A Note from the Heart by a Baha’i Girl Named Ruhieh about the Denial of Her University Appilcation

Source: Tavaana:  E-Learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society, http://goo.gl/HKBzUD

08/03/2014

Translation by Iran Press Watch

The Nationwide University Entry Exam results have been sent out, but some received this message instead, because they were Baha’is.

Read a note from the heart by a Baha’i girl named Ruhieh:

After spending some time outside of the home with family, I come home and check my mobile.  I see Maha’s message, it says: Ruhieh – did you get your Exam results?

Laughingly I tell my Mom: the results are in.

Mom, worried, says: So come and check!

With utmost peace of mind and quite relaxed, I pick up my laptop and enter the site and open the page.  I enter all my information and await the “incomplete application” message, but a few seconds later a popup says “Please contact some PO BOX in Karaj in writing” (1) or …

I enter my information again, but the same note in red pops up.  With laughter, out of anger, I tell my mom:  Mom, there is a new incomplete application message!

My mom, worried and a little upset, sits next to me on a chair and says:  Try again, maybe it’s a mistake.

I enter my details again, and get the same write-up.  I turn my laptop towards my mom, and start calling my Baha’i friends, and one of my non-Baha’i friends.  None of them had checked, they said they would check and let me know.

A few moments later, one of my friends from another city sent me a text message that said: It’s a new style; they are referring everyone to Karaj!!  Call your non-Baha’i friends and ask.

I immediately call one of my non-Baha’i friends; she says her rank is 4000^th, she needs to study for next year again, since she needs a ranking of better than 1000^th for medical fields.

With laughter and a bit of disdain I say, I think I’ll be on the same path… she laughs.

I think to myself, although I had a lot of talent and potential in mathematics and physics, due to the love I had for veterinary medicine, I picked a science major (in high school), but a few months later I found out that they no longer accept girls in this field.  I finished that year disappointed, and saw many of my friends get “incomplete application” in place of their test score results.

Mid third year (of high school) I became familiar with genetics and tried in that field for some time, but again I lost hope in that field and am no longer interested in life sciences.

I remembered Maha had asked me to text my Exam results to her.

I think for a moment, what should I tell her?

What should I say to someone I love like my younger sister, and have always tried to give hope to?  Should I tell her not to study because it makes no difference? Or should I say leave your country and go study somewhere else?

I remember the times when somebody would lose hope; I used to laughingly tell them youth can move the world, even if she cannot… and then I would look at Maha and she would continue:  She should be able to, this is according to Ruhieh, and then we would continue with renewed hope.

Now I don’t know how to tell her that sometimes youth cannot do anything, no matter how hard they try.

I have learned from childhood that perseverance and dealing with hardship in the path of justice and truth is worthwhile, and I still continue to believe that this is worthwhile.

But I question, why should it be this way?  Didn’t Mr. Rouhani (Iran’s President) promise that those who had been kept from going to universities would be allowed to go?  So what happened?

Dear Mr. Rouhani, I am not asking you to allow my brother, father, mother, my uncles, aunts, and cousins who were suspended from university to return, all I’m asking is that out of this very big family, just let me in to the university, this is all we need in order to be able to trust you, and know that you fulfilled you promise.  If you had slapped me with an incomplete application, I would not have gotten upset, because I was expecting that, but to be dismissed by a new method is distressing.  I had no hope of being accepted, but I was telling myself, if this year they let us in, I will do everything in my power to get in with the best scores next year.  But now I am thinking to myself, which bookstore can I give my test preparation books to, so those who are not unclean and infidel and have blue blood running in their veins can take the tests and go to university?

I’m on the verge of laughter along with a lump in my throat.

Going to university in Iran is not that important, as there are correspondence/distance universities in many countries where I can study, but the lump in my throat is due to the injustice that they purposefully commit.

The lump in my throat is due to those whose consciences are peacefully asleep.

My little sister, I don’t know how to answer you so as not to cause you to lose faith, but at the same time show you the reality, and say:  Do you see, Maha?  This is a country whose development concerns all of us, these are our fellow countrymen whose comfort is the subject of our prayers, but don’t you lose your hope because youth can move the world, if she cannot…

Another lump in my throat, and another…

1. “Please contact Karaj PO Box 31535-3166

In writing or with the address: Karaj –

Meshkin Dasht, Shahid Motevaselian St. –

Institution for Evaluating the Country’s Education –

Response unit”