In the Name of God
, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
“So He demolished their structure from the foundations.”
To assassinate scientists, they dispatch fighter jets; with access to individuals’ and families’ private information, they detonate pagers. Who are “they”? The very same who, for years, under the banner of freedom of information and technological advancement, claimed to establish an order for global security and peace.
Those who once proclaimed themselves defenders of open knowledge, now—when an Iranian scientist breaks the monopoly of technological development—send armies, murdering the free-minded president of the greatest university in West Asia, along with his family, in their home, without even acknowledging that they once claimed to uphold academic freedom.
Aerial and missile assaults from thousands of kilometers away upon the home of a university president and ten eminent professors is not an act of war—it is a campaign of knowledge-cide. This order is dead, and it kills; yet within its collapse lies a momentous opportunity for the free scholars of the world to take part in designing the architecture of a new order.
Order is born of reconciliation through balance. A new reconciliation of thought must now be forged. Offense, in reconciliation, is as decisive as battle in balance—and the role of scholars is vital. This is a pivotal moment to gather allies across the world against an unjust order and to guide the emergence of a new one.
An active and critical movement through the voices of professors and leading scientists—from East to West—can produce profound political consequences in the realms of science and technology. The unified reaction of distinguished, free-minded scholars to this militarized assault could mark the beginning of new transnational bonds, forming new relations of knowledge, technology, and collaboration in the world of freedom.
In this struggle over order, deep intellectual currents must arise—currents capable of bringing forth a just, secure, and progressive order for all humanity. Such a movement requires strategic, creative, and wide-ranging initiatives so as not to remain passive before the aggression of oppressors.
Three Samples of Critical Topics for Scholarly Dialogue
1. Critique of Communication Networks and Cyberspace
Freedom and security in the exchange of messages and money are the two pillars upon which the current global order claims legitimacy. They proclaim that communication networks create liberty through access and protect privacy through encryption. Yet, it is through this very access that they employ confidential information to execute precise and targeted assassinations—and with the same tools of secrecy, they impose scientific sanctions.
This vast and terrifying misuse of access demonstrates that such an order cannot be legitimate. The exploitation of private data for the targeting and killing of scientists—can such an order be acceptable?
Should not the world’s scientists devise new communication systems that, while enabling access and guaranteeing free exchange among the free-minded, also preserve their privacy from becoming instruments of evil? A global consortium of free and principled scholars in telecommunications could design future networks that break monopolies and ensure safety from the reach of tyrants—networks that bring hope to the free and pain to the oppressors.
2. Critique of Advanced Technologies—Artificial Intelligence, Microelectronics, Quantum, and Beyond
The monopoly over advanced technologies and the production chain of sensitive devices has become a symbol of the dominant order’s power—an instrument of extortion, exploitation, and sanctions. The continuation and expansion of these abuses expose the moral bankruptcy of the American-led order in providing security, progress, and justice for humanity.Free and conscientious scholars—many of whom are themselves creators of these technologies—can now lay not only a new legal foundation but also a new technological foundation to safeguard the world of the free against the dominion of the arrogant.
Independent nations must unite their capacities to establish a secure and healthy cycle for producing critical technological components. The current circuits of production pass beneath the guillotine of Western civilization, from which emerge the tools of coercion, deprivation, and tyranny.
Should not the scientists of free nations link their research and technological endeavors beyond borders, creating a protected and ethical technological ecosystem—immune from the thefts and manipulations of superpowers? Should not artificial intelligence and data analysis be wrested from the hands of so-called “civilized killers” and redirected toward the comfort and safety of humankind?
3. Critique of Foundational Theories
It is time to reflect upon and question the philosophical assumptions that have shaped this unjust order. Scholars of technology, with freedom of conscience and a true understanding of universal human values, must bring their engineering artistry into the field—so that their work may benefit all humanity and build a world free from the dominion of the tyrants.
What theoretical foundations allowed communication networks and cyberspace to be developed without consideration of their moral and political consequences—focusing solely on individual access, while leaving privacy exposed to the exploitation of powers? Which anthropological theories, with their shallow conception of human nature, prepared the ground for global relations that have normalized such injustice?
Should not scientists remind the world of the social responsibility of technologists, tearing through the veil of illusion, and presenting scientific responses that redefine our understanding of humanity, politics, and destiny—thus proving to all who thirst for truth and sincerity that a peaceful life of freedom is possible without the oppressors?
Science and technology, long in service of this deceitful order, are now turned against liberty itself. It is time for the free souls of the world to stand for freedom.
This movement would yield valuable outcomes—such as invigorating global dialogue on politics and technology grounded in knowledge; sparking a new, meaningful scientific awakening within universities; nurturing a rational and active demand for the peaceful and just development of science and technology; and setting a sound, purposeful direction for political efforts in defense of knowledge.
To succeed, this initiative must begin with a strong inaugural session—a series of continuous, specialized meetings featuring eminent professors from across the world, even virtually. The stronger and more compelling the beginning, the greater the influence and impact it will achieve.
sophicide.academy
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