AP – PARIS — UNESCO has withdrawn its support for events that Iran is organizing to mark World Philosophy Day later this month.
The Paris-based organization said in a statement Tuesday that “the conditions necessary to guarantee the effective organization of a U.N. international conference have not been met.” No further details were provided.
The decision came following new restrictions at Iranian universities on the teaching of social sciences deemed to be incompatible with Islamic teachings.
Under the restrictions, the curriculum of subjects including law, political science and philosophy will be revised, and universities prevented from opening new departments in those subjects.
France’s Foreign Ministry and the U.S. mission to UNESCO hailed the organization’s decision.
