In the East part of Kurdistan, like other parts of Iran, with the arrival of September and the opening of schools, universities open, and the new academic year will begin. In universities, unlike schools, there are more opportunities for student activities and we can say that university is not only a place to study academics, but students can have a number of different activities in their field of study.
What is student activity?
Student activity refers to all scientific, cultural, civil, and political activities that students carry out in universities, and these activities generally (except scientific activity) have little to do with the student's field of study. The main purpose of these activities is to raise the level of awareness and knowledge of students and are conducted in the interest of students, universities, and society.
In general, universities (such as administrative departments) have minimal involvement in the activities and students are the managers and intellectuals of these activities. However, student activities in universities around the world vary and include different aspects according to their social and political structure. In this article, we will focus on student activities in universities in the eastern part of Kurdistan.
Student activities in universities of Iran
Since Iran is not a free and democratic country and its political system is a religious ideological system, this has had a negative impact on the country's education system, especially in universities where there is always a security atmosphere. Iranian universities have strict rules that have restricted students in many fields and not only have a negative impact on student activities but also have created dozens of obstacles to the field of study.
In Iran, any activity outside the framework of the policy and ideology of the Islamic Republic is illegal and thousands of students have been arrested, killed, imprisoned, and deprived of education for these reasons. Therefore, when we talk about student activism in Iran, especially student political activism, we are actually talking about the student struggle that Iranian students have paid a lot for.
Student activities in universities in the East part of Kurdistan
Anyone who has seen the universities of the East part of Kurdistan and felt the atmosphere prevailing in these universities knows that the student activities held in these universities are actually student struggles and student activists who work for the national interests of Kurds and Kurdistan are student strugglers.
Like other fields, Kurdistan universities are different from other Iranian universities. We are talking about universities that are in occupied territory, so the authorities are much more sensitive towards them and always take a tougher reaction. The atmosphere in Kurdistan's universities is much more secure and the punishments imposed on Kurdish students are much more inhuman than in other parts of Iran. Therefore, Kurdish students have always paid the highest and most sacrifice compared to other Iranian students.
From the perspective of the occupation, the regime has always been very sensitive to the student activities of Kurdish students and has always tried to control the activities or put them under close surveillance and prevent Kurdish students from crossing any of their borders. However, all these efforts have not been able to stop the Kurdish student activists from their activities and Kurdish students have always been active.
Kurdish student activists, despite the pressure from Iranian security agencies, have always been active in cultural, political, and civil struggle and have fought for the national interests of Kurds and Kurdistan, and their goal has been to serve their nation and territory. They have paid a lot for this that we cannot discuss in this article. For example, during the Jina Revolution in the East part of Kurdistan, Kurdish students turned universities into a place for the cry of identity and the fight against oppression and occupation.
Some political observers and former student activists believe that student activity in universities in the East part of Kurdistan has declined and Kurdish students who are new to universities should be made aware of this and given the necessary guidance. Although I believe that according to the time and social and political situation, student activists have worked well and know what activities to do, according to the duties and experiences I have had in this regard, I want to mention a few points to be a guidance to the new students in the universities.
What activities can Kurdish student activists do in universities?
Whether we like it or not, any activity in the East part of Kurdistan is political. Such an issue has usually been raised by the behavior and attitudes of the authorities. Also, since the main issue for Kurds is the national issue and we must focus on this issue and our activities and struggle within this framework, in this regard, I offer you several points about student activities and struggle. Students can use it or I hope it will inspire you with new ideas.
The Kurdish student struggler must take a political position on all issues related to the Kurdish national issues and Kurdistan. This attitude can take the form of a statement or a protest meeting at the university. For example, we used to issue statements at the university on certain days such as boycotting the Iranian parliamentary and presidential elections, asking students not to participate in such undemocratic and demonstrative processes, or holding protests after the arrest of student activists.
Kurdish student strugglers must never forget their language and must resist the government's assimilation project. For example, in the past, we volunteered to run Kurdish language classes at the university and taught students Kurdish writing and grammar. We also regularly distributed brochures among students on national occasions.
Conducting literary conferences and political, cultural, scientific, and civil seminars should always be in the minds of Kurdish students. For instance, we always held conferences or seminars on the occasion of February 21, World Mother Language Day, to attract students' attention to this important issue. Or we held seminars and conferences on topics such as environment, folklore, literature, culture, language, etc., and asked experts for help.
Publishing student magazines is another important activity that should be worked on. Students can obtain permission to publish magazines from the university and thus work for students' national awareness.
Establishing councils and centers in the university is another thing that Kurdish students can do. For example, when we were students, we established two centers in our university, one was the environment center and the other was the Kurdish language and literature center. We actually worked well on these.
Conclusion:
Kurdish students can do a lot of work and activities in this regard and should not forget that university is not only a place of academic study. In this way, they must have a strong will and sense of self-confidence, so that they do not give up to the pressures of the authorities and serve themselves. They must also act wisely in all these actions and not let emotions dominate them so that the invader does not defeat them.
