Basij Plans To Infiltrate Schools

Rooz Online

Mohammad-Reza Naghdi, the commander of Iran’s para-military Basij mobilization force and the person who is widely recognized to be responsible for the violent attacks on peaceful demonstrators in the aftermath of the disputed and rigged 2009 presidential elections, made more than ten speeches at various events last week, in which he talked about last week’s nuclear deal in Geneva and Basij participation at child care centers.

Last week was also Basij week in Iran and several events were held to publicize its activities and also comment on other developments in the country, including the Geneva nuclear deal signed between the six major world powers and Iran. The nuclear deal has its supporters and opponents in Iran, and Naghdi happens to be a critic of the deal.

According to semi-state run Fars news agency, speaking at Basij seminar, Naghdi proclaimed that Basij intended to make a presence in schools and day-care centers.

“The education of children, adolescents and the youth is not an inherent part of the mission of the Basij. This is reserved for the ministry of education and development. But today we see much weakness and gaps in this. Therefore, the Basij intend to break into schools,” Naghdi told Fars.

He continued, “Today, some believe that law enforcement agencies should not confront those who do not fully comply with the hijab. They argue that this should be accomplished through cultural work. But we do not see any cultural work being done in this regard. The Basij must do its job. God willing, we shall proceed with the work ahead of us with force and perseverance. Some people believed that the enforcement of public morality (known as Amr be Ma’ruf va Nahi az Monkar, which literally means ‘enjoining the good and prohibiting the forbidden’) was reserved to specific card-holding individuals who would go to the streets and confront the violators. But we changed that view because enforcement of morality is everybody’s responsibility and steps should be initiated by people themselves, by those closer to the issue. People should know that they must intervene not only in moral issues, but also in political, economic, ideological and ethical issues. We did not know of the ways in the cultural war, contrary to our knowledge in the military sphere. But today and because of the purity of the Basijis, we have identified the paths and this recognition is the biggest blow to our enemies. The enemy should know that we have found the way and that all the investments they have made in satellite facilities, Internet networks and other means have gone to waste because the Basijis have found the solution in the concept of encouraging good and prohibiting the forbidden (amr be ma’ruf va nahi az monker).”

In another of his speeches, Naghdi said, “We must prepare ourselves so that on the day of trial we shine like those who know. The fourth generation has proved that is it is the generation that has come to know and that it has tens of thousands of knowledgeable martyrs, those who are better and those who are dearer.”

Along with these events, Yaltarat publication last week wrote a piece against what it calls “encouragement of Western culture” through the celebration of birthday parties and dances in day care centers. It wrote that in the country that is the center of the Islamic world some “individuals and places have been engaged in taking the future generation of the only Islamic country off its track.” It continued, “It would be naïve to believe that if our children were left to these dance places and discotheques (even if legal) we could expect an accepted future, identity and personality in them. The indulgence and rhetoric that authorities present about the ‘future-building generation’ lack planning, control and oversight of children’s kindergartens (and even elementary schools). Do the current roadmaps and policies that are followed for the strategic education of children and adolescents in line with the calls of the supreme leader for an ‘Islamic way of life’ and for an independent Islamic country? The answer is certainly a no! Don’t authorities want to think why have sensitive institutions (such as kindergartens) turned into instruments of the policies of spies, the British and our sworn enemies who want to secularize the Islamic-Shiite society?”

It should be noted that since the 2013 presidential elections and following ayatollah Khamenei’s retreat on the nuclear issue, there have been reports that the forces that extremist forces that were clearly identified for their votes to presidential candidate Saeed Jalili have been losing supporters and members. This explains why the Basij, which has very deep financial resources, is launching new activities for its propaganda and members.