Organizing Iran's High Council of Cultural Revolution

(19 Azar 1364 / 20 December 1985)

The path of most institutions in the society during the past regime (Pahlavi) was based on special goals and intentions; the purpose was that productions and outputs of these institutions just provide the needs of that regime. Immediately after extermination of Pahlavi regime, Islamic Republic institutions were organized. But it wasn’t a simple matter to change some wrong cultures of these social organisms in a little time, specially those pervasive ones such as education and high education. On the other hand, continuation their tasks especially the universities in that conditions had bad effects for the society. In that era different small groups had disturbed the process of leaning and teaching. Most deviate professors had continued their duties, and the way of teaching, its goals, the professors’ cadre, teachers and employees hadn’t changed. So the universities of the whole country were closed for a while.

After universities recessional, in order to adjust cultural affairs of the schools and universities, the first Cultural Revolution council formed by order of Imam Khomeini under the name of “Cultural Revolution staff.”

Through a message in 1360 New Year (21 March 1981), Imam asked Cultural Revolution Staff to hasten for opening the universities.

By opening the universities, Cultural Revolution Staff’s activities continued. The necessity of development in the Staff’s tasks -qualitatively and quantitatively- caused Imam to add the heads of judicature, legislature, executive forces and some cultural thoughtful as its members in 19 Azar 1364. Therefore Cultural Revolution Staff started its duty after about five years activity under the name of Cultural Revolution’s High Council by combination of below members:

1.      Ayatollah Khamenei the then President as the head of Council

2.      Ayatollah Rafsanjani the head of Islamic parliament as deputy chairman of Council

3.      Ayatollah Mousavi Ardebili the head of Great Bureau and High Court Council

4.      Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani Secretary of Warrior Clergymen Society and chief of Imam Sadeq University

5.      Mr. Mir Hosein Mousavi the then Prime Minister

6.      Hojjatol Islam Val Moslemin Mohammad Khatami, Minister of culture and Islamic Guidance

7.      Dr. Iraj Fazel, Minister of Culture and High Education

8.      Seyyed Kazem Akrami, Minister of Education

9.      Dr. Abdol karim Soroush, assistant professor

10.  Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Reza Hashemi Golpayegani, associate professor

11.  Dr. Mostafa Moein, assistant professor

12.  Dr. Reza Davari, the professor

13.  Dr. Ahmad Ahmadi, assistant professor

14.  Dr. Ali Sharia'tmadar ,the professor

15.  Dr. Nasrollah Pourjavadi, assistant professor

16.  Mr. Mohammad Rahmati, student of civil engineer

17.  Sadeq Va'ez Zadeh, engineer

In the first step, the members’ goals and duties were approved as follows:

Goals:

1.      The development and permeation of Islamic culture in society and reinforce Cultural Revolution and exalting public culture.

2.      The purification of scientific and cultural environments from material thoughts and negation of westernization manifestations from cultural space of society.

3.      Change in universities, schools, cultural and artistic places base on appropriate Islamic culture.

4.      The extension of literacy and promotion of the level of thought and learning, research and using useful human experiences for achieving scientific and cultural independence.

5.      The protection, revival and introduction of national and Islamic works.

6.      The propagation of cultural thoughts and works of Islamic revolution and constituting and strengthening cultural relations with other countries, especially Islamic nations.

Duties:

Approved duties included 10 parts:

1.      Cultural politics’ principles of Islamic republic and assigning goals and direction for cultural, educational, scientific and researching programs must be compiled.

2.      Sources for planning and compilation cultural, educational, scientific and researching programs must be assigned.

3.      Important and basic rules of cultural, educational, scientific and researching places must be approved.

4.      Rules for establishing cultural, scientific and researching institutes, academies and universities must be approved.

5.      Rules for predisposing mobilization and all lateral participation of people must be compiled.

6.      Rules for selecting university professors and educational place teachers must be compiled.

7.      All ratified laws of Cultural Revolution Great Council must be supervised.

8.      Candidates that minister of culture and great instruction as president of the universities and great instruction centers suggests to the council must be confirmed.

9.      The rules, general principles and policies, which related to developing scientific and cultural relations with other countries, must be compiled.

10.  Textbooks must be supervised.