People are fundamentally good. But conditions deteriorate them. by Shirin Ebadi

People are fundamentally good. But conditions deteriorate them.

Shirin Ebadi

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Categorized in : People Conditions

There is no "true Islam," just different interpretations. by Shirin Ebadi

There is no "true Islam," just different interpretations.

different-interpretations islam different

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.

hurt rights country

Unfortunately, violence begets violence. And this is how the war on terrorism seems to be going at this juncture. A lot of people are losing their lives. Many children are losing their parents. Too many houses are being destroyed. And, unfortunately, the arms industry seems to flourish.

war children people

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.

important doubt rooms

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.

iran voice people

My aim is to show that those governments that violate the rights of people by invoking the name of Islam have been misusing Islam.

government rights names

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.

hungry hunger you-like-it

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.

human-rights violence 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.

fighting home men

Everyone's condition is different, and the way that each person l... by Shirin Ebadi

Everyone's condition is different, and the way that each person lives his or her life is different.

different life-is way

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.

divorce rights men

Any person who pursues human rights in Iran must live with fear from birth to death, but I have learned to overcome my fear.

iran rights overcoming

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.

drinking reality people

Maybe the words are the same, but the time is not the same. Iranians weren't working on achieving nuclear energy.

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.

imitating-others daughter looks

Lawyers should not be charged with the same crimes as their clients. Trials related to political charges are not in accordance with human rights.

political trials rights

I have never had a governmental position, and I will never accept... by Shirin Ebadi

I have never had a governmental position, and I will never accept such a position.

position accepting

While living in exile I have become the loudspeaker for the peopl... by Shirin Ebadi

While living in exile I have become the loudspeaker for the people of Iran.

exile iran people

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.

lawyer prison firsts

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.

oil water people