{"id":342949,"date":"2026-02-23T20:19:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T19:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=342949"},"modified":"2026-02-23T20:19:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T19:19:55","slug":"the-university-irans-bastion-against-the-dictatorships-of-the-past-present-and-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/fake-opposition\/the-university-irans-bastion-against-the-dictatorships-of-the-past-present-and-future\/","title":{"rendered":"The University: Iran\u2019s Bastion Against the Dictatorships of the Past, Present, and Future"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_342939\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-342939\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-342939 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tehran-al-zahra-university-protest-23022026.jpg\" alt=\"Tehran, February 23, 2026 \u2014 Alzahra University students gather in large numbers to commemorate the martyrs of the January uprising\" width=\"1000\" height=\"566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tehran-al-zahra-university-protest-23022026.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tehran-al-zahra-university-protest-23022026-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tehran-al-zahra-university-protest-23022026-768x435.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tehran-al-zahra-university-protest-23022026-742x420.jpg 742w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tehran-al-zahra-university-protest-23022026-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tehran-al-zahra-university-protest-23022026-696x394.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-342939\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tehran, February 23, 2026 \u2014 Alzahra University students gather in large numbers to commemorate the martyrs of the January uprising<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Three-minute read<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the winter of 2026, as the new semester opened amid the lingering grief of January\u2019s mass killings, Iran\u2019s university campuses erupted once more. On February 22, students at\u00a0the\u00a0University of Tehran and\u00a0Amirkabir\u00a0University of Technology\u00a0filled courtyards and streets with a single, resounding demand. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/en_simayazadi\/status\/2025583415030911338\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">They chanted<\/a>: \u201cDeath to the oppressor, whether shah or leader.\u201d And: \u201cNeither monarchy nor leadership; democracy, equality.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">These are not mere slogans. They represent a hard-won clarity forged over nearly five decades of clerical despotism, punctuated by waves of uprising since 2017. The Iranian people\u2014from young intellectuals and ethnic communities like the Kurds, Arabs, Baluchis, Lurs, and Azeris, to the older generations who remember the pre-1979 era without nostalgia\u2014refuse to exchange one form of autocracy for another. They will not flee religious tyranny only to embrace a supposedly secular dictatorship propped up by exile figures and selective Western patronage.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">February 22\u2014Tehran, Iran<br \/>Students rallied to commemorate martyrs of the uprising. In their slogans, they rejected both the mullahs&#39; and shah regimes:<br \/>&quot;Down with the oppressor, be it the shah or the supreme leader&quot;<br \/>&quot;Neither monarchy, nor the mullahs&#39; rule, yes to democracy and\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tHmiUW1gE8\">pic.twitter.com\/tHmiUW1gE8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; People&#39;s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Mojahedineng\/status\/2025641397471138049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Architecture of Influence<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:160,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The current regime has ruled Iran for almost half a century, turning a\u00a0geostrategically\u00a0vital nation\u2014rich in resources, population, and revolutionary potential\u2014into a prison of fear and isolation. Yet every major upheaval in Iran reverberates far beyond its borders. A genuine revolution here would reshape the Middle East and beyond, for better or worse. The clerical rulers know this; that is why they crush dissent with such ferocity. But the students know it too, and they\u00a0are acting\u00a0accordingly.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The February protests build on a resilient, decentralized resistance that has radicalized over time. From<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/iran-protests-reformists-hardliner-game-is-over_b_5a47fb0ee4b0df0de8b06aac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> the 2017\u20132018 demonstrations<\/a> to the 2022 uprising and the deadly crackdowns of January 2026, each wave has grown more explicit in its call for regime overthrow, not reform. Universities\u00a0remain\u00a0the vanguard: spaces where relative autonomy allows organized defiance to flourish, where networks span cities and ethnic lines, and where 47 years of bitter experience have taught Iranians to distinguish propaganda from truth.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This experience breeds deep skepticism toward external narratives and imported saviors. State media long ago lost all credibility, leaving many vulnerable to slick exile broadcasts that mix genuine expos\u00e9s with agenda-driven spin. Social media amplifies emotionally charged content, often funded by interests that have no stake in Iran\u2019s sovereignty. <a href=\"https:\/\/irannewsupdate.com\/news\/infightings\/manufacturing-the-past-to-block-the-future-how-fake-monarchist-networks-serve-authoritarian-power-in-iran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fake clips<\/a>, paid influencers, and psychological operations exploit the population\u2019s pain\u2014economic\u00a0collapse,\u00a0mass poverty, endless repression\u2014to steer public sentiment toward prefabricated outcomes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Breaking?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Breaking<\/a> Iran Protests Update &#8211; Statement by a Group of Tehran University Students Regarding the Fake Videos Published: <br \/>\u201cThe monarchists seek to legitimize dictatorship and deprive this space \u2014 the voice of the people \u2014 of real freedom and democracy.\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/No2ShahNo2Mullah?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#No2ShahNo2Mullah<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>The\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BFAIgC71IT\">pic.twitter.com\/BFAIgC71IT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/en_simayazadi\/status\/2025577162334453958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Caricature of Leadership<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:160,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The failed diaspora \u201calliance\u201d at Georgetown University in early 2023 stands as a cautionary tale. In the wake of Mahsa Amini\u2019s murder and the ensuing nationwide revolt,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">controversial\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">exiles\u2014including Reza Pahlavi\u2014gathered to issue <a href=\"https:\/\/freeiransn.com\/behind-the-crown-a-documented-critique-of-reza-pahlavis-political-role-2\/#:~:text=Pahlavi%27s%20refusal%20to%20unequivocally%20reject,institutions%2C%20further%20erodes%20his%20credibility.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Mahsa Charter<\/a> and promise unity for a secular, democratic transition. The effort collapsed almost\u00a0immediately, fractured by egos, strategic disagreements, and the unmistakable sense that one figure sought dominance over genuine coalition-building. It was symbolic theater, not serious\u00a0politics\u2014much like the broader exile opposition, which excels at media appearances but struggles to translate diaspora\u00a0clout\u00a0into domestic organization.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Reza Pahlavi, in particular, embodies\u00a0this\u00a0disconnect. Cast by some as a transitional figure or unifying symbol, he is better understood as a caricature of past autocrats: armed with media access, selective Western support, and little else. Unlike\u00a0Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979\u2014who exploited a vacuum left by the Shah\u2019s brutal suppression of secular opposition while clerical networks\u00a0operated\u00a0freely\u2014Pahlavi lac<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ks\u00a0even minimal\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">legitimacy or infrastructure inside Iran.\u00a0The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/society\/who-was-mohammad-reza-pahlavi-shah-irans-last-pahlavi-dictator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shah had\u00a0eliminated\u00a0rivals<\/a> and tolerated the mullahs as a \u201csafe\u201d alternative; today\u2019s resistance is far more organized, nationwide, and ideologically diverse. It\u00a0draws on\u00a0decades of trial and error, bridging ethnic groups, generations, and political tendencies in pursuit of real independence.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u2753 Do you know why protesters across Iran chant \u201cDown with the Oppressor, Be it the SHAH or the LEADER&quot;?<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6\ufe0f Because ongoing <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/IranProtests?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#IranProtests<\/a> embody over 120 yrs of struggle for freedom, against tyranny of monarchs &amp; clerics.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/%D9%85%D8%B1%DA%AF_%D8%A8%D8%B1_%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%DA%AF%D8%B1_%DA%86%D9%87_%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D9%87_%DA%86%D9%87_%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A8%D8%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#\u0645\u0631\u06af_\u0628\u0631_\u0633\u062a\u0645\u06af\u0631_\u0686\u0647_\u0634\u0627\u0647_\u0628\u0627\u0634\u0647_\u0686\u0647_\u0631\u0647\u0628\u0631<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RlKWg0lt8p\">pic.twitter.com\/RlKWg0lt8p<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCRIUS\/status\/1626460328056815618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 17, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">A Sovereignty\u00a0of the People<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:160,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The contrast with 1979 could not be\u00a0starker. Back then, revolution filled a void. Today, an organic, street-tested movement exists\u2014one capable of mobilizing bazaars, factories, schools, and neighborhoods. It rejects both the decaying theocracy and any shadow dictatorship waiting in the wings. The students\u2019 chants are a double rejection: no to the mullahs in power, and no to the monarchy lurking in exile, often amplified by powers eager to fragment opposition or extract concessions from the regime.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Iran\u2019s future cannot be dictated from Los Angeles studios or Georgetown conference rooms. It will\u00a0emerge\u00a0from the campuses, streets, and resilient networks that have sustained defiance for years. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jan\/17\/iran-protests-opposition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">regime\u2019s brutality<\/a>\u2014thousands\u00a0dead in recent months alone\u2014only accelerates the inevitable. As protests enter their third day amid clashes and fresh crackdowns, the message from Iran\u2019s universities rings clear: The people demand democracy and equality on their own terms, free from tyrants of any stripe.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is not nostalgia for a lost empire or faith in a clerical republic. It is the voice of a nation that has suffered enough experiments imposed from above\u2014or from abroad. Iran\u2019s students are not waiting for permission or a crowned intermediary. They are declaring that the era of stolen revolutions is over.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three-minute read&nbsp; In the winter of 2026, as the new semester opened amid the lingering grief of January&rsquo;s mass killings, Iran&rsquo;s university campuses erupted once more. On February 22, students [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":342939,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5499],"tags":[130,5500],"class_list":["post-342949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-iran-protests","category-fake-opposition","tag-iran-protests","tag-fake-opposition"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The University: Iran\u2019s Bastion Against the Dictatorships of the Past, Present, and Future - NCRI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Three-minute read\u00a0 In the winter of 2026, as the new semester opened amid the lingering grief of January\u2019s mass killings, Iran\u2019s university campuses\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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