TO THE EDITOR:
What would you do if the government said you weren’t allowed to attend college because of your religion? In Iran, this is a real problem for members of the Baha’i Faith.
On Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the FedEx Global Education Center, there will be a screening of “Education Under Fire,” a documentary about the struggle Baha’is endure to attain the universal right of education.
Excluded from traditional universities, Baha’is in 1987 founded the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), a university system in which professors teach Baha’i students in living rooms and kitchens across Iran. Some 50,000 students have enrolled in BIHE classes; many have gone on to study at universities outside Iran.
But Iranian authorities took notice. They raided homes, seizing computers and books. And last year, during the most systematic raid to date, authorities arrested many professors and students, including the cousin of a UNC alum.
With the Education Under Fire campaign, a diverse coalition at UNC is trying to help BIHE students while upholding the right to study in peace. Many people inside Iran disagree with the mistreatment of Baha’is. But if they speak out, they too can find themselves in prison. So if they can’t raise their voices, we must.
Mark Derewicz
Baha’is of UNC
Matthew Stevens, UNC Muslim Student Association
Natalie Borrego
Amnesty International
