Dr. Shirin Ebadi Iran Awakening

I attended Shirin Ebadi’s book release “Iran Awakening” this evening, at S.I.P.A. Columbia University. This is the third time that I have heard her, the first was at Brown’s controversial graduation speech, two years ago, when she criticized Israel, and last year at an event hosted by N.Y. County lawyers association and the Global fund for women. This time I found her very clear, strong in her opinions, and willing to take criticism and challenge the powers that be.

A brief background- she was one of the first female judges in Iran, she resigned after 1979 revolution, when women were deemed too emotion to be judges. She set up her own practise and represented the families of murdered dissident intellectuals Dariush and Parvaneh Foruhar, and Ezzat Ebrahiminejad, killed during a 1999 militia attack on his dormitory. Recently she represented the mother of Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian photojournalist who was killed in police custody in Iran in 2002. She is the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel prize.

Ebadi started off by describing Iran as a land of contradictions. For women discrimination is overt, polygamy is allowed. A man can divorce a woman without justification, it’s extremely difficult to seek recourse to justice. The value of a woman is half that of a man, in an accident a woman gets half the damages a man gets, two women’s testimony is equal to one mans. On the flip side 65% of students entering university are women. Iranian women got the vote before Swiss women. Forty years ago a woman was elected to be a member of parliament, now they have 30 women in parliament. Well educated women clashing with discriminatory laws is ripe for revolt and reform.

Relationship between America and Iran
Mohammad Mossadegh, prime minister of Iran was thrown out by a coup instigated and supported by Britain the America. A reaction to that was the hostage crisis (November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran and took approximately seventy Americans captive). She said she was ashamed of Iran’s reaction. But one needs to understand the historical context and apply correct judgement.

The Professor at S.I.P.A. asked a loaded question, that I found offensive, will Iran act rationally?

She responded by saying that it depended on international reaction towards Iran. People are extremely critical towards the government. But are not willing to accept an invasion, and will rally and protect the land with their blood.

Question about the Hijab, what her views are and the role her husband played in her life.

In modern Iran, it is compulsory to wear the Hijab, if you go out in western clothes you get punished. Her husband has been supportive, she added she had been the perfect housewife!

Womens movement in Iran
She responded by saying the women’s movement is very strong. The movement struggled for laws to change, the custody law did go in womens favor. She said the movement did not have a leader or a central secretariat, the reality is that in every household a woman is conscious of her rights.


Will you want be the future president of Iran

No she responded, the constitution says it has to be a man, but even if the constitution changes, she is not interested in elected office, but will continue her law practise and be a militant for human rights.

Is discrimination written into the shariah law, or is it in the interpretation of it?

Islam is subject to political interpretations, for instance in Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to drive, while Bangladesh has a woman Prime Minister. In the U.S. in some churches homosexuality is acceptable and in others it is not. Misinterpretations or erroneous interpretations open up abuse. For instance in the Zahra Kazemi case, she died due to blows to her head. The court did not listen to arguments, did not allow witness testimonies. Zahra was detained in Prison section 209, which is for political prisoners. That section has camera surveillance twenty four hours. Ebadi requested the film and her clothes, to see how she died, both were refused. Justice was not rendered. In her book she has examples of terrorist acts done by the government.
In another instance student’s had protested after a popular newspaper had been shut down. After the students had gone back to their dorms, militia attacked them, and threw them down a third floor window, wounding, blinding and killing one of the students. People do not trust the judiciary in Iran.

Her views on the recent elections.

She boycotted them, elections are not free. People are not free to vote for candidates of their choice. A guardian council decides the eligibility of candidates. 90% of candidates that people want are deemed illegitimate to stand for elections by the guardian council.

Her book has been co-written by a woman who represents the lipstick jihad and they support the U.S. war on terror, does she support it as well?

No she did not support the war on terror. She emphasized the book was her work, not anyone else, but since she did not know English she needed a translator.

Question on Iran’s right to have nuclear weapons? Why is it being challenged, Pakistan has it and America has not said anything to them?

Her response was no country in the world needs nuclear weapons, her sincere hope is, that it is better to use those resources for the betterment of the conditions and the lives of the people.
But when pressed she did agree that America had double standards and reminded the audience that a couple of years ago when Saddam Hussein was throwing chemical bombs on the Kurds, Rumsfeld did not oppose him.

She saw the future of Iran through reform. She said the people were tired of revolution and with patience people will get what they want.

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