Ebadi, Shirin (1947–)

Born in June 21, 1947, Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian human rights activist, lawyer, writer, and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democracy and human rights, especially in the fields of women's and children's rights. A longtime activist and lawyer, Ebadi earned her law degree from the University of Tehran. She was the first female judge in Iran and served as president of the city court of Tehran, the post from which the leaders of the 1979 Islamic Revolution dismissed her on the grounds that Islam forbids women to assume such roles. Although the leadership of the revolution offered her the position of “expert” in the Department of Justice, she requested early retirement in order to protest the discrimination against women. Because the Islamic Administration assumed the management of the bar association following the revolution, she was unable to practice law as a counselor. Before she was allowed to resume practicing law in 1992, she authored several books and articles on various subjects of law. In 1995, she cofounded the Association for Support of Children's Rights and served as the association's president until 2000. She became the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize on October 10, 2003.

Ebadi's activism has mainly focused on the human rights abuses in Iran; and her struggle has intensified, especially on the promotion of the status of the woman, which she believes has been considerably degraded by the Islamic regime. However, it would not be fair to see her as the defender of only women's rights; in general, she has been active in defending political freedom and recognizing individuals' fundamental rights, even years before reformers in Iran started referring to the regime's violations of those rights. To this end, she has accepted politically risky and sensitive lawsuits. For instance, she acted on behalf of the families of writers and intellectuals killed in the late 1990s. She also represented the family of a Canadian journalist of Iranian origin, who was allegedly murdered in the prison after being detained for about 3 weeks for taking photographs illegally, and several journalists and writers accused or imprisoned in relation to such political rights as freedom of expression. Her activism earned the hatred of fundamentalists in Iran, and eventually she was imprisoned for disturbing public opinion, following her legal work on behalf of the students. While there were two assassination attempts directed against her, she has never retreated from her position and cause, and still continues to call the government to release political prisoners and democratize the election laws.

It should be noted that her opposition to the Islamic regime in Iran does not mean she rejects the Islamic perspective on human rights and on the status of women. As a practicing Shi'ite Muslim, who even presented herself at the Nobel Prize ceremony as a Muslim woman, Ebadi strongly believes that human rights and Islam are compatible and that there is no contradiction between Islamic principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She reiterates this belief, stating that the Qur'an does not conflict [Page 504]with human rights. In this vein, she argues that it is not Islam, but the corrupt regimes in Muslim countries that are responsible for the failure to recognize the individuals' fundamental rights and freedoms. Therefore, her approach is not reformatory, as she believes that Islam has already granted all rights and freedoms that are now protected and guaranteed under international human rights law, and thus, Muslims should demand from their governments what has already been afforded them under Islam.

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