The first Iranian university, “The University of Tehran,” was established in 1934, and from the beginning became a place for student political activity. Students respond to the political and social issues of their community because of their youth and courage in expressing the general demands and problems of society and the spirit of idealism. Student political activity usually does not have coherent organization, such as political parties and groups. Indeed, the student movement is the collective effort of students to transform socio-political structures.
Before the revolution, the student movement in Iran can be divided into four periods:
1. From the establishment of the University of Tehran until the end of Reza Shah‘s reign in September 1941
2. From September 1941 until 7 December 1953
3. From 7 December 1953 until 1962
4. From 1962 until the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
In the first period, because of the newly established the University of Tehran and the small number of students, it was not possible to form widespread student movements, during the reign of Reza Shah, political parties and groups independent of the government were not allowed to operate. The most active political groups at that time were the communists, and gradually a number of students were attracted to this thinking. The most important group formed in the first period was the Taqi Arani group with communist tendencies. Their aim was the revolutionary struggle against the dictatorship of Reza Shah, who became famous after being arrested in 53 groups in 1937. With the disappearance of this group, the student movement inside Iran ceased until the fall of Reza Shah.
The second period of the student movement began after the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy. With the collapse of the dictatorship, many problems such as the presence of the Allied forces in Iran and the spread of poverty and disease, resurrected the student movement. There were three tendencies among the students at this time: the left-turning tendency that had been operating under the leadership of the Tudeh Party for five years and their slogans were to fight dictatorship, western colonialism, and poverty. With these slogans, the Tudeh Party gained a lot of popularity among the students without expressing their attachment to the Soviet state. With these slogans, the Tudeh Party gained much popularity among the students without referring to the Soviet state, so that in 1941s, most students of the University of Tehran were members of the Tudeh Party of Iran. But as the Tudeh Party’s affiliation with the Soviet state became clear and their opposition to the government of Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq, some students withdrew from the Tudeh Party.
Their activity was mostly guided, including opposition to get tuition and protests against an increase in student military service period. With the nationalization of the oil industry, led by Dr. Mosaddeq and the support of Ayatollah Kashani, Parties and groups with national tendencies gradually gained popularity among the students. In support of Dr. Mosaddeq’s government, this group of students opposed the actions of Tudeh Party supporters. They formed the “University of Tehran Students Guild” in opposition to the “University of Tehran Student Organization” which was held by members of the Tudeh Party whose most important activity was to take part in the 22 July 1952 demonstrations and the dismissal of Qavam al-Saltanah and the return of Dr. Mosaddeq to Prime minister.
But Islamic tendencies were also popular among the students. In response to the spread of the ideas of left communist groups that opposed the traditional Islamic culture of the people, some of the students formed Islamic Student Associations at the University of Tehran in 1943. Initially, the activities of Islamic associations were based on religious propaganda, inviting speakers such as Ayatollah Sayyed Mahmoud Taleqani, Dr. Yadollah Sahabi, and Hujjat al-Islam Mohammad Taqi Falsafi on various occasions. After 19 August 1953 (28 Mordad 1332), religious students entered political activity and played an effective role in expanding the student movement. Especially after the establishment of Hoseynieh Ershad and attending the lectures of Dr. Ali Shariati and Professor Mortaza Motahhari, they became more familiar with the revolutionary thought of Islam.
After the 28 Mordad British-American coup against Mosaddeq’s government, the activities of political parties and groups were severely suppressed. During this time, only the student movement continued its activity, which was organized in the form of demonstrations, leaflet distribution and closing classroom. The first massive student demonstration took place on 8 October 1953 with the initiative of the National Movement Resistance of Iran and in protest of the arrest of Dr. Mosaddeq, which was attended by more than two thousand students of the University of Tehran and by the intervention of the forces resulted in the collision and injuries of some of the students. On 5 December, a demonstration was held against the reestablishment of relations between Iran and the United Kingdom the university, the next day the students expanded the demonstrations outside the university and some students were injured and some were arrested after clashes with police.
But the most important clash happened on 7 December 1953. Students of the University of Tehran by closing their classes gathered at the Technical College to protest the reestablishment of political relations between Iran and the United Kingdom. Fazlollah Zahedi’s government which took the power after the 28 Mordad coup, sent Army Commando Forces to the University of Tehran to scare the student and shot them when they were about to leave the technical college. As a result of the attack, three students of the Technical College were martyred and sixty people were injured and arrested. Event announcements spread quickly around the world, and many universities around the world condemned the regime’s move. Then, students held a demonstration to commemorate student martyrs on 7 December, each year. As time passed, 7 December was recognized as a student day.
The student movement became more cohesive after the events of 7 December and frightened the Shah’s government from political activity. Because then the students reacted to any unpopular or anti-government action. These include the 21 October 1954 demonstration in protest of the oil consortium agreement, the protest against the change of university independence law on 7 January 1955, the demonstration in protest of Israel’s invasion of Muslim countries in 1957 and 1958, the protest of election fraud and protests against fraud in the 20th National Assembly elections in February 1961; and several other scattered protests, all of which led to clashes with law enforcement and injured and the detention of some students. But the most severe collision occurred on 21 January 1962. When students marched to protest the expulsion of fifteen students and cut off higher education academy grants, some Army Commando Forces attacked the University of Tehran, as a result, one person was killed (Mahdi Kalhor) and dozens of students were injured. A similar attack was repeated in January of the following year. The government’s violent attacks against the University of Tehran not only diminished student political activity but also spread the student movement throughout Iran and abroad. Student associations in Europe and the United States and students of Shiraz, Tabriz and Mashhad, while sympathizing with students at the University of Tehran, took similar actions against Shah’s government.
With the start of Imam Khomeini’s struggles in 1962, some students tended to reinforce the religious aspect of the student movement. Students visited Imam several times and participated in the support of Imam Khomeini on the 5 June 1963 incident (15th of Khordad). Students kept in touch with Imam Khomeini by sending and receiving messages and sending delegates. Until the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini issued 128 messages to students at home and abroad. This connection further increased the tendency of the student movement to Imam Khomeini. Communication and Cooperation with the movement of Imam Khomeini made the students closer to the people.
During two decades, 1961-1971, the student movement was expelled from the guild and spread outside the university, and the students were demonstrating against the shah’s regime along with the people and on various occasions. In addition to the anniversary celebrations on 7 December, the most significant student and popular demonstrations were: Demonstrations marking the death of Gholamreza Takhti in January 1968, protest against bus company ticket price, severe clashes with police and killed and injured several students in March 1970, demonstrations against the Shah and the Zionist regime on 2 May 1970 and demonstrations against the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire on 1 May 1971 and Protests on the occasion of Ashura Day and demonstrations were held on the occasion of the testimony of revolutionary personalities such as Ayatollah Sayyid Mohammad-Reza Saidi, Dr. Ali Shariati and Sayyed Mostafa Khomeini, the son of Imam Khomeini.
But one of the biggest political movements of Muslim students took place in Tabriz in 1978. The University of Tabriz students, who were active in the struggle against the Pahlavi government, along with students from Tehran universities, organized a demonstration on campus on 8 May, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the martyrs of Yazd, which led to severe student clashes with the police and police forces. As a result of police shootings, some students were injured and three of them were martyred. This event greatly influenced the spread of the revolution, especially in the city of Tabriz, and brought more students closer to the people.
In the second half of 1978 due to the closure of universities, the student movement had no coherent activity, and students returned to their cities along with other sections of the society against the Pahlavi government with the victory of the Islamic Revolution on 11 May February.
The student movement had an effective role in making people aware of the nature of the Pahlavi regime. But what made the student movement successful was its connection with the masses through its connection with the leadership of Imam Khomeini and his association with militant political and religious personalities such as Ayatollah Taleqani, Dr. Shariati, and Professor Mortaza Motahhari.
Archive of The History of the Islamic Revolution
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