A group of families of executed political prisoners in Iran, along with Oberlin College students, alumni and human rights activists are planning to protest Oberlin’s board of trustees meeting from noon to 2 p.m. March 5 and are calling on the trustees “to order school officials to investigate the reported crimes against humanity conducted by the college tenured professor Mohammad Jafar Mahallati and oust him.”
“After more than a year of advocacy, extensive media coverage, interviews by family members of victims of the 1988 massacre and independent experts, and most importantly, a large protest on campus attended by many students and concerned citizens on November 2, 2021, President (Carmen Twillie) Ambar and the Oberlin administration has failed to transparently address the issues we outlined in our initial letter or engage in any constructive forms with the families of victims,” according to a news release from the Committee for Justice for Mahallati’s Victims.
Fifty people gathered for a similar protest Nov. 2 outside the Cox Administration Building as the one referenced in the news release, according to previous media reports.
An Oberlin College spokesperson had no comment on March 2 and directed the CJN to an October 2021 statement.
That statement reads in part, “Oberlin deeply empathizes with the pain and suffering caused by the executions in Iran. After becoming aware of the allegations against Professor Mahallati, Oberlin initiated its own process to determine their validity.
“Since coming to Oberlin in 2007, Professor Mahallati has developed a reputation as a scholar and a teacher for espousing religious tolerance and seeking peace and understanding between all people. His record at Oberlin includes no instances of the anti-Semitic or anti-Israel behavior of which he has been accused.”
To read the full statement, visit bit.ly/3hyFS6h.
