Detained lecturer's fate unknown

By Jack Gillum

A lecturer at both Santa Clara and the University of California, Berkeley, has been arrested in Iran on unknown charges, news sources said this week.

Dariush Zahedi, who was recently detained in Iran, has visited his home country at least one summer before, a university administrator said.

One professor describes the detainment as "extremely rare," noting, however, that faculty members who go abroad for either leisure or research may face uncertain dangers.

"I just can't think of another example of such a case," said political science department chair Terri Peretti. "We're hoping that he'll be back soon."

Few details were available on his arrest Wednesday.

One Santa Clara official noted that despite the risks of traveling abroad, the school tries to shield its own from as many dangers as possible.

"The university consistently works hard to protect its faculty, staff and students," said Barry Holtzclaw, a university spokesman. Holtzclaw couldn't provide specifics, noting that each situation is approached differently.

Both of Zahedi's courses â€" politics in the Middle East and introduction to comparative politics â€" were cancelled, Peretti said.

In the classroom, students appreciate Zahedi's balanced view of Middle Eastern curriculum.

"His class really changed my perspective," said senior political science major Anne Volz. "His class brought together more of the focus where I wanted to end up in the major."

One university official knew of Zahedi's arrest in September but would not comment out of respect for his family.

Aside from his academic responsibilities, Zahedi oversees west coast operations of the American Iranian Council. He has also published on the challenges facing Iran, including the Iranian revolution and movements for democracy.

Zahedi may have been detained earlier in the summer, sources say. That roughly marks the anniversary of a 1999 summer crackdown on students who pushed for reform in the Islamic country.

The lecturer is an Iranian native but is a U.S. citizen, The Associated Press reported.

The United States has had no official diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980, when Iranian revolutionaries took over the U.S. embassy in Tehran the year before.

Contact Jack Gillum at (408) 554-4849 or at jgillum@scu.edu.