April 6, 2004
Contact: George Yatchisin
(805) 893-3494
e-mail: yatchisin-g@ sa.ucsb.edu
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Shirin Ebadi delivers the timely lecture Islam, Democracy and Human Rights at UCSB Campbell Hall
Summary Facts:
- Shirin Ebadi
- Islam, Democracy and Human Rights
- Ebadi is the first Iranian and first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize
- One of the first female judges in her native Iran, Ebadi is a tireless crusader for human rights
- Co-presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures, UCSB Center for Middle East Studies, the Office of the Chancellor and Direct Relief International
- Monday, May 17 / 8 pm / UCSB Campbell Hall
- General public: $15 / UCSB students: $10
- Tickets & information: UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535
Shirin Ebadi, the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, will give a lecture on the crucial topic of Islam, Democracy and Human Rights on Monday, May 17 at 8 pm at UCSB Campbell Hall. A lawyer and human rights activist who served in the 1970s as one of the first female judges in her country, Ebadi was awarded the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work on the behalf of democracy and the rights of women and children in Iran. Her talk will be in Persian, with English translation.
In her Nobel Lecture delivered on December 10, 2003, Ebadi said, “The decision by the Nobel Peace Committee to award the 2003 prize to me, as the first Iranian and the first woman from a Muslim country, inspires me and millions of Iranians and nationals of Islamic states with the hope that our efforts, endeavors and struggles toward the realization of human rights and the establishment of democracy in our respective countries enjoy the support, backing and solidarity of international civil society. This prize belongs to the people of Iran. It belongs to the people of the Islamic states for establishing human rights and democracy.... If the 21st century wishes to free itself from the cycle of violence, acts of terror and war, and avoid repetition of the experience of the 20th century—that most disaster-ridden century of humankind—there is no other way except by understanding and putting into practice every human right for all mankind, irrespective of race, gender, faith, nationality or social status.”
Both in her research and as an activist, Ebadi is known for promoting peaceful, democratic solutions to serious problems in society. She takes an active part in public debate and is well known for defending the victims of attacks on freedom of speech and political freedom by the ruling conservatives in Iran. She was the attorney for the families of the writers and intellectuals murdered in 1999-2000. She has worked actively, and successfully, to reveal the principals behind the attack on the students at Tehran University in 1999 where several students were injured and died. Ebadi’s legal work on behalf of the rights of the oppressed has led to her imprisonment.
Ebadi represents modern reformist Islam, and argues for a new interpretation of Islamic law which is in harmony with vital human rights such as democracy, equality before the law, religious freedom and freedom of speech. Ebadi also espouses religious freedom, including the rights of members of the Baha’i community, which has faced persecution in Iran ever since its foundation.
Ebadi is an activist for refugee rights, as well as those of women and children. She is the founder and legal advisor of the Association for Support of Children’s Rights in Iran. Ebadi has written a number of academic books and articles focusing on human rights. Among her books translated into English are The Rights of the Child: A Study of Legal Aspects of Children’s Rights in Iran (1994), published with support from UNICEF, and History and Documentation of Human Rights in Iran (2000).
Ebadi campaigns for peaceful solutions to social problems, and promotes new thinking on Islamic terms. She has displayed great personal courage as a lawyer defending individuals and groups who have fallen victim to a powerful political and legal system that is legitimized through an inhumane interpretation of Islam. Ebadi has shown her willingness and ability to cooperate with representatives of secular as well as religious views. Giving advice to a young human rights activist, she once said, “Have confidence, have courage, and know that if we work hard, our struggle will be victorious.”
Shirin Ebadi is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures, the UCSB Center for Middle East Studies, the Office of the Chancellor and Direct Relief International. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for UCSB students.
For tickets or more information,
call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535.
Editor: For photos, please call
George Yatchisin at (805) 893-3494.