Shirin Ebadi
Women are the victims of this patriarchal culture, but they are also its carriers. Let us keep in mind that every oppressive man was raised in the confines of his mother's home.Collection: Women
The international community can't trust such a government. If the government of Iran wants the international community to believe in what it says, it should try to bring true, pure democracy into the country. The political solution to the energy issue or the nuclear case is democracy in Iran.Collection: Trust
I hope the example of Saddam Hussein will give a lesson to leaders of other countries where human rights are not respected.Collection: Hope
When you vote, vote for those who are not warmongers, and vote for those who respect human rights. When you see a president who doesn't respect human rights, don't vote for that person.Collection: Respect
Human rights is a universal standard. It is a component of every religion and every civilization.Collection: Religion
When a person is humiliated, when his rights are being violated, and he does not have the proper education, naturally he gravitates toward terrorism.Collection: Education
How can you defy fear? Fear is a human instinct, just like hunger. Whether you like it or not, you become hungry. Similarly with fear. But I have learned to train myself to live with this fear.Collection: Fear
When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp. The funny thing is that human rights activists and Mr. Bush can never be situated in the same group.Collection: Funny
We must not enable anyone to impose his personal view regarding religion on others by force, oppression, or pressure.Collection: Religion
Democracy doesn't recognize east or west; democracy is simply people's will. Therefore, I do not acknowledge that there are various models of democracy; there is just democracy itself.
The idea of cultural relativism is nothing but an excuse to violate human rights.
What is important is that one utilizes one's intellect and not to be 100 percent sure about one's convictions. One should always leave room for doubt.
I maintain that nothing useful and lasting can emerge from violence.
We shouldn't just consider the desire of government to do what it wants to do. We should always consider the resistance of people. The culture of Iranian people doesn't let the government drag people into deep trouble or backlash. Maybe government wants it, but the culture doesn't let it go on.
Lawyers should not be charged with the same crimes as their clients. Trials related to political charges are not in accordance with human rights.
My aim is to show that those governments that violate the rights of people by invoking the name of Islam have been misusing Islam.
Lawyers have a dangerous job in Iran.
Usually, in any revolution people are focused on who wants to have the most power. But the most important thing is the laws that are written during that time.
Because of our youthful population, we suffer from unemployment in Iran. We need more universities and more job opportunities for the young.
Sadly the job security of lawyers has been ruined, so they are less willing to defend political defendants.
The condition of women in Islamic societies as a whole is also far from desirable. However, we should acknowledge that there are differences. In certain countries, the conditions are much better and in others much worse.
No American soldier should be allowed to set foot on Iranian soil, regardless of the criticism we have of the Iranian government.
The Iranian government intends to use the nuclear program for peaceful purposes, but must convince international public opinion of that.
The younger generation is essentially idealistic. This applies to the Iranian youth as well. In addition, the youth in Iran face certain difficulties... the Iranian youth need more freedom. They are struggling for more freedom and democracy. This commands great respect.
It's not just about hope and ideas. It's about action.Collection: Ideas
If you can't eliminate injustice, at least tell everyone about it.Collection: Injustice
Whenever women protest and ask for their rights, they are silenced with the argument that the laws are justified under Islam. It is an unfounded argument. It is not Islam at fault, but rather the patriarchal culture that uses its own interpretations to justify whatever it wants.Collection: Rights
democracy ... is not something that occurs overnight. It is not a gift delivered on a golden tray. Democracy is a long process of fighting, challenging accepted ideas, and perpetually striving for freedom. Like a seed that has to be watered every day to become a flower, democracy needs constant attention and care.Collection: Flower
When more and more people want something, it becomes easier to achieve that goal.Collection: Want Something
When there is enough oxygen in the air for everyone, no one is going to take to violence in order to access it. But if there were not enough of it for everyone then people would result to violence in order to get it. Therefore we have to improve the conditions to have better human beings.Collection: Air
We demand a non-violent world where human security is the basis of our common global security. People have the right to live in a world where the basic needs of all peoples are addressed. No more military attacks. No more war.Collection: Military
Those who don't understand any language other than the language of force and violence don't respect human dignity. They seek violence because they will be irrelevant without it. We should not go their way.Collection: Way
Human rights is the fruit of various civilizations.Collection: Rights
People are fundamentally good. But conditions deteriorate them.Collection: People
Contrary to what certain governments say, human rights are universal. Arbitrary detention, torture and discrimination hurt the human dignity of anybody, whatever his or her country of origin, religion, descent, or any other ground.Collection: Country
I am the voice of the people in Iran whose voices are silent and whose demands cannot be heard by the rest of the world.Collection: Iran
There is no "true Islam," just different interpretations.Collection: Islam
There is a verse [in the Koran] that says God swears by time. Anything you gain in life, you pay for with your time. Time is the most important thing that has been given to man.Collection: Men
North Americans do not understand that you do not throw down human rights like bombs on the Iraqis.Collection: Rights
Unfortunately, the United States and a few other governments have used the war on terrorism as a way of violating human rights. I am referring to the case of the Guantánamo Bay prisoners. This violation of the rights of prisoners has been so unbelievable that the United Nations has reminded the United States repeatedly that the treatment of prisoners should take place according to the preestablished conventions of the United Nations.Collection: War
Whenever Muslim women protest and ask for their rights, they are silenced with the argument that the laws are justified under Islam. It is an unfounded argument. It is not Islam at fault, but rather the patriarchal culture that uses its own interpretations to justify whatever it wants. It utilizes psychology to say that women are emotional. It utilizes medical science to say that men's brains are formed in such a way that they are better able to understand concepts. These are all hypotheses. None of this has been proven.Collection: Emotional
Every time I am fearful I think to myself, the reason they do this is to discourage me from doing what I do. Hence, if I discontinue my work I will have succumbed to my fears.Collection: Thinking
Everyone's condition is different, and the way that each person lives his or her life is different.Collection: Way
Fear is a human instinct, just like hunger. Whether you like it or not, you become hungry. Similarly with fear. But I have learned to train myself to live with the fear.Collection: Hunger
I have never been convinced throughout my life that one needs to be imitating others. I even tell my daughters not to look at me as a model.Collection: Daughter
Iran is a rich country, and if the people of this country are poor, it's because of the wrong policies of the government.Collection: Country
I have never been convinced throughout my life that one needs to be imitating others. I even tell my daughters not to look at me as a model. Everyone's condition is different, and the way that each person lives his or her life is different. What is important is that one utilizes one's intellect and not to be 100 percent sure about one's convictions. One should always leave room for doubt.Collection: Daughter
My hopes for Iran's future lies with women first and foremost. Iran's feminist movement is very strong. This movement has no leader or head quarters. Its place is the home of every Iranian who believes in equal rights. This is currently the strongest women's movement in the Middle East.Collection: Strong
Any person who pursues human rights in Iran must live with fear from birth to death, but I have learned to overcome my fear.Collection: Rights
I want to take my American friends back to the end of World War II, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was formulated. A group of thinkers met to come up with ways and means to prevent yet another war. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt played a crucial role in assembling this group of people. And that is why the name of the United States is synonymous with the cause of human rights around the world.Collection: War