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December 11, 2003
"If You Want The Truth--Yes, I Am Afraid"
On the occasion of Shirin Ebadi's acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Peace, I thought I would share with you part of the text of the interview I conducted with her. Mrs. Ebadi, a lawyer and human rights activist, is the first Iranian and first woman from a Muslim country to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Please see links below my interview for more information on Mrs. Ebadi, as well as two other entries-- "Waiting for Shirin" and "No Longer Waiting for Shirin" for my experience meeting her and being at the airport in Tehran when thousands welcomed her home.
Interview with Shirin Ebadi, conducted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003, Tehran, Iran.
Are you able to continue with your regular work, or have things completely changed for you?
Since it was announced that I was the winner of the Nobel Prize, until today, which is over one month, most of my time has been used for interviews and discussions about events that led to this prize. Unfortunately, my life hasn?t regained its normalcy, so that I can return to my profession, which is law.
What has been the biggest surprise since you came home?
In fact, many interesting things happened for me which were surprising. Perhaps one of the things that was especially interesting for me was that my young daughter, who is a law student, turned to me and said, ?I will certainly win this prize too; you can be sure you won?t be the only one.?
Where were you when you heard about the prize and what was your reaction?
I was in Paris to participate in a conference. It was a Friday and at 2:30 in the afternoon I had a flight scheduled back to Tehran.
It was around 11 o?clock when they called me and they told me, ?You are the winner of the Nobel Prize.? I wasn?t even aware of having been nominated for the prize. For this reason, it was a real surprise for me.
I first doubted a little, but they told me to turn the radio on, that right now French radio is going to broadcast the announcement. When I heard French radio announcing it, I was very happy. The truth is that in my dreams I saw myself winning the prize someday, but I thought it would happen when I was 80, and so I was taken aback that I had won the prize 25 years early!
Are you tired of all the questions about hejab? (the head covering and coat that all Iranian women must wear)
People like to have their own questions and I have no problem with that. But as an Iranian woman, I think we have far more important issues to talk about. For instance, in Iran a man can get married to four women and he can divorce his wife without any justification. The custody of children after divorce is with the man. The compensation to a woman is one half that of a man. To discuss these matters is much more important than talking about hejab. Unfortunately we have much bigger problems.
What now will you concentrate your attention on?
The granting of this prize proved one thing, and that is the path I have been following so far was not the wrong way. And this gives my heart more strength so that I can pursue this path with greater confidence. I will continue all my past activities. I have been active in many different fields. One was the defense of political-ideological prisoners. I?ve been supporting the rights of children in Iran, defending women?s rights in Iran, defending the freedom of expression. These were the main focus of my activities in Iran.
Were you disappointed that President Khatami called the Nobel Prize just a political prize?
Mr. Khatami has expressed his opinion about the Nobel Prize and everybody can have his or her own opinion.
Do you feel a lot of pressure right now?
What happened after the granting of the prize is that I feel a greater responsibility now. At least I should prove to myself that I deserved this prize. Therefore I will definitely work harder now.
Many Iranians I?ve met say they won?t vote in the next election. What do you think about this?
There is a bill before the Parliament. If it is approved, people will have the right to vote for anyone they want. This law is very important for the people. I hope it will be approved so that Iranian people can freely vote for anyone they want.
(Note: Iranians can only vote for people that have been "vetted" by the Council of Guardians.)
The Council of Guardians is against this bill; therefore it was returned to the Parliament. This is a point of contention between the parliament and the Council of Guardians and the people of Iran want the freedom to vote for anyone they like.
But if this bill is approved, then people will go and vote. But if it is not approved and people are not able to vote for anyone they want, naturally they won?t have any interest in participating, and they will not be willing to vote for someone who has been imposed on them.
UPDATE: Ebadi has said she will not vote in the election on February 20, 2004, because of the mass disqualifications of reform candidates.
When you talk to people, what do you tell them about the best way to promote peace?
Peace and the belief in peace is not something to be created overnight. It needs a building of the culture. The most important thing is that we raise our children from an early age far from violence. We can see, even the toys for children are violent toys. Guns are considered the best gift for a boy. This is wrong.
In 5 years, or even in 10 years, what changes would you like to see in Iran?
If I?m to express my dreams, my dream is an Iran free of violence, an Iran where everyone can live as he wants, think as he wants and work as he wants. My dream is an Iran where the natural wealth is distributed equitably. My dream is an Iran run by trusted representatives of the people. My dream is a free and proud Iran.
I?ve talked to some Iranian women who would like to see change, but they say they are not as brave as you are. Some women are scared to speak up like you have.What would you say to them?
Look, freedom has a price to be paid for it. We can?t expect democracy and human rights and freedom in our country if we are afraid of risks. It?s a duty of the people to struggle for the advancement of democracy in their country.
Are you afraid?
For many years, I have been threatened. If you want the truth?yes, I?m afraid. Fear is an instinct like hunger. It comes to you whether you want it or not. You get hungry without wanting to. And you are afraid without wanting it. Therefore I am afraid, but I have learned to dominate my fear and not to permit that fear to hinder my work.
What is the greatest misimpression that people have about Iran?
I hope we can introduce the people of the world, particularly the people of the United States, to the authentic Iranian culture.
Some 2,500 years ago, Iran was one of the greatest empires of the world. Cyrus the Great was ruling Iran. In the same era, Cyrus the Great inscribed these words on a tablet:
?I pledge not to rule over people who don?t want me. I pledge not to force people to change their religious conviction. I pledge to give people freedom.?
Iran enjoys such a cultural background. Look at us and judge us with our 7,000 year-old culture, not only on the basis of a few years.
Has the Islamic Revolution been good for Iran?
When the Islamic Revolution occurred, it had certain very lofty goals. But unfortunately for reasons that are very elaborate--and this is not the place to talk about them--it failed to reach all its goals. If the revolution had attained all its goals, it would be much better for sure.
Who are the people you look up to?
One of my interests is to read about great individuals. I learn something from everybody. I don?t have a role model. I try to learn from every great person.
Do you expect to come to America?
Yes, I think I may come in May.
Other stories to get more information about Shirin Ebadi and the Nobel:
BBC.com article
Reuters article on washingtonpost.com
Text of Nobel introduction and Ebadi's acceptance speech
Cartoon by young Iranian dissident Marjane Satrapi, author of the bestseller "Persepolis:"
Posted by MJF at December 11, 2003 01:08 AM
Comments
Last year 230 000 iranians have emigrated to the West. The Iranian government is worning that a brain drain is going on... The government is accusing the West that it byus the brains and above all the Iranians who are seeking better life...telling lies about their humiliated human rights and the fear they face because of that. But the Iranian government is not right - fear, as Prize Nobel winner tells - is just an instinct like hunger. The seekers for better life must therefore return to their respective country and follow the example of the Peace Prize Winner.
Posted by: Lilly Pink at January 1, 2004 07:55 PM