Information on whether Dr. Abdol Karim Soroush held a seminar at Amir Kabir University in Tehran on 12 May 1996 and whether this led to a confrontation between Hezbollahi and supporters of Dr. Soroush, whether Dr. Soroush held any other seminars/talks in Tehran during the summer of 1996, and on whether he left Tehran at that time [IRN27218.E]

In a 12 May 1996 report, Deutsche Presse-Agentur states that

The neo-Islamist Abdolkarim Soroush was supposed to hold a speech at the Amir Kabir Technical University in downtown Teheran, but the session was cancelled following threats by the radical pressure group Ansar Hizbullah (compatriots of the Party of God) which considers Soroush a secularist. Some 50 members of the Ansar Hizbullah gathered in front of the university but were unable to get through tight police controls. Police allowed only students with official cards to enter the university compound. The radical group members shouted slogans against Soroush and the management of the university but no confrontation occurred. The cancellation of the session was also confirmed later by the daily Salaam.

According to the attached 7 June 1996 Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) report, members of the Ansar-e Hezbollah threatened "students at the Amir Kabir University for inviting Soroush to a lecture on 12 May."

In its 19 May 1996 issue, the Tehran-based newspaper Akhbar' published an official statement by the Amir Kabir University public relations department. Part of the statement reads as follows:

The issue was, however, more complicated as a result of some sensitivities shown reference to demonstrations by Hezbollah supporters outside the university. When the two sides -- Islamic society and Hezbollah -- released statements, the university board of governors tried to reduce tension by writing a letter to Dr. Abdolkarim Sorush who had been invited by the Islamic society as a guest speaker, asking him not to attend the Motahhri martyrdom anniversary ceremony. In view of Dr. Sorush's acceptance of the request and since no permit had been obtained from the Cultural Revolution Council, the university announced the cancellation of the ceremony through the press on 23rd Ordibehesht 1375 [12 May 1996].

In a 12 May 1996 report Reuters states that

About 300 police in riot gear stood in the adjacent street, blocked to traffic for two hours, before noon and guarded the gate of Amir Kabir University in downtown Tehran. About 100 of the militant Ansar-e Hizbollah (supporters of Hizbollah) chanted slogans against reformist Abdulkarim Sorush and reformist students who had invited him to the university.

According to an article published on 16 May 1996 by the London-based Iranian newspaper Keyhan,

The Ansar-e Hezbollah also disrupted and prevented the speech of Dr. Sorush at the Amir Kabir University. The Ansar-e Hezbollah gathered in front of the Amir Kabir (Tehran Polytechnic) University several hours before the speech by Dr. Sorush and announced that Sorush must not enter the university. According to Tehran Keyhan, a number of Hezbollah members were arrested in this incident.

The following information was provided during a 9 July 1997 telephone interview with a representative of the Iranian Cultural Centre in Montreal.

The source stated that Dr. Soroush was in Montreal for the last two weeks of July 1996.

The following information was provided during a 10 July 1997 telephone interview with a specialist on Iran at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The source personally met with Dr. Abdol Karim Soroush during his visit to Fairfax in the winter of 1997.

The source stated that Dr. Soroush has been living outside Iran for one year and only recently returned to his country. He still publishes his monthly column in the Tehran-based magazine Kiyan. The source added that during his meeting with Dr. Soroush the issue of his treatment by the Iranian government was discussed. Dr. Soroush did not mention the incident at Amir Kabir University, but spoke only about the incidents at Tehran University and Isfahan where he was pushed around by members of Ansar-e Hezbollah. The source indicated that the Amir Kabir University seminar never actually took place because of the disturbances caused by members of the Ansar-e Hezbollah.

For information on the Ansar-e Hezbollah, please consult the attached 7 June 1996 Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) report.

For a transcript of the letter sent to President Rafsanjani by the student basij organ of the Amir Kabir and Medical Sciences Universities regarding Dr. Soroush, please consult the attached 26 May 1996 report from Sobh', an Iranian weekly.

For additional information on Dr. Soroush, please consult the attached documents downloaded from a website dedicated to him.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References


Akhbar' [Tehran, in Persian]. 18 May 1996. "Islamic Thinker Sorush Calls on President to Uphold Freedom of Speech." (BBC Summary 23 May 1996/NEXIS)

Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 12 May 1996. "Neo-Islamist Speech in Tehran Cancelled Due to Radicals' Threats." (NEXIS)

Iranian Cultural Centre, Montréal. 9 July 1997. Telephone interview with representative.

Keyhan [London, in Persian]. 16 May 1996. "Ansar-e Hezbollah Attacks Theaters." (FBIS-NES-96-108 16 May 1996/WNC)

Middle East Economic Digest (MEED). 7 June 1996. Vahe Petrossian. "Iran: A Little Local Difficulty with the Hizbollah." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 12 May 1996. BC Cycle. "Iran Militants March Against Islamic Reformer." (NEXIS)

Specialist on Iran, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. 10 July 1997. Telephone interview.

Attachments


Akhbar' [Tehran, in Persian]. 18 May 1996. "Islamic Thinker Sorush Calls on President to Uphold Freedom of Speech." (BBC Summary 23 May 1996/NEXIS)

_____. 19 May 1996. "Newspaper Explains Why Islamic Thinker Sorush's Lecture Was Cancelled." (BBC Summary 23 May 1996/NEXIS)

Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 12 May 1996. "Neo-Islamist Speech in Tehran Cancelled Due to Radicals' Threats." (NEXIS)

Keyhan [London, in Persian]. 23 May 1996. "Iran: Universities to Be Purged of Dissent." (FBIS-NES-96-144 23 May 1996/WNC)

_____. 16 May 1996. "Ansar-e Hezbollah Attacks Theaters." (FBIS-NES-96-108 16 May 1996/WNC)

Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) [London]. 7 June 1996. Vahe Petrossian. "Iran: A Little Local Difficulty with the Hizbollah." (NEXIS)

Resalat [Tehran, in Persian]. 12 May 1996. "Iran: Ansar-e Hezbollah Statement Cited." (FBIS-NES-96-102 12 May 1996/WNC)

_____. 14 May 1996. Mohammed Kazem Anbarlaï. "Iran: Sorush Protest Reflects `Hand of Discord'." (FBIS-NES-96-100 14 May 1996/WNC)

Reuters. 12 May 1996. BC Cycle. "Iran Militants March Against Islamic Reformer." (NEXIS)

SERAJ: Dedicated to Coverage and Analysis of the Ideas of Abdol Karim Soroush. [Internet] URL: http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/parade/ac889/seraj.htm [Accessed 8 July 1997]

Sobh' [Tehran, in Persian]. 26 May 1996. "Islamic Students Say Islamic Thinker Sorush Wants to Topple System." (BBC Summary 2 June 1996/NEXIS)