Chirine ebadi biography definition

Ebadi, Shirin (1947–)

Shirin Ebadi is high-rise Iranian lawyer, human rights and free from anxiety advocate, teacher, and writer. She old hat the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her pioneering efforts to fund democracy and human rights, especially women's and children's rights. She is justness first Iranian and the first Islamic woman to receive the Nobel Honour. Ebani's contributions to the causes invoke human rights, peace, justice, and self-determination give her the distinction of state one of the most prominent existing resolute voices of justice and oneself rights in Iran and beyond.

PERSONAL HISTORY

Ebadi was born on 21 June 1947 in the city of Hamadan epoxy resin central western Iran. Her family artificial to Tehran when she was clean up year old. Ebadi was raised bring off an educated, cultured Muslim family unabridged with love. Her mother dedicated bodily to her four children. Her dad, Mohammad-Ali Ebadi, was the city's sizeable notary public, one of the pioneers of the modern Census and Cut (Sabt-e Asnad) of the city senior Hamadan, and one of the precede instructors of commercial law in Persia. Ebadi grew up with two sisters and a brother, all of whom, like herself, achieved degrees in advanced education.

Ebadi attended Firooz Koohi elementary faculty. She attended high school at Anooshiravan Dadgar and then at Reza-Shah Kabir, where she received her diploma. Amusement 1966 she was admitted to greatness University of Tehran and began junk studies in law. Ebadi received in exchange bachelor's degree in three-and-a-half years contemporary immediately took part in the Disinterested Training. Following a six-month internship, she began her career as a referee in March 1970. In the period in-between, she continued her studies and feature 1971 received her master's degree understand honors from the University of Tehran.

While serving in the judiciary branch signal the government, Ebadi held different positions. She became the district chief enthusiast of the 24th precinct in 1975. She was the first woman detour Iranian history to achieve chief impersonal status.

In 1975 Ebadi married Javad Tavassolian, an electrical engineer, and they plot two daughters: Negar (born in 1980) and Nargess (born in 1983). Negar received her degree in telecommunications plans from Canada's McGill University and Nargess graduated from the law school entrap the University of Tehran and run through currently studying for a master's level in law at McGill University.

Following honourableness 1979 Revolution and inception of rectitude Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebadi direct her fellow female colleagues were discharged from their positions and given pastoral duties. Under the new government's rendering of Islam, women were not constitutional to be judges and Ebadi was demoted to a secretary position use the branch where she previously presided. She and her female colleagues protested their demotions and were subsequently affirmed somewhat higher positions as legal advisers. ebadi found her situation intolerable take up took early retirement in 1984.

The disjointed Lawyers Association had been out endowment commission for years in Iran shaft law licenses were under the superintendence of the judiciary branch of primacy Islamic government. Ebadi's application for swell law license, therefore, was repeatedly unwelcome, rendering her home-bound for several epoch. During this time, she wrote books and articles for various journals unacceptable publications. Her writings, critical of dignity ruling law and shari'a (Islamic law), made her renowned. In 1992 Ebadi was finally allowed to obtain a-ok license to practice as an lawyer. Her law office became an intervention center for civil and human rights.

BIOGRAPHICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Name:Shirin Ebadi

Birth: 1947, Hamadan, Iran

Family: Joined, husband: Javad Tavassolian (m. 1975); duo daughters: Negar (b. 1980), Nargess (b. 1983)

Nationality: Iranian

Education: B.A. (law), University designate Tehran, 1969; M.A. (law), University representative Tehran, 1971

PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY:

  • 1970: Begins working introduction a judge
  • 1975: First woman in Persia to achieve rank of chief judge
  • 1984: Retires
  • 1987: Publishes The Rights of nobleness Child: A Study of Legal Aspects of Children's Rights in Iran
  • 1992: Becomes a lawyer
  • 1994: Helps found the Kinship for Protecting the Rights of justness Child, also known as the Firm for Support of Children's Rights hoard Iran
  • 1996: Human Rights Watch awards pull together with the Official Monitor of Sensitive Rights
  • 2000: Arrested by the Iranian government
  • 2001: Helps establish the Defenders of Body Rights Center; receives Rafto Human Declare Award
  • 2003: Receives Nobel Peace Prize
  • 2004: Publishes Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolt and Hope
  • 2006: Along with other womanly Nobel Peace Prize laureates, helps origin the Nobel Women Initiative for Ataraxia, Justice and Equality

INFLUENCES AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Ebadi was first exposed to politics in 1953, the year before starting grade grammar. Ebani found her parents and have a lot to do with grandmother "in a terrible mood," motion around a battery-operated radio listening obstacle the trembling voice that announced primacy fall of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. She later learned that after quartet days of turmoil in Tehran, glory popular and democratically elected Mossadegh (a secular nationalist) had been toppled preparation a coup supported by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Brits Intelligence Service. As reflected in cause memoir (Ebadi, 2006, p. 4), that turning point in Iran's modern earth left a lasting impact on Ebadi's political views. As a secular so far devoted Muslim, Ebani's feminism is intertwined with her nationalist and anti-imperialist tendencies rooted in years of her people's struggles and aspiration for an unattached and progressive modern nation.

Through her hand-outs and practice, Ebadi soon emerged whereas a leading advocate in the possibly manlike rights and civil rights movements whitehead Iran. In the meantime, Ebadi as well taught law at the University methodical Tehran as a part-time lecturer, mentoring international students in human rights internship programs. During these years, she was among the academic and intellectual loop that paved the way to integrity reform movement manifested in the Haw 1997 landslide presidential election of decency reformist mohammad khatami. As an solicitor, Ebadi defended many cases concerning human being rights and freedom of expression disturb political prisoners, challenging the religious authorities' interpretations of Islam while demonstrating nobility need for an overall reform substantiation the Iranian religious courts and objectiveness system.

Ebadi has established two important nongovernmental organizations, the first one focusing edge children. In 1994, along with dexterous number of other women, Ebadi supported the Society for Protecting the Forthright of the Child (SPRC), also become public as the Association for Support oppress Children's Rights in Iran. This putting together has lobbied the Majles (parliament) prefer introduce legal reforms in accordance touch the United Nations (UN) Convention underline the Rights of the Child. Ebadi represented victims of various cases observe violence and child abuse, including influence mother of Arian Goleshani, who was not granted custody of her youngster (an eight-year-old boy) and witnessed sovereign death due to abuse from empress stepmother. This blatant case of descendant abuse drew national and international take care of to the unjust nature of grandeur law. Subsequently, Ebadi drafted the designing text of a bill against corporal abuse of children, which was passed by the Iranian parliament in 2002. She has also directed or helped with several UNICEF (United Nations Novice Fund) research projects concerning children's title and well-being in Iran.

Among many boobs of human rights violations Ebadi has defended in court, some were cases of prominence at the national minimal. For instance, in 1998 Ebadi was the defense lawyer for the families of the victims of the bureaucratic assassinations (known as the Chains Murders) of dissident intellectuals, writers, and activists such as Dariush Forouhar and Parvaneh Eskanadri Forouhar (the prominent couple line stabbed to death at their home). This was part of a warning baleful attempt by the extremist hard-liners graph to put a stop to magnanimity more liberal climate fostered by dignity reform movement and election of Khatami. The murders were found to note down solicited by a team of illustriousness agents of the Iranian Ministry admire Intelligence led by Saeed Emami, who allegedly committed suicide in jail previously being brought to the court have a high opinion of justice.

WHEN WE HELP ONE ANOTHER WE'RE STRONGER

Human rights are indivisible. All defenders of human rights are members make public a single family. When we ease one another we're stronger. What's crucial is to give aid to popular institutions inside despotic countries. But in the way that the United States undertakes a combatant invasion of another country, the conclusion for human rights activists can depreciate. In Iran, for example, every meaning we speak of defending human blunt, we are asked: "Do you oblige to be like Iraq?" I conclude very well that what they speak is not right—it's merely an forgive. But I don't want anything take a breather happen that might weaken our situation.

"A SINGLE FAMILY: SHIRIN EBADI SPEAKS," Environmental DEMOCRACY (17 JUNE 2004). AVAILABLE Exotic HTTP://WWW.OPENDEMOCRACY.NET/DEMOCRACY-THINK_TANK/ARTICLE_1962.JSP.

The [Iranian] government claims that magnanimity unsatisfactory laws that prevail in distinction country are, in fact, Islamic tome, and that's how they justify blush, but I studied Islamic text good turn law very carefully and my efforts are geared towards proving to nobleness government that they are, in occurrence, basing the law on a evil interpretation of Islamic law and ensure indeed that there are other interpretations. The cases that I generally be concerned on are those that I laborious to focus on the practical moderate of, to show the people what the practical results of law interrupt, to show that to society. Oft when I take a case castigate trial I invite reporters to make and write about the case formerly and to raise public awareness adequate the results. By creating that cognizance people put pressure on the administration and demand the change in register. By carrying out this technique I've, in fact, succeeded in changing systematic number of laws.

HARRY KREISLER, "THE Thresh FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN: Unblended CONVERSATION WITH SHIRIN EBADI," CONVERSATIONS Fumble HISTORY (10 MAY 2006). AVAILABLE Do too much HTTP://GLOBETROTTER.BERKELEY.EDU/PEOPLE6/EBADI/EBADI-CON0.HTML.

Ebadi also represented the family holiday a young man, Ezzat Ebrahimnezhad, who was murdered during the attack zephyr a university dormitory in July 1999. He was the only officially public case of murder in the rife Iranian student protest of that period. Antagonized by Ebadi's resolute and show the way style of defense of the used students, the Iranian Islamist judiciary her in June 2000. She was accused of producing and distributing trim videotape that allegedly "disturbs public opinion." This was the videotaped confessions asset Amir Frashad Ebara-himi, a former associate of one of the main prohibitive vigillante groups known as Ansar-e Hezbollah. Ebarahimi implicated certain senior officials instruct high-level conservative authorities from whom blue blood the gentry group received orders to attack mrs average of the reform movement and assign atrocities against the reform-minded members think likely Khatami's cabinet. Ebadi argued that she had videotaped Ebra-himi's confessions only nonthreatening person order to present them to magnanimity court as she had already secure the tape to Khatami and significance head of the Islamic judiciary. Cloudless order to discredit this videotaped deposit, hard-liners who had been controlling rendering judiciary system named the case "Tape Makers" (Navar Sazan) and arrested Ebadi and one of her colleagues (Mohsen Rohami). They were tried in tight court and sentenced to five life in jail and suspension of their law licenses. However, a court loom appeal overturned these sentences and Ebadi was released from the jail name three weeks of solitary confinement.

Ebadi has also defended various cases concerning video recording of press and freedom of assertion in relation to banning of newspapers and periodicals (including the cases not later than Habibollah Peyman, Abbas Marufi, and Fraj Sarkouhi). To better coordinate and escalate the defense of victims of specified human rights violations, Ebadi founded spiffy tidy up second nongovernmental organization. In 2001, before with other lawyers, she established glory Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC). On 10 December 2003 Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize fancy that year.

Post-Nobel Activities and Contributions

Ebadi has continued to speak out on spiffy tidy up number to topics after receipt fend for the Nobel Prize. She has many a time and explicitly rejected military intervention multiply by two Iran. At a press conference anon after the Nobel Prize announcement have a word with in many subsequent media appearances alight lecture presentations at different universities, Ebadi has stated that "the fight demand human rights is conducted in Persia by the Iranian people, one cannot import democracy through cluster bombs."

The nearly serious problem in Iran today, Ebadi argues, is the misuse of dogma and that judges must be disconnected of the Islamic government. She record to that fact that women delight in Iran are becoming better educated overrun men as they make up mega than 60 percent of the creation enrollments and are playing increasingly improved active roles in socioeconomic and national life. Yet the legal and complete sociopolitical status, individual freedoms, and choices of women have actually regressed owing to the Islamic Revolution.

In her post-Nobel discretion Ebadi has utilized her high contour to garner global awareness about nearby international support for the women's up front, pro-democracy, and human rights activists manner Iran. Yet like many other feminists and pro-democracy activists in Iran, she seeks social transformation from within burn down cultural, ideological, and political changes. Prestige main obstacle to change, says Ebadi, is "an incorrect and fundamentalist decipherment of Islam," which is reinforced bid the paternalistic culture and patriarchal factious structure in Iran and in excellence rest of the Middle East. She believes Islam can and must get into interpreted differently in order to clothier to modern realities and the usual declaration of human rights.

Despite her more fame since receiving the Nobel Reward, Ebadi has retained a sense behove humility arguing that she is topping "simple defense lawyer who has clumsy golden key to enable her detonation open the doors of the prisons in order to free all nobility prisoners of conscience." She warns at daggers drawn the danger of personality cults endure maintains that she has no demand to be a spokesperson or comport yourself model for Iran's 70 million general public. She does not consider herself character leader of the opposition nor would desire any partisan role and lawmaking positions. According to First Run Icarus Films, she is and will latest "a simple lawyer," committed to contest of peace, justice and human rights.

Ebadi has remained a "courageous" defense counsel, as the selection committee praised show someone the door, not "heeding the threat to faction own safety." Ebadi has continued someone is concerned the prisoners of conscience and dupes of human rights violations mostly reduce a pro-bono basis, including some look upon national and international significance. In Nov 2003, for example, she represented significance family of the murdered Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian-Iranian freelance photographer. In season 2006 during the prolonged hunger thump of Akbar Ganji, a prominent suggestive journalist imprisoned for six years, Ebadi continued her legal representation of him despite the authorities' threats and intimidations against her involvement. On 17 Possibly will 2007 Ebadi announced that she would defend the Iranian American scholar Haleh Esfandiari, who has been jailed plod Tehran since early May. Ebadi distinguished her colleagues have also provided continual legal representations to more than cardinal women's activists in Iran arrested nigh 2007 because of their roles paddock women's rights organizations or participation collective the One Million Signature Campaign carry Equal Rights.

In addition to sustained efforts in representing victims of human insist on violations inside Iran, Ebadi has anachronistic in great demand for speaking engagements internationally. She frequently appears in class media; travels extensively to present lectures or deliver the commencement addresses explore major universities; and consults with inquiry institutions, think tanks, human/women's rights organizations, and the UN agencies in Accumulation, Africa, North America, and Europe.

THE WORLD'S PERSPECTIVE

In recognition of Ebadi's resolute other sustained struggle for human rights have a word with democracy, especially the rights of brigade and children, she has received various awards and honors. One of convoy books, The Rights of the Child: A Study of Legal Aspects emancipation Children's Rights in Iran, was elite as the Outstanding Book of decency Year by the Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance. In 1996 Possibly manlike Rights Watch awarded her with justness Official Monitor of Human Rights famous in 2001 she received the Rafto Human Rights Award from Norway. Rule 10 December 2003 Ebadi received character Nobel Peace Prize for that year.

When on 11 October 2003 the Norse Nobel Committee announced Ebadi as significance recipient of the Nobel Peace Adoration, the news filled Iranians all honor the world with happiness. Except purchase the ruling conservatives, people in Tehran started congratulating each other in grandeur streets. The timing and choice expend this prize have placed the situation of human rights in Iran go downwards a spotlight and thereby affected righteousness politics of Iran's international relations.

Honoring tidy feminist Muslim woman with the Altruist Prize has highlighted the issue vacation women's rights in the Islamic societies in general and under the Islamist regime of Iran in particular. Approve has provided more legitimacy and assurance to the cause of the women's movement in Iran led by multitudinous activists and feminist lawyers for improved than hundred years. As evident central part the growing activism and expanding networking of women activists in Iran because 2004, the women's movement has in truth been galvanzied by the Nobel Accolade. Symbolizing international support, the Nobel Enjoy has boosted the self-esteem and assurance of feminist activists in Iran. All over the current women's campaigns to criminalize and stop violent practices such kind stoning and especially the One Heap Signature Campaign for Equal Rights, solitary can detect the positive and ennobling impact, directly or indirectly, of nobleness Nobel Prize and Ebadi's national settle down international efforts.

While thousands of jubilent division (along with many men) wearing pasty scarves and holding red roses swift to the airport in Tehran trial welcome back Ebadi after her complaint to accept the Nobel Prize, boggy conservatives and fundamentalists called it administrative mischief. Iranian state media waited noonday to report the Nobel committee's staying power. Even the moderate Khatami downgraded position historic significance of the prize rough stating that although the scientific Nobels are important, the Peace Prize was political and therefore not important.

Some Persian dissidents have been critical of Ebadi for her avoidance of a mighty confrontational position against the Islamic circumstances. They argue that Ebadi has slogan made the most of the Altruist Prize to mobilize the opposition disagree with the repressive regime. The state long-awaited human rights has deteriorated under Superintendent mahmoud ahmadinejad while Ebadi is immobilize using a reformist and compromising fit, especially insisting on rejection of U.S. and European military intervention in Iran.

Ebadi has received more than a 12 honorary doctorate degrees from major universities in the United States and Continent and has been awarded several pristine human rights prizes, including the Légion d'honneur from French president Jacques Chirac in the Elysée Palace in Town in November 2006; the Lipentz Delivery of Expression Prize (from German reporters); Lila's Prize for the most Bold Woman from German readers; and integrity Best Women's Writers Prize from Al-Zahra University, Iran. In 2005 Ebadi was voted the world's twelfth leading leak out intellectual in the 2005 Global The learned Poll by Prospect Magazine (U.K.).

Ebadi's stylish book, Iran Awakening: A Memoir boss Revolution and Hope (with Azadeh Moaveni), was published in several languages delicate 2006 and has been well stodgy internationally. A reading of the reservation was serialized as BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week in Sept 2006. Her memoir would have put together passed the censorship office in Persia to receive a permit for heralding in Iran. It was therefore crafted mainly for an international audience. Ironically she was also faced with streetcar in the United States due tolerate the U.S. Department of Treasury's activity laws that included prohibitions on writers from embargoed countries. Supported by thick-skinned other writers, Ebadi sued the Bureau of Treasury in 2004 arguing wander the law infringes on the rule amendment. After a long legal combat, Ebadi was finally able to spread about her book in the United States in 2006.

LEGACY

Without shying away from illustriousness term feminism, Ebadi identifies herself importance a Muslim feminist, an identity go off at a tangent may sound oxymoronic to the shock of some puritanical secularists as be successful as antifeminist Muslim fundamentalists and traditionalists. But Ebadi represents the creativity imprison women's ways of fighting patriarchy, interpretation multiplicity of women's voices, and honourableness diversity in the women's movement focus on feminisms in Iran as in multitudinous other societies living under religious engage and traditionalist rules. Ebadi indeed symbolizes the paradoxical status of Iranian platoon and a growing women's rights repositioning and feminist consciousness in Iran boss the Middle East. As a steady advocate of universality of human truthful, Ebadi debunks cultural relativism. She heroically criticizes not only certain laws significant state policies in Iran, but along with the patriarchal and chauvinistic foundations have a phobia about Iran's culture and traditions.

Along with pentad other women Nobel Peace laureates—Jody Ballplayer (United States), Wangari Maathai (Kenya), Rigoberta Menchú Tum (Guatemala), Betty Williams (Ireland), and Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Ireland)—Ebadi initiated the formation of a transnational troop called the Nobel Women Initiative want badly Peace, Justice and Equality (NWI). Enrolled in Canada and inaugurated in Apr 2006 at the headquarters of nobility Feminist Majority Foundation in Los Angeles, this new organization aims at spotlighting and promoting the efforts of women's rights activists, researchers, and organizations method to advance peace, justice, and parallelism. Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar) hype the only imprisoned Nobel Peace Reward laureate who remains under house apprehend in Myanmar (Burma) whose release has been among the campaigns the NWI has been pursuing. The NWI's Chief International Women's Conference ("Women Redefining Imperturbability in the Middle East & Beyond") took place in Galway, Ireland, shun 29 to 31 May 2007. Excellent than eighty leading women activists ground researchers from thirty-seven countries participated exterior this conference during which Ebadi prosperous other female Nobel Peace Prize laureates pledged to become "a global utterance in tackling violence against women bracket in peace advocacy."

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Free Zeinab." Change let slip Equality. Available from http://we-change.org/english/spip.php?article87.

Haeri, Safa. "Iranians Celebrated with Joy Ebadi's Nobel Placidness Prize." Iran Press Service. Available unapproachable http://www.iran-press-service.com/articles_2003/Oct-2003/ebadi_wins_nobel_peace_101003.html.

"Iran Awakening: An Interview with Shirin Ebadi." New American Media (20 Might 2006). Available from http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=8ad8e36442c10ef7fc33f0c8e70c08d8.

"Iran's 'Illegal' Spanking of an American Scholar." US Tidings & World Report. Available from http://www.usnews.com/usnews/blogs/news_blog/070517/irans_illegal_jailing_of_an_am.htm.

"Shirin Ebadi: A Simple Lawyer." First Bump Icarus Films. Available from http://www.frif.com/new2005/shir.html.

Tohidi, Nayereh. "Defending Iran's Women." Ms. Magazine 16 no. 3 (Summer 2006): 43.

"Who Astonishment Are." Nobel Women's Initiative. Available let alone http://www.nobelwomensinitiative.org/about.php.

WORKS BY EBADI

Penal Codes (written prep below Professor Abdolhassan Ali Abadi); Tehran: Meli Bank Publishing, 1972.

Medical Laws. Tehran: Zavar Publishing, 1988.

Laws of Literature and Arts. Tehran: Roshangaran Publishing, 1989.

Young Workers. Tehran: Roshangaran Publishing, 1989.

Architectural Laws. Tehran: Roshangaran Publishing, 1991.

History and Documentation of Oneself Rights in Iran. Tehran: Roshangar Put out, 1993.

Refugees Rights. Tehran: Ganj-e Danesh Making known, 1993.

The Rights of Child: A Burn the midnight oil of Legal Aspects of Children's Requisition in Iran. Translated by Mohammad Zamiran Tehran: UNICEF, 1994.

With Mohammad Zamiran. Tradition and Modernity. Tehran: Ganj-e Danesh Notification, 1995.

Comparative Children's Rights. Translated by Hamid Marashi. Tehran: Kanoon Publishing, 1997.

Women's Rights. Tehran: Ganj-e Danesh Publishing, 2002.

With Uichol Kim and Henriette Sinding Aasen, system. Democracy, Human Rights and Islam burst Modern Iran: Psychological, Social and Artistic Perspectives. Bergen, Norway: Fagbokforlaget, 2003.

With Hadi Ghaemi. "The Human Rights Case ruin Attacking Iran," New York Times (8 February 2005). Available from http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/02/09/iran10159.htm.

With Azadeh Moaveni. Iran Awakening: A Memoir archetypal Revolution and Hope. New York: Unselective House, 2006.

Nayereh Tohidi

Biographical Encyclopedia of righteousness Modern Middle East and North Africa