Nobel peace prize for Iranian rights advocate

Shirin Ebadi, an advocate for women and children’s rights in Iran, was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, the first Muslim...

Shirin Ebadi, an advocate for women and children’s rights in Iran, was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, the first Muslim woman to get the award. In awarding the prize to Ebadi, the Nobel committee said it wished to prod the Muslim world into recognising that Islam and human rights, particularly those of women and children, can go hand in hand. The committee also said it hoped to advance a moderate, nonviolent path toward change in Islamic countries, one in which religious and cultural differences are rewarded.

‘‘Her principal arena is the struggle for human rights, and no society deserves to be labeled civilized unless the rights of women and children are respected,’’ the Nobel committee’s chairman, Ole Danbolt Mjoes, said in a statement after announcing the winner. In its citation, the committee noted that Ebadi ‘‘sees no conflict between Islam and fundamental human rights,’’ adding, ‘‘It is important to her that the dialogue between the different cultures and religions of the world should take as its point of departure their shared values.’’

Ebadi, a 56-year-old lawyer who was once jailed on charges of slandering government officials, was the first woman in Iran to serve as a judge. She was forced to give up her position in 1979 after the Ayatollah Khomeini took power and banned women from the bench. Since then, Ebadi has worked to defend a number of political activists, including writers and intellectuals.

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But it is her work on behalf of women and children that drew attention. Ebadi is the founder and leader of the Association for Support of Children’s Rights in Iran. She established crisis telephone lines for children and raised awareness about issues like children in prison and forced child marriages. ‘‘Ebadi represents reformed Islam, and argues for a new interpretation of Islamic law which is in harmony with vital human rights such as democracy, equality before the law, religious freedom and freedom of speech,’’ Mjoes said after the announcement.

In Iran, Ebadi’s selection was met with detachment. State-controlled television and radio did not announce her selection until several hours after it was made public. Conservatives, who have long viewed Ebadi’s activities as a threat to the Islamic system, reacted angrily to the committee’s decision. ‘‘Although we may be happy that an Iranian has won the prize, we believe the Nobel Peace Prize is being used to suit political objectives,’’ Amir Mohebian, editor of the newspaper Resalat said. ‘‘This prize carries the message that Europe intends to put further pressure on human rights in Iran as a political move to achieve its particular objectives.’’

Ebadi is the 11th woman and the third Muslim to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. (NYT)

PARIS: Hours after being awarded the 2003 Nobel peace prize, Shirin Ebadi went all out on Friday to defend Islam against charges that it is incompatible with the concept of human rights. ‘‘Islam is not incompatible with human rights. If you read the Koran you will see there is nothing in it that is against human rights.

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“For 20 years I have put out the message that it is possible to be Muslim and have laws that respect human rights,’’ she said. ‘‘It is not easy to be a woman in Iran due to Iranian laws. But the beauty of life in Iran is to fight in difficult circumstances as a woman and as a jurist. If I lived in another country I would not be as proud as I am,’’ she said. ‘‘The prize gives me energy to continue the fight for a better future… This day does not belong to me, but to all militants for human rights in the world,’’ she said. (Reuters)