Twin Brother and Sister Expelled from University Due to Their Belief in the Baha’i Faith

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Source: adian.bashariyat.org

Translation by Iran Press Watch


According to BahaiNews, Shakib and Shima Mohammadalipour were expelled from Lorestan University School of Technology and Engineering, and Kashan University School of Architecture and Liberal Arts, due to their belief in the Baha’i Faith.

As Reported by BahaiNews, at the time of registration, on Shima Mohammadalipour-Dastgerdi’s enrollment form, the option of “other religions” was selected, and on her dormitory form, the option of “Baha’i Faith” was selected.This was the reason behind the expulsion of Shima Mohammadalipour from the university on the very first day of school and the taking away of her student ID by the university’s counter intelligence officers. According to an informed source, “after taking Shima’s student ID card, the university’s counter intelligence officials told her, “To be allowed back in school, you need to bring an approval from the Office of Assessments.” Although Shima Mohammadalipour made a request in this regard to the Office of Assessments, there was still no reply, even several months after her request.” Shima Mohammadalipour was expelled from the university on  October 1st, 2016. According to the same report, Shakib Mohammadalipour-Dastgerdi, who was accepted and was studying as an undergraduate Civil Engineering student (daily) at Khorramabad State University, was also expelled from the university after one semester due to his belief in the Baha’i Faith, as listed on his registration form.
According to a source close to the twin brother and sister, “after completing a full semester, he noticed that his grades were not reported online. Upon emailing one of his professors to ask about his grades, the professor told him, “your online student account status was frozen so we couldn’t report the grades.”

According to this informed source, “On the 8th of February, 2017, the university officials contacted Shakib Mohammadalipour and told him to visit the university’s general education office. There he found out that although the second term had already started, due to a confidential letter regarding the revocation of his university acceptance, his student status was frozen and his student closed. This confidential letter was sent in the middle of his first semester, on the 24th of December, 2016.”

After receiving the expulsion letter, Shakib Mohammadalipour contacted the university and spoke with every university authority, including the university president, the head of the university’s counter intelligence and the head cleric of the university.  All of them said, “there is nothing we can do. Take it up with the Office of (student) Assessments.” According to information given to a BahaiNews reporter by an informed source, Shakib Mohammadalipour traveled from Khorramabad to Tehran and spoke with Mr. Norakhsh, head of admissions at the Office of Assessments. Mr. Norakhsh asked Shakib Mohammadalipour to describe his situation in a letter. Shakib Mohammadalipour responded, saying, “I need a definite answer immediately. Because of my current student status, I’m not eligible for thedraft, therefore, I needthe exact reason for my expulsion in writing, so that while you’re investigating my education status, I can serve my mandatory time in the army.” In response, the Office of Assessments official said, “We cannot do this. If you want us to clear you for the draft, you need to voluntarily opt out of the university.” This informed source said, “The way the authorities treated Shakib was identical to the way they treated Shima, Shakib’s sister.”

The expulsion of Baha’is from Iranian universities is carried out under the “1991 Directive of Iranian Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution”, which, in addition to excluding Baha’is from employment in governmental jobs, also deprives them of university education. According to the third clause of this bill, not only should Baha’i enrollment in universities  be prevented, but if the Baha’i identity of the individual is revealed after registration or while in school, that individual should be expelled. The deprivation of the rights of Baha’is in Iran has been systematically implemented ever since the Islamic and Cultural Revolution.

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