Ali Vaghfi is a student at Sharif Industrial University and a member of the governing ‎body of Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat student organization. Here are the excerpts of an ‎exclusive interview he gave to Rooz.‎

Rooz (R ): From your perspective what are the conditions of the universities regarding ‎the issues that students are interested in?‎
Ali Vaghfi (AV): Students are critics. So they are observant about events around them ‎and look at issues in a critical manner. The current conditions are unique because of the ‎measures of official authorities. These measures are illogical, dishonest and deceitful, ‎which turns critic students into opponents. At the same time, students seek freedom ‎because of their age and also because the subjects that they study are empirical and based ‎on freedom of information. When this drive for freedom mingles with official unfair ‎response, it turns any normal protest into a serious opposition. Today, students are serious ‎critics of their own conditions and those prevalent in the country. They do not separate ‎these two domains.‎

R: What new resistance do you see in students today that did not exist in the past? ‎Specifically, what is the difference in the student protests during former President ‎Khatami’s era and the current administration?‎

AV: Students have learned from their previous experience not to rely on individuals and ‎personalities, while at the same time present them in civil and non-violent ways. Current ‎student protests take the form of a movement, whereas in the past they were weak. ‎Today, they do not rely on anybody and are resilient on their own.‎

R: There was a time when Daftar-e Tahkim’s had the goal of cooperating with Khatami’s ‎government, but it eventually boycotted the elections. Then during the last elections it ‎decided to get into the field again and participate. This trend shows a model. Do you view ‎the student movement, particularly Daftar-e Tahkim’s activities, to be political or non-‎political?‎

AV: Let me correct you. In the last elections, while Daftar-e Tahkim did not boycott the ‎event, it did not fully return to the elections either. It simply decided to stay quiet, which ‎reflected its understanding of the current situation in the country. Contrary to ‎appearances, the fact is that elections do not play a major role in the political events of ‎the country and therefore reforming the elections process will not solve the nation’s ‎problems. It is with this view that Daftar-e Tahkim decided to return to the scene and thus ‎stayed away from associating with any specific individuals or groups. So it moved away ‎from trying to reform the elections process to focusing on reforming the larger picture. ‎Armed with this perspective, it can participate in elections or decide not to, but as you see ‎the goals are now different. The yardstick now is what will help bring about serious and ‎deep reforms in society. On your second question, the student movement, or that of ‎Daftar-e Tahkim, cannot be non-political. Socio-political events and developments are ‎very important to students. After all, students are the children of society and, because of ‎its awareness and knowledge, they cannot remain silent or indifferent to what is going on ‎in the nation.‎

R: Perhaps we can say that Daftar-e Tahkim’s goal is a mixture of the political and non-‎political calls of the nation. Their program will therefore be in tune with what reformist ‎political groups are demanding. Regarding non-political demands, do you have any ‎demands beyond the issues relating to the student cafeteria?‎

AV: Groups that claim to be reformist must clarify their positions regarding current ‎issues. Calling them reformist is not sufficient. These groups must include cultural and ‎social aspects to their work as well. Even their demands for reforming the elections ‎process is flawed. So even when the slogans of the student movement appear to be ‎similar to those of the reformist groups, their ultimate goals are different. The goals of ‎freedom for the students is not aimed at attaining political power. It is based on deep ‎beliefs in human rights, and the dignity of mankind. Let me give you an example. When ‎former Khatami talked of civil society, this was the call of the university groups too. But ‎when he attained the presidency, it became clear that his understanding of this notion was ‎different from what the students wanted and believed in, and even from what the world ‎understood. At the least this is how it seemed in practice. The demands that students have ‎in their academic and schooling life too are closely tied to their political demands. The ‎most important such demand is to defend the right to education. This right has been ‎denied to many because of the views or activities that students have.‎

R: So can we call the student movement a protest movement and thus look at its nature?‎

AV: The student movement is the awakened consciousness of society. On their ways to ‎improve things, students become critics, and so it is conditions that turn this criticism into ‎protest. On the other hand, protests can be conscious or not. The current student ‎resistance movement is based on their experience and maturity.‎

R: What do you think are the accomplishments of the students during their 2+ years of ‎protest?‎

AV: They have prevented the dreams of the extremist neocons to be fulfilled, depriving ‎them of the field to do anything they want in the universities. Daftar-e Tahkim has also ‎achieved an internal goal which is independence and separation from authorities and ‎solidification of the movement. Students now know how to continue their activities ‎without relying on Daftar-e Tahkim, without money and resources, even in a tightly ‎controlled security environment, while at the same time staying away from violent ‎measures.‎

R: Not long ago, students seemed to be facing a dilemma: After much pressure during ‎Khatami’s reformist administration they turned to academic and schooling issues (away ‎from political ones). This view was a departure from the one that condemn “recreation”. ‎Now it seems that not only are daily issues not the key activities, but that modern ‎political issues have come to dominate the movement. Do you see this to have taken ‎place during the last 2 years?‎

AV: First of all Khatami’s administration cannot be called progressive. It cannot be even ‎called reformist, except for the first year it was in office. But this is a good point that you ‎raise. Another accomplishment for the movement has been its understanding of human ‎rights, which students now follow. Students now protest the violation of any aspect of ‎human rights. They look at them beyond ideological considerations.‎

R: Why is it that in all the small and large protests, the events include hymns and holding ‎hands?‎

AV: These symbolic gestures are necessary for the establishment of reforms and change, ‎including the sense of responsibility towards society. ‎

R: Azar 16 is Iran’s student day. This event has a half a century history in Iran. Why is it ‎that students forget this event when they graduate from their schools and move into the ‎professional phase of their lives?‎

AV: The necessary condition for student socio-political activism is youth, idealism, ‎responsibility for others, and the provision of their families for their life. Staying in touch ‎with sources of knowledge is also a necessity. This agitates and moves students. This is ‎why our student movement does not end or stop. It remains alive as the pulse of the ‎nation. Once university life is completed, these factors and associations are weakened. ‎More importantly, students do not stay connected with each other after graduation and ‎lose that two-way support that they have while in school. ‎

R: This disconnect stops the drive for change in society. So don’t you think that the goals ‎for change that exist in the movement and among students do not really change?‎

AV: Students have turned their focus back to society and strive for greater awareness of ‎society through civil society institutions and activities. This is not just a view, but an ‎interest relationship between students and civil society institutions. This is the change of ‎focus towards human rights that I mentioned earlier.‎

R: What do you think is the most serious threat to the student movement today?‎

AV: The state has tried very hard to suppress the student movement and its activities. But ‎the awareness of students has prevented this from actually happening. At the same time, ‎the massive arrests and detention of students has not resulted in students leaving their ‎critical domain and civil protests. A negative development could be the reticence of the ‎student movement because of these pressures in order for conditions to improve. Unlike ‎other groups, Daftar-e Tahkim will be weakened if this were to happen. This is the trap ‎that the security authorities have created for the movement. ‎

R: What programs do students have to overcome the current crises?‎

AV: Serious and conscious resistance and perseverance.‎