ABOUT ISA

In response to appeals from individual members of the International Sociological Association (ISA) and a formal request from the Iranian Sociological Association—an ISA collective member—and the Union of Iranian Social Science Associations, the ISA issued the following statement.

The ISA expresses its deep concern over the escalating military aggression carried out by the governments of Israel and the United States against Iran, which has affected the lives of ordinary citizens of Iran. These actions represent a violation of international law and have led to widespread disruption, displacement, and fear, including in Tehran, a city of over ten million people and home to many of our colleagues and academic institutions.

The ISA stands in solidarity with the Iranian Sociological Association, the Union of Iranian Social Science Associations, and scholars across Iran who continue to face severe constraints on their safety, mobility, and ability to engage in public and academic life. Iranian social scientists and civil society organizations, including the Iranian Sociological Association, have demonstrated remarkable resilience and a steadfast commitment to public scholarship in the face of state repression and sustained restrictions on academic freedom. The current wave of violence further threatens their lives and personal safety, as well as this already fragile yet vital intellectual and civic space.

We are particularly concerned about the direct impact of this aggression on the ability of Iranian sociologists to participate in international academic life, including the upcoming 5th ISA Forum of Sociology in Rabat, from which many of our Iranian colleagues have now been forced to withdraw. 

In recognition of these urgent circumstances, and in keeping with our commitment to justice and global scholarly exchange, the ISA will continue to amplify the voices of those affected by war and repression and call for peace and an end to violent conflict. The ISA reaffirms its commitment to sustaining international dialogue, amplifying marginalized voices, and upholding the collective resolve of its membership in the face of war, displacement, and repression.

As we have affirmed during crises in other regions, the ISA believes that silence in the face of injustice contributes to the reproduction of global asymmetries in the quality of life and the production and circulation of knowledge. Today, more than ever, we call for critical engagement by social scientists and the protection of academic freedom worldwide.

The ISA views with concern the effects of this and other conflicts that impact populations, causing irreparable harm or requiring years to restore previous living conditions. These conflicts worsen the lives of millions of innocent people and destroy the ancestral bonds of peaceful coexistence among peoples. In this time of global turmoil, the ISA urges all governments to choose different paths—ones that foster dialogue, solidarity, and improving living conditions—by seeking peaceful solutions to conflicts, rejecting hate speech and warlike discourse and practices, and reaffirming their commitment to the defense of human rights and the promotion of global peace.

June 26, 2025

• Statement in PDF format