Iran’s Islamic region is offering a lifeline to students who were expelled from American universities over their participation in anti-Israel protests.
Many students have been suspended and are facing possible expulsion for their role in pro-Palestine protests at universities across the U.S. and Europe. Among those are the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar, who recently revealed she had been suspended by Columbia for her role in organizing the demonstrations.
According to the state propaganda outlet PressTV, the “head of an Iranian internationally renowned university” has signalled his intention to offer scholarships to any students who are expelled.
The report states:
Head of Shiraz University, Mohammad Moazzeni, announced the decision at a gathering of university students and professors of Shiraz, the capital city of the southern Iranian province of Fars, in solidarity with American and European students supporting Palestinians in the months-long Israeli aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip.
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Moazzeni criticized the harsh treatment of student protesters by the police in the US and Europe, saying, “They exert a lot of violence in order to contain this raging movement and have even threatened to expel the students from universities and hinder their employment in the future, and such autocratic methods show the decline of global arrogance.”
Announcing Shiraz University’s decision to offer scholarships to students expelled from European and American universities, Moazzeni said, “Students and even professors who have been expelled or threatened with expulsion can continue their studies at Shiraz University and I think that other universities in Shiraz as well as Fars Province are also prepared [to provide the conditions].”
While Shiraz University may not carry the same prestige as the likes of Columbia or Harvard, it would allow the students to study in an environment in which they feel comfortable. It will certainly be interesting to see whether any of the students take Iran up on the offer.
