An
evening with 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Shirin
Ebadi
May
2, 2006
Submitted by
Denise
Scotto, Esq.
International Federation of Women Lawyers, UN Representative
Vice-Chair, NGO Committee on the
Status of Women, NY
Thousands of people crowded the airport and waited along the highway to
welcome home Dr. Shirin Ebadi when she returned to
receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. Ebadi recalled this moment recently one evening as she presented her
memoirs to a packed hall at
taller than the podium wearing western clothes and speaking through an
interpreter ?
At first glance, Dr. Ebadi says, she appears to be a contradiction. She is a traditional woman living in
daughters. She cooks, cleans and
looks after her family. She is a
Muslim who dresses according to the strict code that requires her and all women
to cover herself with a headscarf or a hijab. She is a lawyer, a writer, a
university professor, an activist.
She is one of the first female judges in
longer on the bench since 1979. She
is a dissident and like many human rights defenders she has been
imprisoned.
Dr. Ebadi is a reflection of
contradictions where there are many discriminatory laws that badly impact upon
women. Polygamy is legal and a man
is able to divorce a woman without cause while it is extremely difficult, if not
impossible, for a woman to divorce a man.
The testimony of a man is considered credible and accepted in court as
is. When it comes to the testimony of a woman, it is two women who provide the
testimony which equals the weight of the man’s. If there is a street accident and a man
and a woman are injured, the woman will receive half of the amount of damages
which will be awarded to a man.
At the same time, 65% of students in Iranian university are girls,
resulting in women being more educated than men. There are 13 women members of Parliament
with women serving in Parliament for over 40 years when women acquired the right
to vote—earlier than many of the developed countries. Iranian women are able to drive unlike
Arabia
outsider, Dr. Ebadi concedes, but she stressed how she wrote the story of her
life to show that there is not much difference among the lives of women who live
in
many, many women and people like her who are open-minded and fighting.
Dr. Ebadi believes that the judiciary is one of the most coercive arms of
the Islamic machinery. The
interpretation of Sharia or Islamic law in most cases is erroneous and is based
on a political agenda which has paved the way for human rights abuses
particularly against women and those that disagree with Sharia’s
‘misinterpretation.’ She
recalled case after case where she appeared in court representing those whose
human rights have been violated—a deceased student who demonstrated the closing
of a newspaper, the parents of a deceased journalist who died while she was
tortured and in custody, two brothers who were imprisoned because the
participated in a student protest.
Her attempts to secure and present evidence in court were summarily
denied. Her attempts to provide
clients with a fair trial were frustrated.
Her attempts to search for the truth and for justice to prevail were
fruitless.
Elections in
Iranians are not free to vote for candidates of their choice. It is only after the Guardian Council
pronounces the eligibility of candidates that Iranians can vote (strictly for
those who are put forth by the GC).
More than 90% of those people
who would like to be candidates are
deemed ‘not eligible’ by the GC therefore the national political machinery does
not support legitimate elections.
Describing her deep belief in the rule of law and the democratic process,
Dr. Ebadi, believes that societal reform in
where people have the power to
supervise the government. She
acknowledges that
that place but she knows well that the democratic movement is alive
and vibrant. Iranians are not satisfied with their
situation and they are also sick and tired of the violence and bloodshed during
these past 27 years. She feels that
the Iranian people are not ready for a revolution, rather, they are willing to
endure the length of time it will take for the process of reform to take hold.
She cautioned, however, that should the
take democracy there, the Iranian people would not accept the attack on their
country and that they would rally behind the government in their defense with
every drop of their blood.
In turning to the present state of world affairs and discussing the
pressing question of nuclear weapons, Dr. Ebadi said that
which she qualifies ‘for peaceful purposes.’ In answering a question from a member of
the audience, she expressed a sincere hope that all governments realize that no
country needs nuclear weaponry be it
that world leaders allocate the resources used to produce nuclear bombs for the
betterment of the human condition.
With these ideals having been uttered, wild applause echoed in the hall
for Dr. Shirin Ebadi, an extra-ordinary woman.
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