Three-minute read
In a move that has sparked widespread controversy and debate, the president of Tehran University, Mohammad Moghimi, announced on August 16, 2024, that the university will continue admitting members of Iraq’s Hashd-al-Shaabi forces as foreign students. This decision has raised alarms among students, faculty, and observers who see it as part of a broader strategy by the Iranian regime to extend its ideological and military influence within academic institutions.
Hashd-al-Shaabi, known internationally as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), is a coalition of predominantly Shiite militias in Iraq that has been heavily supported and influenced by the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The group has been involved in military operations across the region and functions as a proxy for Iranian influence in Iraq and beyond. Many countries, including several in the Middle East, view the PMF as a terrorist organization.
The announcement by Tehran University, which includes the provision for these militia members to study management rather than military tactics, has not eased the concerns of many. Moghimi defended the decision by highlighting the financial benefits, stating that the tuition paid by these students is significantly higher than that of Iranian students, bringing valuable foreign currency into the country.
Why is the regime ruling #Iran now allowing foreign and paramilitary forces into #universities?https://t.co/4aA0zkjZ19
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 25, 2023
The state-run newspaper Etemad wrote on August 16, “For months now, especially during the late Raisi’s administration, the names of prestigious Tehran universities such as Sharif, Tehran, and Shahid Beheshti have been associated with controversial issues related to quotas and favoritism. The dismissal of several professors from these universities, the appointment of controversial figures like Saeed Haddadian (a religious eulogist) as professors, remarks by Dr. Moghimi, the president of Tehran University, stating that members of the Hashd al-Shaabi militia can continue their studies at Tehran University, … are all examples of these controversies. All these incidents will undoubtedly damage the status and reputation of these universities.”
The inclusion of PMF members in Iranian universities is particularly troubling given their role in the violent crackdown on protests within Iran. During the nationwide protests in 2022, reports surfaced that members of Hashd-al-Shaabi were brought into Iran to assist in the suppression of demonstrators. Their presence added a layer of brutality to the regime’s efforts to quash dissent, with many protesters facing severe repression at the hands of these foreign militia forces.
This latest move to bring foreign militias into Iranian universities echoes the regime’s longstanding efforts to control academic institutions. The most significant of these efforts began in 1980 when former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini launched the so-called Cultural Revolution. This campaign led to the closure of universities across Iran for three years, from 1980 to 1983, under the pretext of “Islamicizing” the education system. The Cultural Revolution was marked by the expulsion of thousands of students and professors who were deemed ideologically incompatible with the new clerical rule.
Even upon the reopening of the universities in 1983, the regime systematically worked to suppress dissent and promote its own version of extremist ideology through the establishment of the Basij student militia and the infiltration of academic institutions by security forces.
#Iranian Universities and Their #Students Are an Everlasting Threat to Dictatorshttps://t.co/cCRpN40RfH
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 7, 2023
In the last couple of days, students at Tehran University have also voiced their opposition. In a public statement, student groups expressed their refusal to accept the presence of militia members on campus, arguing that it undermines the independence and integrity of the university. They pledged to resist what they see as the militarization of their educational environment.
As the new academic year approaches, the presence of Hashd-al-Shaabi members at Tehran University is likely to remain a flashpoint for controversy. The Iranian regime’s decision to bring these foreign fighters into its educational system highlights the lengths to which it is willing to go to maintain its influence and control. However, the backlash from students and the wider public suggests that this strategy may face significant resistance.
The Iranian regime’s attempts to control and reshape the academic landscape, from Khomeini’s Cultural Revolution to the current inclusion of foreign militias in universities, have consistently faced resistance. Despite decades of efforts to suppress intellectual freedom, the universities have remained centers of dissent and opposition. The regime’s latest initiative to integrate Hashd-al-Shaabi forces into Tehran University is likely to face similar resistance. The enduring spirit of resistance within Iran’s academic institutions suggests that this strategy, like those before it, is certainly going to fail in extinguishing the pursuit of knowledge and freedom.