Shirin Ebadi

“Under the Iranian code, the worth of a woman’s life equals half of a man’s, a point that often leads to grotesque legal judgments that effectively punish the victims. In this instance, the judge ruled that the ‘blood money’ for the two men was worth more than the life of the murdered nine-year-old girl, and he demanded that her family come up with thousands of dollars to finance their executions.”

“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.”

“Lawyers have a dangerous job in Iran.”

“We shouldn't just consider the desire of government to do what it wants to do. We should always consider the resistance of people. The culture of Iranian people doesn't let the government drag people into deep trouble or backlash. Maybe government wants it, but the culture doesn't let it go on.”

“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.”

“Democracy doesn't recognize east or west; democracy is simply people's will. Therefore, I do not acknowledge that there are various models of democracy; there is just democracy itself.”

“Usually, in any revolution people are focused on who wants to have the most power. But the most important thing is the laws that are written during that time.”

“Sadly the job security of lawyers has been ruined, so they are less willing to defend political defendants.”

“The international community can't trust such a government. If the government of Iran wants the international community to believe in what it says, it should try to bring true, pure democracy into the country. The political solution to the energy issue or the nuclear case is democracy in Iran.”

“How can you defy fear? 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 this fear.”

“I hope the example of Saddam Hussein will give a lesson to leaders of other countries where human rights are not respected.”

“When a person is humiliated, when his rights are being violated, and he does not have the proper education, naturally he gravitates toward terrorism.”

“The idea of cultural relativism is nothing but an excuse to violate human rights.”

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

“When you vote, vote for those who are not warmongers, and vote for those who respect human rights. When you see a president who doesn't respect human rights, don't vote for that person.”

“No American soldier should be allowed to set foot on Iranian soil, regardless of the criticism we have of the Iranian government.”

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

“Human rights is a universal standard. It is a component of every religion and every civilization.”

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

“The Iranian government intends to use the nuclear program for peaceful purposes, but must convince international public opinion of that.”