Shirin Ebadi
The people of Iran have been battling against consecutive conflicts between tradition and modernity for over 100 years... some have tried and are trying to see the world through the eyes of their predecessors and to deal with the problems and difficulties of the existing world by virtue of the values of the ancients... many others...seek to go forth in step with world developments and not lag behind the caravan of civilization, development and progress.Collection: Eye
Europe clearly is the only place where people can speak up critically, and this is a unique cultural value.Collection: Unique
The idea of cultural relativism is nothing but an excuse to violate human rights. Human rights is the fruit of various civilizations. I know of no civilization that tolerates or justifies violence, terrorism, or injustice. There is no civilization that justifies the killing of innocent people. Those who are invoking cultural relativism are really using that as an excuse for violating human rights and to put a cultural mask on the face of what they're doing.Collection: People
There is no "true Islam," just different interpretations. Since I brought up patriarchy, let me make one thing clear. I am not singling out men; I am addressing the issue of inequality of genders. A patriarchy does not only not accept the equality of the sexes, it also has a hard time understanding the principles of democracy and its essence. 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. This is the culture we need to resist and fight.Collection: Home
Sixty-three percent of our university students are female. But you still see violations of women's rights in Iran. A Muslim man can have up to four wives. He can divorce his wife without offering any reason, while it is quite difficult for a woman to get a divorce.Collection: Divorce
We must acquaint the youth to the realities of the world... we must tell them that millions of people around the world have no access to drinking water.Collection: Drinking
Maybe the words are the same, but the time is not the same. Iranians weren't working on achieving nuclear energy.Collection: Energy
I have never had a governmental position, and I will never accept such a position.Collection: Accepting
While living in exile I have become the loudspeaker for the people of Iran.Collection: Iran
In my memoir, I wanted to introduce American women to Iranian women and our lives. I'm not from the highest echelons of society, nor the lowest. I'm a woman who is a lawyer, who is a professor at a university, who won the Nobel Peace Prize. At the same time, I cook. And even when I'm about to go to prison, one of the first things I do is to make enough food and put it in the fridge for my family.Collection: Firsts
Democracy is not an incident that happens overnight, nor a gift that America can give to the world. It is a culture which needs peace to evolve.Collection: Peace
I have said many times that I wish there was no oil in the Middle East, and more water. People would have been much happier than they are right now.Collection: Oil
Akbar Ganji was in prison for six years, and that was it...for six years, and it was finished. Of course the Iranian government could make up some stories and accuse him of some other things, but the international support didn't let the government do that.Collection: Support
Iran, the Iranian government, has mentioned several times that it wouldn't attack Israel.Collection: Iranian
The condition of women in Islamic societies as a whole is far from desirable. However, we should acknowledge that there are differences. In certain countries, the conditions are much better and in others much worse. For example, the conditions women face even in Egypt differ a whole lot from what their Iranian counterparts deal with. The condition of women in Pakistan is far different from that in Saudi Arabia. This shows that you can have different interpretations of Islam.Collection: Country
Israel is a country and should exist. And a country by the name of Palestine should be made. Two different governments of Palestine and Israel can live beside each other happily and both of them should recognize each other.Collection: Country
The diplomatic relations start when the two sides get a bit closer to each other, but U.S and Iran, they are drifting apart.Collection: Relation
Americans shouldn't start a military attack, and they shouldn't bombard Iran, and they shouldn't interfere with the internal affairs of the country. And the Americans should pay more attention to the human right issues in Iran.Collection: Country
Democracy doesn't recognize east or west and democracy is simply people's will. Therefore, I do not acknowledge that there are various models of democracy; there is just democracy itself.Collection: Democracy
The fight against terrorism is a legitimate fight. And certainly whoever commits terrorism should be brought to justice. Unfortunately, the United States and a few other governments have used the war on terrorism as a way of violating human rights.Collection: War
America is not the only one who should decide about the policies toward Iran.Collection: Policy
Unfortunately the situation of human rights in Iran isn't improving. Some of the newspapers were shut down and the government didn't try to reopen the newspapers that were shut down before. And the laws are as bad as before.Collection: Trying
The history and our experience shows that Democrats and Republicans think the same way in some cases, and their ideas aren't very different when it comes to international relations.Collection: Thinking
Akbar Ganji is a human rights activist in Iran and he works on freedom of expression and he does his job very well.Collection: Human Rights
If you study the behavior or the attitude of Syria, Iran, and U.S., you understand that these three countries can't come to terms with each other.Collection: Country
A Muslim man can have up to four wives. He can divorce his wife without offering any reason, while it is quite difficult for a woman to get a divorce. The testimony of two women is equal to that of one man. Any woman who wishes to travel needs the written permission of her husband. And the number of unemployed women is four times that of men.Collection: Husband
The government of Iran claims that every two years there are elections. But none of them are free.Collection: Government
The most important problem in Iran is that the courts have lost their independence, and they are under the influence of the Ministry of Intelligence and their people. This is why we witness a number of journalists and human rights activists, my colleagues, and a number of feminists, in prison.Collection: Rights
The life of a woman is worth half of that of a man [in Iran]. If a terrorist attacks me and my brother on the street and we are both injured the same, the compensation he receives is twice as much as the compensation that I would receive.Collection: Brother
Over 60 percent of the university students in Iran are female. The women in Iran are better educated than men.Collection: Men
The role of Iran has been very destructive. As an Iranian, I apologize to the civilian people of Syria who have been killed as a result of the useless intervention of Iran in Syria.Collection: Iran
No government can make me wear a veil, no government can force me not to wear it eitherCollection: Government
It is totally unacceptable for a government to interfere in the internal affairs of another government and send aid, money, and weapons, to the people who are against a certain regime in another country.Collection: Country
I know of no civilization that tolerates or justifies violence, terrorism, or injustice. There is no civilization that justifies the killing of innocent people. Those who are invoking cultural relativism are really using that as an excuse for violating human rights and to put a cultural mask on the face of what they're doing.Collection: Rights
Certainly, the fight against terrorism is a legitimate fight. And certainly whoever commits terrorism should be brought to justice.Collection: Fighting
Terrorism is based on two major pillars: One is injustice, and the other is a certainty of attitude, the notion that their version of the story is the correct one.Collection: Attitude
I have never agreed with President Bush's argument regarding the axis of evil. Unfortunately, fundamentalists in Iran have used this as an excuse to brand us as allies of Mr. Bush.Collection: Axes
Some criticize me, thinking I'm too tolerant of the clerical regime in Iran. In response, I have to say, I have served time in prison, I have lost my position [as a judge]. Do I need to prove that I am brave? Do I need to be killed?Collection: Thinking
The people are fed up with corruption and embezzlement. They object to censorship. The first thing that the people of Iran want is free elections.Collection: Iran
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