Mehdi Arabshahi is a member of the ruling council of Daftare Tahkim Vahdat student ‎organization. He talked with Rooz about the challenges of the student organization and ‎the demands of the students. Here are the excerpts.‎

Rooz (R): In view of the clashes that the administration had with students in recent ‎months, how do you think it will behave as the new academic year has begun?‎

Mehdi Arabshahi (MA): We shall probably see more crackdowns on student activism and ‎the narrowing of the realm of activities for university students across the country. Of ‎course the forthcoming presidential elections will also have an impact on this. The fear ‎that administration authorities have that student protests could lead to public ‎disenchantment with the government leads them to crackdown and suppress the minutest ‎activities by students.‎

R: What do you think will be the demands of students for the period leading up to the ‎presidential elections in June?‎

MA: The repeated attacks on freedoms that are necessary for the universities have ‎resulted in that academic freedoms are now the leading demands of students. Students ‎have by now rightly realized that the right to education, the right to organize, independent ‎student publications and the use of dissident teachers are the pre-requisites for other large ‎goals of students.‎

R: Do you think student organizations will have a similar outlook towards next year’s ‎elections? For example, what is the position of Daftare Tahkim Vahdat student ‎organization regarding Mr. Khatami’s candidacy in the presidential race?‎

MA: The experience of the last years indicates that Daftare Tahkim Vahdat is very ‎concerned about the instrumental utility of the group by political parties. On the other ‎hand, the carte blanche attitude that groups had towards politicians too has passed. ‎Students have learned that they must maintain their critical attitude towards political ‎parties. From our perspective, critiquing political behavior is more important than ‎supporting candidates. More attention must now be paid to plans, cadres, and road maps ‎for the announced goals.‎

R: What policy differences do you see between Mr. Khatami’s and Mr. Ahmadinejad’s ‎administrations regarding universities?‎

MA: The differences are clear and apparent. Even though Mr. Khatami’s administration ‎failed in providing all its promises, and left students unprotected when they were ‎assaulted by hardliners, but at least it did not itself engage in suppressing and clashing ‎with students. In contrast, Ahmadinejad’s government did not stop at any measure and ‎opportunity to crackdown on student activists and it displays a high rate of arrests, ‎marking students and suspending their academic pursuits.‎

R: Is it true that because of the heavy costs to students, their activism and activities have ‎decreased inside universities?‎

MA: It is only normal that with an increase in crackdown and suppressive measures by ‎the security and judiciary authorities student activities would be reduced. But while the ‎number of activists has declined, the motivation for those who stay active at such hard ‎times is very high in pursuing student ideals and goals. This also makes them stronger ‎and solidifies them making them adapt to the new circumstances. As an example, prison ‎is no longer an exception for student activists and this issue is not pleasing for those who ‎pursue intimidation and threats to control social activism.‎