Bahareh Hedayat and Majid Tavakoli

Bahareh Hedayat and Majid Tavakoli, two imprisoned student activists, have recently sent out a message from prison for 16 Azar. In this message they admire the efforts of the Iranian students abroad, and considered it a great opportunity to protect and promote Student Movement. The complete message is as follows:

Dear friends, fellow student activists abroad,

It has been a while since regime’s forces have imprisoned us, two of the Student Activist inside Iran, for crying out-loud against despotism and tyranny, trying to achieve democracy and freedom and protecting the right of our oppressed people against the Authoritarian regime. They call themselves the national security guards and us the rioters and National Security disturbers!

We sincerely send you our warm and heartfelt regards from the corners of our cells of injustice and cruelty. Our bodies may be wounded by the blade of tyranny, but our hearts are filled with love and burning flame of hope, and our heads are high for continuing the glorious path of freedom which has been carried away on the shoulders of the Iranian people all across the world.

We were informed that our classmates and friends outside of the geographical borders of Iran have not forgotten about their fellow students inside or the continuation of the struggles for freedom and democracy; and are arranging for Commemoration of the Student Day in Iran.

Hence we have decided to have a few words with with you.

Universities as institutions independent of power, are home for criticism and questioning all around the world. They are connected through bounds which are beyond geographical borderlines! The open and free climate of universities outside of Iran, provides the student activists with the opportunity and possibility of  strengthening their ties with students and academics inside Iran. The student movement inside Iran has certain responsibilities and feasibility in regards with its civil activities. Iranian student activist abroad also have other opportunities and grounds for helping and supporting inside activities, and these efforts can be complementary to one another.

As proven by the considerable and effective efforts and struggles of the students outside of Iran before revolution, fight for democracy and freedom in our land  does not recognize geographical limits and borderlines; and can be pursued anywhere in the world, based on the existing condition and situation. That’s why all the efforts made in this field in the past years are appreciable; and it is necessary that the students and student activists outside Iran who have more freedoms appreciate their power and position and put more effort into supporting and helping struggle of people for freedom and democracy.

While a sever police state has dominated Iran’s social atmosphere, specifically towards students and academics; it is up to the student activists outside Iran to be the loud and clear voice of the demands of students inside Iran and reflect voices and ideas of the students to the international media worldwide.  Authoritarians do everything in their power to silence the voice of opposition and critics and violently pressure the social and political activists in Iran. In the meantime  those whose hearts are with Iran and its people and are capable of doing something about it, should raise awareness and sensitivity of the international society for the continuous and constant human rights violations in Iran, specifically violation of the academic freedom in universities and limitation of independent students and professors.  International sensitivity and power of public opinion can help reduce the repression inside Iran. It is of great importance to target the leaders of repression of students and the student movement, and supporters of dictatorship.

One of the biggest achievements of the student movement in the last two decades has been flourishing the healthy atmosphere of contrasting ideas and criticizing different point of views from different aspects, in presence of experts in public arena. Now that the continuation of this positive process is not possible under the police state, the Iranian movement outside Iran can fill in the void, using the new communication technologies and the potentials of virtual world, and establish real dialog opportunities, freethinking and encounter between different ideas. The intellectual freedom outside Iran is for sure a perfect opportunity to discuss the plans and suggestions for protection and promotion of student movement through dialog and idea exchange. This will reveal the schemes of the dominance structure to stop the dynamics of ideas and will  fail their parallel attempts to raise false awareness.

Once again we send our regards to the pure efforts of the students outside Iran. We strongly believe that one day we will let the doves of peace and freedom fly free and watch them up high in Iran’s blue sky.

Looking forward to that not so faraway day…

Bahareh Hedayat, Majid Tavakoli