[custom_adv] The Cultural Revolution (1980–1983) was a period following the Iranian Revolution, when the academia of Iran was purged of Western and non-Islamic influences (even traditionalist unpolitical Islamic doctrines) to bring it in line with the revolutionary and political Islam.The official name used by the Islamic Republic is "Cultural Revolution". [custom_adv] Directed by the Cultural Revolutionary Headquarters and later by the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council, the revolution initially closed universities for three years (1980–1983) and after reopening banned many books and purged thousands of students and lecturers from the schools. [custom_adv] The cultural revolution sometimes involved violence in taking over the university campuses. Higher education in homeland had many leftist forces who were opposed to Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic state in Iran. The resistance of Khomeiniist control at many universities was largely unsuccessful. How many students or faculty were killed is not known. [custom_adv] The government's process of censoring foreign influences has not been without conflict. In addition to interrupting the freedom, education and professional livelihood of many, and striking "a major blow to Iran's cultural and intellectual life and achievement", it contributed to the emigration of many teachers and technocrats. The loss of job skills and capital weakened Iran's economy. [custom_adv] The "Committee for Islamization of Universities" carried out the task by ensuring an "Islamic atmosphere" for every subject from engineering to the humanities. The headquarters deleted certain courses such as music as "fake knowledge," and committees "came to similar conclusions concerning all subjects in the humanities such as law, political sciences, economy, psychology, education and sociology". [custom_adv] When the institutions reopened, purges continued for five more years with special focus on "Islam’s enemies". Students were screened by committees and those found unfit were not allowed to continue their studies. [custom_adv] Students in the University instructor program, for example, "were required to be practicing Muslims, to declare their loyalty to the doctrine of the vice regency of the faqih. Non-Muslims were required to refrain from behavior `offensive to Muslims,` and were excluded from all fields of study except accounting and foreign languages."
