The film Education Under Fire premiered recently at Concordia University. Students, faculty and several campus clubs came together to engage in conversations and action to support Iranian students denied access to higher education based on ideological or religious reasons. The audience viewed the powerful 30-minute documentary, and participated in an engaging discussion with a cross-section of students about follow-up action they could take on campus and beyond.
Highlights of the premiere included articles written by campus papers, support and involvement by Journalists for Human Rights, Amnesty International Concordia and Montreal, and Concordia University TV. There was outstanding support from numerous Professors and hundreds of students.
New initiatives are underway on many campuses and in communities across Canada in a further effort to raise awareness of the violation of rights to education in Iran. The project centred around the film Education Under Fire has inspired individuals at Simon Fraser, UBC, Carleton, the University of Toronto and Dalhousie, among others, to plan events and set in motion a process the intensity of which appears to be increasing each day.
Those involved in the organization of the campaign have indicated that, whether a university, college, or high school student or faculty, or a member of a community, the hosting of an Education Under Fire event is simple. The organized structure of the campaign, the experience already acquired, and the support network in place will all assist individuals in the process of organizing an event.
For over 30 years Iranian Baha’is have been systematically persecuted for their beliefs and have been blocked from entering any institution to obtain higher education in Iran. In 1987 the Iranian Baha’i community started an informal university called the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE). On 21 May 2011 the government launched an attack against this effort, raiding homes, confiscating material, and arresting eighteen professors and administrators, seven of whom were sentenced to four to five years of prison.
Education Under Fire addresses the Iranian government’s denial of the right to education for ideological and religious reasons. Beyond the goal of encouraging specific action in order to mitigate the effects of these policies in Iran, the Education Under Fire campaign encourages conversations on university campuses and in communities around the country in order to raise awareness of and shine a light on the importance of defending Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees education as an inalienable right of every human being.
The campaign is centred around a few key components: a letter written by two Nobel Laureate’s, Reverend Desmond Tutu and President José Ramos-Horta of East Timor, as well as the Education Under Fire documentary. The letter expresses the Laureate’s alarm at the deteriorating situation of the Iranian Baha’is and highlights lines of action individuals can take in response to the situation including: calling on the Iranian government to drop the charges and release BIHE educators who have been imprisoned, and to have academic leaders voice their concern and opposition to the denial of higher education.
The campaign also features an open letter on the Education Under Fire website which individuals, in a minutes or two, can send, in support of BIHE students, to key Iranian officials. The goal of the campaign is to engage 25,000 individuals in taking that action. These features of the campaign are just the beginning.
As more become engaged and excitement is generated, the opportunities are endless. A few ideas include: reaching out to professors and administrators on this issue, presenting the subject in classrooms and purchasing the DVD kit to host smaller follow-up screenings.
The campaign is operating under the authority of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Canada. The national coordinator for the campaign, Donna Hakimian, is available to offer support in planning an event, as is Shana Sobhani of the Office of External Affairs. They may be reached at donna@educationunderfire.com or ssobhani@cdnbnc.org.
Visit the Education Under Fire website here for detailed information, videos, and a link to the Nobel Laureates letter.