Ramin Jahanbegloo

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Ramin Jahanbegloo (Persian: رامین جهانبگلو, born December 28, 1961 in Tehran) is an Iranian Canadian intellectual and academic.

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[edit] Biography

Jahanbegloo was born in Tehran, Iran. He has a doctorate in philosophy from Sorbonne University in Paris, France where he lived for twenty years.[1] He was a post-doctorate fellow in Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. He is married to Azin Moalej.[2]

[edit] Academic and intellectual career

Jahanbegloo's intellectual activity focuses on fostering constructive dialogue between divergent cultures. He has written numerous books and articles in Persian, English and French on the subject of Western philosophy and modernity.

In 1997-2001, he was an adjunct professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto in Canada. During this period, he published his book Conversations with Isaiah Berlin.

In 2001, he served at the National Endowment for Democracy as a fellow at the a federally funded program, known as the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program[3]

Upon returning to Tehran, he was appointed head of the Contemporary Philosophy Department of the Cultural Research Center. In his efforts to promote dialogue, he has interviewed scholars and intellectuals from all over the world, among them George Steiner, Noam Chomsky, Ashis Nandy and the Dalai Lama. In recent years, he invited Richard Rorty, Timothy Garton Ash, Antonio Negri, and Michael Ignatieff and other Western intellectuals to Iran.

[edit] Political detention

In late April 2006, on his way to an international conference in Brussels, Jahanbegloo was arrested by the Iranian authorities. [4]

On May 3, Iran judiciary branch officials confirmed that he was arrested and sent to Evin Prison. According to some sources, he was accused of spying. [1] the following day, a friend told CBC News that Jahanbegloo had been moved to a hospital. [2]Human Rights Watch expressed concern over Jahanbegloo being detained without charges and called for his immediate release. [3] [4]

According to Canadian newspaper reports on May 6, Jahanbegloo's friends suspected that he was being tortured. Their fears increased in the wake of reports that Jahanbegloo had been examined twice at the medical clinic of Evin Prison, a detention facility for political prisoners. [5]

An Iranian newspaper, Jomhuri Eslami, accused Jahanbegloo of links to the CIA and the Mossad. "He is considered as one of the key elements in the American plan for the smooth toppling" of the Islamic regime," the newspaper stated, further charging that he was being paid by the United States to conduct "cultural activities against Iran."

On May 13, the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), an Iranian human rights group headed by Iran's Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, voiced concern over the arrest and jailing of the prominent intellectual. [6] [7]

On May 15, the Council of the European Union, following a meeting in Brussels, issued a press release expressing concerns about the detention of Jahanbegloo, including its underlying message that Iranians ought not to communicate or associate with Europeans:

"The Council is seriously concerned about the detention of the Iranian philosopher Dr. Ramin Jahanbegloo. The Council calls upon Iranian authorities not to penalize Iranian citizens for their contacts with Europeans, including embassies, universities and cultural institutes". [8] [9] [10]

On May 19, more than 400 prominent international figures, including Nobel laureates, scholars and human rights activists, in an open letter demanded Jahanbegloo’s immediate release. Among the undersigned are Noam Chomsky, J.M. Coetzee, Shirin Ebadi, Umberto Eco, Jürgen Habermas, Timothy Garton Ash, Leszek Kolakowski, Antonio Negri, Richard Rorty, Krzysztof Zanussi, and Howard Zinn. [11] [12]

On June 13, Reuters reported from Tehran that Jahanbegloo was barred from seeing a lawyer during his interrogations. [13]

On July 10, the Council of the European Union issued another press release reiterating its concerns about the detention of Jahanbegloo:

"The EU is particularly alarmed about the continuing detention of the respected Iranian academic Dr. Ramin Jahanbegloo, who is well known for his commitment to philosophical and moral principles, non-violence and dialogue.". [14] [15]

[edit] Release from prison

On August 30, 2006, Jahanbegloo was released from prison after four months of confinement. [5]

[edit] Career after imprisonment

In 2006 and 2007 he was Rajni Kothari Professor of Democracy at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in New Delhi, India.[6] From January, 2008, he will be Dean's Distinguished Visitor in Human Rights at the University of Toronto.

[edit] Works

  • The Clash of Intolerances (2007)
  • Talking India: Conversations with Ashis Nandy (2006)
  • Iran: Between Tradition and Modernity (Global Encounters) (2004)
  • Gandhi: Aux sources de la non-violence: Thoreau, Ruskin, Tolstoi (Le temps et les mots)
  • Conversations with Isaiah Berlin (2000)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ramin Jahanbegloo - Iranian Philosopher - Book - India - New York Times
  2. ^ Iranian Political Prisoners - Template
  3. ^ Fellowship Programs - Past Fellows
  4. ^ BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iranian author arrested in Tehran
  5. ^ Ramin Jahanbegloo: a repressive release | openDemocracy
  6. ^ DANNY POSTEL - CONVERSATION WITH RAMIN JAHANBEGLOO - LOGOS 5.2 SPRING/SUMMER 2006

[edit] See also

[edit] External links