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. – Shirin Ebadi
We must not enable anyone to impose his personal view regarding religion on others by force, oppression, or pressure. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
My aim is to show that those governments that violate the rights of people by invoking the name of Islam have been misusing Islam. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
Sadly the job security of lawyers has been ruined, so they are less willing to defend political defendants. – Shirin Ebadi
Human rights is a universal standard. It is a component of every religion and every civilization. – Shirin Ebadi
I hope the example of Saddam Hussein will give a lesson to leaders of other countries where human rights are not respected. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
When a person is humiliated, when his rights are being violated, and he does not have the proper education, naturally he gravitates toward terrorism. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
Because of our youthful population, we suffer from unemployment in Iran. We need more universities and more job opportunities for the young. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
Lawyers should not be charged with the same crimes as their clients. Trials related to political charges are not in accordance with human rights. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
No American soldier should be allowed to set foot on Iranian soil, regardless of the criticism we have of the Iranian government. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
The Iranian government intends to use the nuclear program for peaceful purposes, but must convince international public opinion of that. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
