Free screening of "Education under Fire"
The Bahá'í community and the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d'Alene are co-sponsoring a public screening of "Education Under Fire," a documentary on Iran's assault against higher education.
The free screening will be held Monday from 5-6:30 p.m. at the institute, 414 W. Mullan Ave. near City Park.
The documentary, endorsed by Amnesty International USA, addresses the continued government-sanctioned persecution of specific groups in Iran and the blatant disregard of Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees education as an inalienable right of every human being.
The film will focus on the experience of one among many persecuted Iranian groups, the Bahá'í Community.
The semi-underground Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education was formed in 1987 to give young Bahá'ís their only chance for a university-level education.
Despite repeated raids and arrests volunteer teachers and administrators created an independent, decentralized university system that has lifted the lives of thousands across Iran. The Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education was referred to by the New York Times as “an elaborate act of communal self-preservation.”
In May 2011, the Iranian government launched an organized assault in an attempt to shut down the Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education. Over 30 homes were raided and over a dozen Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education professors and administrators were detained. Several are still in prison for doing nothing more than trying to teach.
The Iranian government also bans students from pursuing higher education if they have expressed views, joined organizations or engaged in activities that are construed as critical of the government. In addition, the authorities have attempted to prevent instruction in several fields in the humanities and social sciences and have dismissed faculty for ideological reasons.
The Education Under Fire documentary will also be shown at Gonzaga Universty with discussion following the screening on April 19 at 7 p.m. in the Foley Teleconference Center.
A third screening is scheduled at The Magic Lantern Theater, 25 W. Main, Spokane, on May 2 at 7 p.m..
About Education Under Fire (EUF): Education Under Fire (EUF) is a campaign developed to address the Iranian government’s denial of the right to education for ideological and religious reasons. Beyond the goal of encouraging specific action in order to mitigate the effects of these policies in Iran, the campaign will begin conversations on university campuses and within communities around the country in order to raise awareness of the importance of defending Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees education as an inalienable right of every human being. For more information about Education Under Fire, please go to http://www.educationunderfire.com/
For local information, call 765-1830 or 699-6051.