Shirin Ebadi Iran Quotations

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.

Because of our youthful population, we suffer from unemployment in Iran. We need more universities and more job opportunities for the young.

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.

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.

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

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

The people of Iran have been battling against consecutive conflicts between tradition and modernity for over 100 years ... [some have tried] to see the world through the eyes of their predecessors and to deal with the problems and difficulties of the existing world by virtue of the values of the ancients... [others] seek to go forth in step with world developments and not lag behind the caravan of civilization, development and progress.

Lawyers have a dangerous job in Iran.

Some criticize me, thinking I'm too tolerant of the clerical regime in Iran. In response, I have to say, I have served time in prison, I have lost my position [as a judge]. Do I need to prove that I am brave? Do I need to be killed?

The life of a woman is worth half of that of a man [in Iran]. If a terrorist attacks me and my brother on the street and we are both injured the same, the compensation he receives is twice as much as the compensation that I would receive.

Over 60 percent of the university students in Iran are female. The women in Iran are better educated than men.

The role of Iran has been very destructive. As an Iranian, I apologize to the civilian people of Syria who have been killed as a result of the useless intervention of Iran in Syria.

The most important problem in Iran is that the courts have lost their independence, and they are under the influence of the Ministry of Intelligence and their people. This is why we witness a number of journalists and human rights activists, my colleagues, and a number of feminists, in prison.

The government of Iran claims that every two years there are elections. But none of them are free.

The people are fed up with corruption and embezzlement. They object to censorship. The first thing that the people of Iran want is free elections.

I have never agreed with President Bush's argument regarding the axis of evil. Unfortunately, fundamentalists in Iran have used this as an excuse to brand us as allies of Mr. Bush.