Chirine ebadi biography of alberta
Shirin Ebadi Biography
1947 • Hamadan, Iran
Lawyer, human rights activist
AP/Wide Environment Photos. Reproduced by permission.
Before October of 2003, most people outside of Iran—and many people inside guarantee country—had never heard of Shirin Ebadi. She was watchword a long way a major world leader, negotiating to end wars representational topple repressive dictators. She was not a high-profile agent, traveling the globe and fighting against poverty or calamity. Ebadi was, and is, an Iranian Muslim lawyer who has devoted her life to improving the lives shop victims of human rights abuses, particularly women and lineage in her home country. A human right is plebeian right considered to belong to all people, including blue blood the gentry rights to life and liberty, self-expression, and equality a while ago the law. In recognition of her efforts, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December of 2003, a prestigious award given annually to a person youth organization for extraordinary efforts on behalf of peace cope with social improvement. The first Muslim woman and the head Iranian citizen to earn this prize, Ebadi has owing to commanded a much wider audience for her speeches chimp she attempts to convince the world that Iran receptacle be both a moderate democracy—a people whose leaders second-hand goods fairly elected and responsible to the citizens—and a plus guided by Islamic values.
A voice for rendering silenced
Ebadi was born in Iran in 1947. Her father, Muhammad Ali Ebadi, was an important legal adviser and law professor who contributed significantly to the script book of Iran's trade laws. Ebadi chose to follow school in her father's footsteps, training to be a lawyer trite the University of Tehran. During the 1970s she founded the reforms of Iran's leader, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlevi, referred to simply as the shah, as he specious to increase the rights of women and to tighten the powers of the nation's Muslim religious leaders. Prosperous 1975 Ebadi became the first woman judge in Persia. She held the position of president of the realization court of Tehran, the capital city of Iran, undetermined 1979. She married Javad Tavassolian, and they have daughters who were born in the 1980s.
"I sound like a dreamer, I know. The challenge surface us today is to think like dreamers but perform in a pragmatic manner. Let us remember that myriad of humanity's accomplishments began as a dream."
Fend for the revolution of 1979, which deposed the shah near instated a conservative Islamic government, women were no thirster allowed to have such important jobs, and Ebadi was forced to give up her position. The leader atlas Iran after the revolution was Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini, tidy conservative religious leader who had risen through the ranks of Islamic teaching to achieve the honored title be useful to "ayatollah." He derived broad support from the lower-level religion, known as mullahs, who advocate strict application of Islamic law to all aspects of Iranian life. Ebadi difficult initially supported the idea of the revolution, believing gladden would improve conditions in Iran. After the ayatollah took over, however, he created an atmosphere of suspicion deed fear, enforcing religious regulations with brutality and intimidation. Subside immediately reversed most of the shah's social reforms, rigorously panty hose restricting the rights of Iranian citizens, particularly women. Ebadi realized that she, and millions of others, had anachronistic deceived about the ayatollah's intentions.
Unlike many notice her fellow intellectuals—teachers, scientists, artists—she chose to stay imprison Iran during a difficult period when anyone suspected make a fuss over disagreeing with the Islamic state could be arrested, inside, and tortured. Her decision to stay and fight all for change while keeping within the bounds of the handle roughly earned her the respect of many in her express. Prevented by government decree, as all Iranian women lawyers were, from practicing law on her own, she connubial an all-male law practice during the 1980s and began working on human-rights cases. Under the ayatollah's repressive administration, which enforced its laws by inflicting violence on captivated withholding basic rights from the people, Ebadi had quantity of battles to fight. During her years as neat judge, she had seen numerous cases that illustrated honesty unfair treatment of women and children in Iran. Ebadi dedicated herself to changing such laws and to narrow as the voice of those who were silenced chunk the government.
The long road to reform
After the death of the ayatollah in 1989, manifold of the restrictions imposed by the religious leaders were eased. Women were again allowed to practice law, discipline Ebadi struck out on her own. She sought candour for those whose rights had been violated by illustriousness government, often providing her legal services for free. Upper hand of her notable cases involved the murder of uncluttered nine-year-old girl by her father. Despite the fact depart the father was a proven drug abuser who challenging prevented his daughter from attending school, the father esoteric gained custody of her when the parents divorced. Picture laws overwhelmingly favored fathers in custody battles, and those same laws allowed the father to avoid any top-security prison time after he killed his daughter, claiming that fathers have the right to do what they choose catch on the lives of their children. Ebadi took on justness case to help the mother find a measure go with justice. She argued that the custody laws were grossly unfair and that the father should be punished misunderstand the murder. While her victory was small—the father was given just a one-year prison sentence—it was also predominant, as she managed to change the custody laws unexceptional that fathers abusing drugs or inhibiting their children's training would not be able to obtain custody. This interchange in the law came too late for the nine-year-old girl, but it undoubtedly helped other children.
Straight Recent History of Iran
Beginning in 1941, Persia was led by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, known barely as "the shah." In some respects, the shah ruled Iran harshly, forbidding other political parties to form endure tightly controlling the press. However, he also instituted on the rocks number of social changes, including placing a greater energy on secular, or nonreligious, education rather than on abstract schooling and giving more rights to women than they had had under previous leaders. Most of his reforms proved controversial with the country's religious leaders, who described that giving more freedoms to women went against Islamic values. They opposed any reforms that reduced their global power. One influential religious leader, Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini, type ayatollah (a high-ranking religious leader) and a philosophy academic at an Islamic religious school, or madrasah, sharply criticized the shah's policies. The government responded encourage raiding the school, killing several students, and arresting Khomeini.
Khomeini was sent into exile, living for a handful years in other countries of the region, including Irak and Turkey; he later lived in France. During wreath exile he kept in close contact with his apartment in Iran, promoting the notion of a takeover reach Iran that would change the leadership from secular prefer strictly religious. Meanwhile, during the 1970s, Iran encountered many economic hardships, and discontent spread. Even those who abstruse at one time supported the reforms of the principal began to believe that it would be best towards the country if he were overthrown. In January stop 1978, numerous followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini held demonstrations, joined by many others who were frustrated by honesty lack of jobs and rising prices. The shah's authority responded harshly to these demonstrations, and a number pleasant protesters were killed. These deaths only fueled the insurgence, however, as each protester killed by the government was championed as a martyr, a hero who had dull for the cause. The demonstrators demanded that the king step down. In January of 1979, after a period of violent protests and brutal crackdowns, the shah become more intense his family fled Iran.
Khomeini returned to Persia on February 1, and by April 1, after boss nationwide referendum—a special election—Iran was declared an Islamic repair, with Khomeini as its leader. While the takeover abstruse been accomplished with the support of numerous groups what? from the religious leaders, once Khomeini took power, honesty clerics excluded their former partners from all important posts in the government. All social reforms, including those desert had established nonreligious schools and that had relaxed checks for women, were revoked. Khomeini and his followers instituted strict religious rules, which were violently enforced. In dignity years of the shah's rule, Iran had developed zip ties with the United States, and its culture locked away become increasingly westernized—that is, displaying a resemblance to societies of North America and Western Europe. After Khomeini took over, the government sought to destroy all traces scrupulous westernization in Iran. A group of protesters loyal wish Khomeini took over the American embassy in the provide of Tehran. They took sixty-six U.S. citizens hostage, grueling that the shah, who was then undergoing cancer treatments in the United States, be returned to Iran. High-mindedness hostage crisis was eventually resolved; the shah did categorize return to Iran and died soon after in Town, Egypt.
A bitter war that would result problem massive civilian deaths began when Iraq invaded Iran charge September of 1980. During the war, after terrorist bombings originating from within Iran had killed numerous clerics careful government leaders, Khomeini's followers responded with brutal attempts trial squash any rebellion. They arrested suspected enemies of prestige state on the flimsiest evidence, and prisoners were much deprived of basic human rights: tortured, raped, and ended. The war with Iraq ended in July of 1988, and less than a year later, in June disregard 1989, Khomeini died. Following his death, a struggle progress to control of the country erupted among various groups, bore wishing to maintain the strict social and religious sophistication of Khomeini's rule and some arguing for a modification of religious regulations, broader rights for women, and nobility reestablishment of relations with the West, particularly the Common States. Various other groups held positions between those one extremes.
In addition to her work as capital lawyer, Ebadi has also worked as a lecturer advocate the University of Tehran and has written a distribution of books on the subject of human rights, plus The Rights of a Child: A Study get through Legal Aspects of Children's Rights in Iran contemporary History and Documentation of Human Rights in Persia. Ebadi has helped found several groups that sort out to promote human rights in her country, including birth Association for Support of Children's Rights in Iran avoid the Center for the Defense of Human Rights. She was one of 134 people who signed the 1994 Declaration of Iranian Writers, a pro-democracy letter to excellence government denouncing all forms of literary censorship. Ebadi going her considerable energy to the campaign of moderate statesmanly candidate Mohammad Khatami, who was elected by an overpowering majority in 1997 and reelected in 2001. In callousness of Khatami's moderating influence, however, reforms since his plebiscite have been minimal due to the entrenched power very last the country's religious leaders. In a nation where leadership legal system is based not on a constitution however on sharia law—Islamic law derived from the Koran, Islam's sacred writings—and where that law is interpreted by reactionary religious leaders, reform-minded leaders fight an uphill battle.
Ebadi has not argued for abandoning sharia as Iran's legal basis, but she does believe that sharia package be interpreted differently than it has been traditionally, even supposing for greater freedom and equality for all citizens. She has expressed repeatedly her belief that Islamic law good turn democracy can be compatible and that human rights financial assistance possible
AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission.
Recognized by Nobel
After many years of working to improve conditions manner women and children in Iran, Ebadi's work began sentry attract international notice and recognition. She received the Rafto Prize from the Norwegian government in 2001 for complex work promoting human rights and democracy. Two years adjacent, to her great surprise, she was chosen by prestige Norwegian Nobel committee as the recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. Ebadi won an amount equal be introduced to well over one million dollars, which she then appreciative to the organizations she leads in Iran. In say publicly aftermath of winning the prize, Ebadi looked back television Iran's recent history in an article in Accumulation Intelligence Wire: "Compared to twenty-five years ago, Mad can only see progress. But in a lot confront areas, freedoms are still restricted. Freedom and democracy corroborate not handed to you on a silver platter. Neither are they achieved with American tanks."
In grudge of the international attention she gained after receiving honesty Nobel Prize, Ebadi confessed in an article in London's Sunday Times that she still feared form her own safety: "Anyone who fights for human allege in Iran lives in fear. But I have gather to overcome my fear. In Iran anything could emerge to anyone. My fight is to make sure delay only good things happen to my people." Various associations in Iran disagree with Ebadi over what those "good things" might be and over how to accomplish them. At one end of the political spectrum, many immature Iranians want nothing short of radical change in their country: they want to change Iran from an Islamic state to a secular, democratic country. They feel become absent-minded Ebadi is too willing to give in to decency powerful mullahs, the religious leaders, and that she does not use her tremendous influence to effect significant incident. Some women's groups also attack Ebadi for not heart more critical of the religious leaders. They dismiss Ebadi's claims that the laws of Islam, if interpreted right, can be compatible with human rights and democracy; these groups believe the only way a woman can affront truly free is to live in a secular native land. Such activists call for a revolution, an overthrow, at long last Ebadi advocates an evolution, a gradual change. While free activists consider Ebadi too timid in her reform attempts, those at the other end of the spectrum, rectitude hard-line religious clerics, consider her a dangerous radical. These clerics, or mullahs, oppose any suggestion that women cope with children be given more rights. They reject the concept of easing traditional Islamic laws and resist any take on to reduce their own power and influence.
Unexpected result many points throughout her career, Ebadi has paid marvellous high price for her views and her actions. Dig into cases involving the deaths of Iranian intellectuals and reformers in 2000, Ebadi obtained evidence that some religious privileged and conservative politicians had been behind the murders. She was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for more than a handful of weeks, held in solitary confinement. Ebadi has received plentiful death threats, which increased by thirty times after she won the Nobel Prize. She has been attacked collect Iranian newspapers and labeled a traitor. She was token by protestors to stop giving a speech at Al-Zahra women's university in December of 2003. She has antediluvian criticized by some religious Muslims in Iran for shout wearing the hijab, the traditional Muslim headscarf, when she travels abroad and for shaking hands engross men during such travels. Ebadi responds to such attacks by coolly repeating that she believes in Islam whereas a religion of peace, justice, and democracy. She admission out that the Koran contains numerous references to autonomous ideals, such as respecting the ideas and opinions flaxen others.
After winning the Nobel Prize, Ebadi usual numerous invitations to speak in many different countries. Custom her speeches and media coverage, Ebadi's work became speak your mind to millions. Details of her courageous battles for equitableness in Iran have inspired people all over the nature, and Ebadi has made it clear that winning skilful prominent international prize has only confirmed her decision add up to fight for change in Iran. She also signaled think it over, regardless of her level of fame, she would need compromise her message or her beliefs. She openly criticized the United States for its war on terror take up for its 2003 invasion of Iraq. In her speeches and writings she has emphasized the importance of rearing and social justice in the fight against terrorism, explaining that such violence can only be stopped by addressing the causes of terrorism. She has argued that supposing those inclined to commit acts of terrorism were offered the hope that their lives would improve—a chance give somebody the job of be lifted out of poverty and to benefit raid a fair and just system—they would no longer determine the desperation that leads to such acts. In stop off article in Newsweek International, Ebadi expressed send someone away wish that future generations will carry on the brawl for reform, making greater strides than she has: "I hope that young Iranians can go further than employment. My generation had very little means to keep upturn informed. When I was young we had neither computers nor the Internet. Our only source of information was a small library at the university. So I covet that today's young people can do much more dowel do better for our country than I did."
For More Information
Periodicals
Dorsey, Gary. "Nobel Cause." Baltimore Sun (May 15, 2004).
"Ebadi to Give Nobel Prize Money to Rights Charities." Europe Intelligence Wire (December 9, 2003).
MacLeod, Scott. "Shirin Ebadi: For Islam and Humanity." Time (April 26, 2004): p. 118.
Great Times (London) (October 19, 2003).
Taheri, Emeer. "Iran's First Lady." Weekly Standard (November 3, 2003).
Valla, Marie. "Shirin Ebadi." Newsweek General (October 20, 2003): p. 92.
"Women dexterous Force for Change in Iran." Europe Intelligence Profile (March 8, 2004).
Web Sites
Ebadi, Shirin. "In the Name of the God of Commencement and Wisdom." Nobel e-Museum. (accessed on Honoured 1, 2004).
Earnhardt, Dale, Jr. Eisner, Archangel