Winner of Noble Peace Prize Asks U.N. to Consider Iranian Women’s Condition

Shirin Ebadi, a noble peace prizewinner, asked United Nation to intervene and help Iranian women under new wave of suppression. Recently, women’s rights activists and organizers of a gathering were subjected to the cruel treatment by police, from beating to jailing and physical and emotional torturing. Ebadi’s call to U.N. came after she exhausted all kind of legal procedure inside Iran. She had no choice but attracting the attention of international community to help those who imprisoned for promoting women’s right.

On the contrary of some activists who slam Ms. Ebadi that believe in changes from within, I think we have to support action of those activities who promote independent organizations for women inside Iran. These activities are in same manner as students, teachers, and labors’ movements therefore, should receive same kind of support by freedom lovers around the world.

If one doubts Ebadi and her colleagues, the question mark should be placed on the mentality of changes from within not degrading of actions that come from those ideas. Any debate on this issue has to lead to a better tactics to achieve women demands, ways of facing regime’s police, and being more effective. I have no doubt that the idea of “changes from within” undermines efforts toward these goals but we have to challenge them with this question: Is there any possibility to achieve women’s basic rights or any basic human rights through a conventional ways of struggle under such a religious fascism regime? Of course there is no need to answer this question publicly but it will help them to achieve their goal better, if they come up with some clear response among themselves.

Shiva Nazari

July 21, 2007