Israel's Attack on Iran's Scientific and Academic Community: A Reflection of Scientific Apartheid.

Iran; Israel

Scientific apartheid, discrimination, and sanctions in the scientific realm can lead to the deprivation of a segment of the global community from its scientific and educational rights. Today, while one of the key dimensions of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals emphasizes the necessity of employing science and technology for growth and progress, imperialist countries have challenged the movement of independent nations by imposing discrimination in the dissemination of science and technology. Scientific apartheid is presented as a system of structural discrimination that restricts access to knowledge, education, and scientific advancement based on racial, religious, or political criteria, and is sometimes accompanied by violence. The extensive and multi-stage attacks by Israel on Iran on June 13, 2025, serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing scientific apartheid in today's world. These attacks directly targeted scientific, academic, technological, and even medical capacities and infrastructures, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including more than 40 prominent scientists, intellectual elites, students, doctors, and some of their families. This article examines the recent Israeli attack on Iran, which was accompanied by the targeted terror of some members of the scientific and academic community. It describes and analyzes it as a practical instance of scientific apartheid, demonstrating that such policies not only violate the principles of human rights and international law but also reflect the systematic dominance of scientific and military power aimed at suppressing and destroying independent and indigenous knowledge globally. This perpetuates a dangerous cycle of violence and discrimination that could be repeated in the future and could also occur in other countries and communities. It is essential for the international community to condemn such attacks, which have already been carried out by the Israeli regime in Iran and other parts of the world, and strive to strengthen a culture of peace, cooperation, and mutual respect in the scientific community. Only by standing against scientific apartheid can we create a world where knowledge and innovation can flourish for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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