WUNRN
SHIRIN EBADI INTERVIEW ON THE ARAB
SPRING - WOMEN'S PROGRESS & CHALLENGES OF PATRIARCHAL CULTURES
The 2003 Iranian Nobel Laureate said that the main obstacle for post-revolutionary Arab women is a "patriarchal culture" that imposes a false interpretation on Islam.
Shirin Ebadi Greeting Audience
at Columbia Law School - Credit: Courtesy of Columbia Law School, Photo by
Bruce Gilbert.
NEW YORK (WOMENSENEWS)-- On the
sideline of an April 2 conference hosted by Columbia University Law School, Shirin Ebadi, who in 2003 became the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize,
briefly discussed the consequences of the Arab uprisings on women with Women's eNews.
The Iranian lawyer's answers were translated from Persian by her translator Shirin Ershadi.
Q: The Arab uprisings
brought hope when they started in
A: It has been good, but not
enough. The voice of Arab women has been heard and that's why I am saying it
has been good; but unfortunately some countries want to retract the rights that
women gained in the past. I am very glad that women are resisting. Women will
only attain their rights when they learn how to resist dictators and
oppressors.
Q: What is the main
obstacle for women's rights in these societies?
A: I think it's the patriarchal
culture. The patriarchal culture uses everything to legitimize itself. In
Islamic countries, they interpret Islam in such a way that it is against women,
whereas Islam has a different interpretation. With a correct interpretation of
Islam, we can respect women's rights.
Q: The Arab uprisings
seem to have energized women to fight for their rights. Can we say that we are
witnessing a rebirth of the Islamic feminism?
A: I have issues with
"Islamic feminism. " Feminism means equality of rights between men
and women. Then, it is not Islamic. However, a Muslim woman can be a feminist.
Q: Speaking of feminism,
we have lately witnessed extreme manifestations of feminism in Muslim-dominated
countries, such as the ones inspired by the Ukrainian group Femen. Last month,
a young Tunisian woman posted topless pictures of herself online with the words
"my body is mine, nobody's honor" written across her breasts and
stomach. What is your take on this type of expression?
A: Here, the issue is the issue
of freedom. People have to be free to do what they want to do. Of course,
freedom is not unlimited and the limit of everyone's freedom is the freedom of
others. Therefore, if one's freedom doesn't hurt the other person we cannot
limit it.
Q: In 2009, after the
contested reelection of President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, Iranians took to the street but their attempt to
defy the regime resulted in a huge crackdown. Can the Arab uprisings be an
inspiration for the Iranians who want change?
A: What I can tell you is every
day the number of those who oppose the government increases.
Opposition to Sanctions
During the
The lawyer, who in 1970 became
She suggested, for example, to
"target international satellites that broadcast Iranian propaganda in
non-Persian languages. " She said that today in
Shirin Ebadi is well-known for her
defense of human rights, particularly those of women and children. At an April
2 awards dinner, she received the Wolfgang Friedmann
Memorial Award from the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law.
Since 1975, the prize has honored outstanding contributions to the field of
international law. Ebadi was also honored as a Women's eNews 21 leaders for the
21st Century in 2004.