This week, OUSU Council passed a motion that would see OUSU condemn the Iranian government’s oppression and imprisonment of protesting students.
The motion also mandated the OUSU President, Stefan Baskerville, to issue a statement requiring the Vice-Chancellor to take an active position in support of the creation of the Neda Agha-Soltan scholarship.
Baskerville stated, ” I believe that students should be able to propose motions to OUSU Council on the issues they consider to be important, and that the OUSU Executive should follow mandates set by OUSU Council. It is for students, not me, to decide what I should say on their behalf.”
This motion follows one passed by Queen’s JCR in Michaelmas, which established a graduate scholarship in Philosophy in memory of Neda Agha-Soltan who was shot by Iranian police. The first recipient of the award was Ariane Shavisi.
Last term, the Iranian embassy in London wrote a letter to the Provost of Queen’s College, accusing Oxford University of joining a “politically motivated campaign” which it felt lay “in sharp contract with its academic objectives”. They felt that this was part of a more general pattern of “British interference” following the Iranian presidential elections.
At the time, Oxford was keen to stress that this scholarship was an internal matter for Queen’s College, and did not represent the university as a whole. However, the motion bought before OUSU encourages the Vice-Chancellor to take a more active position.
Neda Agha-Soltan, a Philosophy student, was shot in June of 2009 during the protests in Tehran against allegedly rigged Iranian presidential elections.
The motion noted that students have been “instrumental” in the wave of democratic protests in Iran, and that they are “routinely imprisoned and tortured” for their role in the democratic uprising.
The motion had strong political overtones, which were absent from the original motion passed by Queen’s JCR. It resolves to condemn “imprisonment of student” and “attacks on Student Halls of Residence” as well as “the Iranian government’s oppression of pro-democracy activists in Iran”.
The individal advancing the motion urged the council to vote for it, stating “The University has not backed the Queen’s College scholarship because it is a political motion. It is incumbent upon us to make the University take a stand. Students across the world should stand up in solidarity with students under threat. Passing this motion may not render Iran a democracy over night, but it will certainly add to the sense of impunity felt at the lack of democracy in Iran”.
JCR President of Queen’s College, Nathan Roberts told Cherwell, “When Queens passed the motion, the Provost was reserved in his support due to concerns for safety of the scholar. People have already tried to find the room number of the student who has taken the scholarship. The Queens motion emphasised giving Iranian students the opportunity to study at Oxford, rather than issuing a condemnation of Iran.”
Commenting on the scholarship, Queen’s Provost, Professor Paul Madden, said, “Oxford is increasingly losing out to its competitors in the race to recruit top graduate students. Donations such as those that have enabled us to create the Neda Agha-Soltan Scholarship are absolutely vital for us to continue to attract and retain the best young minds.”
However, Roberts expressed doubt over the future of the OUSU motion, due to its overtly political clauses which he feels the University will not want to be connected to. “I am concerned for the safety of the student, but I am also sceptical that this will get any further. As students, we can have a powerful voice on the international stage, and this motion does not seem to chime with British diplomatic efforts.”
Hannah Cusworth, OUSU Academic Affairs and Access Officer, commented, “Student solidarity is important. I can see why the Vice Chancellor would be put off by the political aspects of the motion, but I hope it will be judged it on the merits.”
The motion passed with no votes in opposition.
