Open Letter of the Union of Islamic Students Associations in Europe for the Attention of the Director-General of UNESCO:
Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,
Distinguished Ambassadors and Representatives to UNESCO Headquarters,
Excellencies,
The regrettable and inadmissible decision of UNESCO, consisting of cancelling its participation in the celebration of World Philosophy Day in Iran, has provoked the concern and astonishment of the scientific and cultural community and in particular of students and academics. This concern is all the more reinforced as the Director-General of UNESCO has, through her unexpected and unjustifiable decision, unilaterally cancelled its commitments and endangered the reputation and credibility of this Organization in ceding to political pressure and media blackmail.
As an international institution dedicated to teaching and education, UNESCO has a duty to be exemplary in the matter of sincerity, transparency and Justice. Should it be otherwise, we cannot count on the beneficial cultural and educational influence on the part of an organization which does not devote itself to the qualities of a benevolent tutor and educator. It is greatly regrettable that, despite the Assistant Director-General of UNESCO’s trip to Iran in order to carry out the necessary arrangements with regard to the organization of the celebration of World Philosophy Day, the Director-General of UNESCO has taken the political and anti-cultural decision to withdraw UNESCO’s support for this international celebration, with neither prior notice nor valid reason, and has justified this decision by claiming in a completely unfounded manner that “the conditions necessary to guarantee the effective organization of a UN international conference have not been met”.
Excellencies,
Dialogue and exchange in the framework of mutual respect are the foundations of human civilization and cultural diversity. Cultural embargo and scientific apartheid block the route to knowledge and wisdom, and intensify the cultural problems, already complicated, of the modern world. In a context in which domineering interference of the Great powers has already confronted the functioning of international organizations with a crisis of legitimacy, this new decision of UNESCO will doubtless undermine in an irreversible manner the credibility and the reputation of international organizations, and in particular of UNESCO.
The Union of Islamic Students Associations in Europe (UISA), nearly half a century old and in its capacity as the principal gathering of Iranian students and Muslim Persian-speaking students, accompanied by fifty-eight Islamic associations which are members of this union, firmly condemns the decision of the Director-General, which it considers as being in complete disaccord with the founding principles of UNESCO. The members of this Union, as well as those of the member associations, call for the immediate annulment of this decision and, in joining the whole of the cultural and academic community, campaign in order to place on the agenda as an absolute priority the assiduous pursuit of this question until a satisfactory solution is obtained.
Awaiting a constructive reaction on the part of the Director-General and high authorities of UNESCO, please accept the assurances of our highest consideration.
Union of Islamic Students Associations in Europe
UISA
