Iranian Professor Loses Job due to 'Feminine' Voice

Iranian professor Qasem Exirifard has not had his contract
renewed due to his high-pitched voice.

THE GUARDIAN: Khajeh Nasir Toosi university dismisses Dr Qasem Exirifard on the grounds that his voice would lead to ridicule in classroom, he tells reformist newspaper

A top physics professor in Iran has lost his job because he was told he has a feminine voice that prevents him from effectively communicating with his university students.

Qasem Exirifard has been dismissed from Tehran’s Khajeh Nasir Toosi university after its academic committee, in charge of examining staff’s qualifications, deemed his voice was effeminate and said it could lead to students ridiculing him in the classroom.

According to the reformist Shargh newspaper, the 40-year-old Exirifard is a former national physics olympiad medallist who has a doctorate degree from Italy’s International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA). Shargh described him as a genius in physics with great academic achievements.

He began teaching at the institution in February 2014 but his contract, which was up for renewal last month, was not extended due to the university committee’s ruling.

“I was disqualified, why? Because I have a high-pitched voice, what they [the university] call a feminine voice,” Exirifard was quoted as saying. “They said I would not be qualified to communicate scientific contents to students because they said my voice was effeminate.” » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Monday, March 16, 2015