slogans are being raised in the country that none of us approve, the establishment weakens and Iran suffers domestic and international damages."

"We should all return to the constitution and act according to the constitution...The basis is the constitution."

So the point of Khatami's remarks to the ruling faction is this: yes, we disagree.  But don't lose sight of the big picture: we are still all loyal to the system.  If you continue to marginalize and silence us, it's the 'radical' opposition that will benefit.

This is yet more food for thought for those in the Green Movement who have much more ambitious plans than Khatami and co.

English translation of Khatami's remarks, after the jump.

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