CNN Breaking: Nobel Peace Prize for Shirin Ebadi

[Dookus]

An Iranian lawyer and human rights activist.

She was the first female judge in Iran

link coming....

and here it is:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/10/10/nobel.peace/index.html

[arcos]

1. you beat me to it!

who is she?

"Ms. Shirin Ebadi wins the Human Rights Prize in Norway


Ms. Shirin Ebadi was awarded the 2001 Rafto Prize in recognition of her sustained fight, over many years, for human rights and democracy in Iran. In particular, her efforts have focused on strengthening the legal status of women and children. Shirin Ebadi is famous as the first female judge in Iran. She had to resign her position following the revolution in 1979, when conservative Islamic clerics took control of the country and introduced severe restrictions on the role of women in society."

http://www.iranianchildren.org/ebadi.html

on second edit:
more info:

""It is outrageous that Shirin Ebadi, a woman lawyer investigating the murders of writers and intellectuals in 1998 and 1999, and Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Rahami, the defence lawyer of students injured during the security forces' raid on student dormitories in July 1999, should be accused of breaking the law while carrying out their legitimate work," Amnesty International said "Urgent reform is needed to ensure the true independence of the judiciary, so that human rights defenders are protected while those who have enjoyed impunity are brought to justice."

<snip>

Shirin Ebadi, an advocate of women's and other human rights, has defended many victims of human rights violations. She is the lawyer for the family of Darioush and Parvaneh Foruhar, who were among those who were murdered in 1998 and 1999 as part of the ''serial murders''of writers and intellectuals. In this connection, she is a member of Komite-ye Defa' az Hoquq-e Qorbanian-e Qatle-ha-ye Zanjire'i (Committee for the Defense of Rights of the Victims of the Serial Murders). She, along with Mohsen Rahami are the lawyers for the family of a man who was killed by the security forces' raid on the students' dormitory."

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130192000?open&of=ENG-IRN


on edit: I am glad she was the winner. I think she certainly deserves it more than the "frontrunner", the Pope.

[MSchreader]

2. Try this link

http://www.nobel.se/

Seems like a rebuke of the U.S. to me.

Martin

[arcos]

4. Yes it is...

it is a wonderful political move.

It is a rebuke of the US, and a rebuke of extremist oppressive attitudes against women.

[punpirate]

3. Thank goodness they didn't succumb to the...

... US-Anglo right-wing rants favoring a Bush/Blair prize because the two bozos were screaming Orwellian drivel about "war is peace."

Admittedly, don't know anything about the woman. Would like to hear more on what prompted the decision.

Cheers.

[arcos]

5. I didn't know anything either...

but I'm Googling... and it seems to be a great choice!

[JI7]

6. WOW

incredible woman. well deserved. can someone tell me who the nominees were ?

[Dookus]

7. No...

the Nobel Committee never releases the name of nominees. Often, though, the nominators make it known.

It was known that among this years nominees were Czech President Vaclav Havel, Pope John Paul II, George Bush & Tony Blair (seriously!), Jacques Chirac and Bono of U2.

There were a record 165 nominations this year.

Sounds like a great choice to me from what I've just heard and read about her.

[JI7]

8. bush&blair

for PEACE PRIZE ? HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHA

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Former Illinois Governor George Ryan also was a nominee

for his anti-death penalty work.

[Ivar]

11. Nominees

Michael Jackson was also nominated.

Anyone can be nominated, I think you just have to pay a nomination fee or something.

[Ivar]

13. how to get nominated?

Rules

Any one of the following persons is entitled to submit proposals:

members of national assemblies and governments;
members of international courts of law;
university chancellors; university professors of social science, history, philosophy, law and theology;
leaders of peace research institutes and institutes of foreign affairs;
former Nobel Peace Prize laureates;
board members of organisations that have received the Nobel Peace Prize;
present and past members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee; (committee members must present their nomination at the latest at the first committee meeting after February 1);
former advisers at the Norwegian Nobel Institute.

[emad]

10. Nobel prize committee chairman's remarks:

"This is a message to the Iranian people, to the Muslim world, to the whole world, that human value, the fight for freedom, the fight for rights of women and children should be at the centre"

- Ole Danbolt Mjoes, prize committee chairman

[RebelOne]

12. Good for her

She deserved it.

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. I bet W

will be in a pissy mood today. I wouldn't put it past his to add Norway to his Axis of Evil because of this.

[tlb]

15. Once upon a time , Nobel winners had to actually accomplish something.

Teddy Roosevelt negiotated an end to a terrible war, Herbert Hoover and Georce C Marshall administered masive relief proggrams that each saved millions of lives and helped restore political stability, Martin Luther King led a SUCCESSFUL civil rights struggle, and Nelson Mandela ovversaw the peaceful transformation of a nation.

This is an extrordinarily courageous person. But with no disrespect to a feminist activist in a muslem theocracy, what has she actually ACCOMPLISHED to bring peace ?

Again and again lately the Prize is given for good intentions, not for successful results. What is the moral authority of an award for wishful thinking?

[Minstrel Boy]

17. You make a good point, but

again and again lately, all it seems we have left is wishful thinking.

[Democat]

18. What do you think of Carter?

Do you think Reagan should have got the award?

[tlb]

20. Carter got his award as a " kick to the leg " of Bush

as a memeber of the awarding committee was careless enough to admit.

I stand by my point. The award is cheapened by such uses.

If nobody has EARNED the prize, don't award it.

And who said anything about Reagan. geez.

[LynneSin]

19. I think the Nobel people are trying to send a message to Bush/Blair

Like 'STAY THE FUCK OUT OF IRAN'

This is probably one of the best choices they've made in years but NOT because of what the winner has accomplished but the message the Nobel people are trying to make to the world: Iran can find democracy on it's own so do go invading the damn country

I applaud the choice!!!

[ReadTomPaine]

21. I agree.. this is a message...

[Jack Rabbit]

23. Taking issue with that

The Nobel Prize is often rewarded for effort. Even in your own examples, you name Dr. King. The movement which Dr. King led was still a work in progress in 1964 when the prize was awarded and remains a work in progress to this day.

This prize is awarded in that spirit.

[tlb]

27. A fair point Jack but

by the time Dr King received his award, the March on Washington had been held and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had passed. Dr King was at this point already an internationally recognized leader who had contributed to actual significant change in attitude and law.

On the other hand, taking NOTHING from Ms. Shirin Ebadi's courage, her primary accomplishment to this point is to not be imprisoned in a Revolutionary Guards jail. With minimal effort you could make a list of 500 men and women just like her, people attempting to push repressive governments in the right direction but so far with little measurable success.

From the Nobel Foundation website:


"Peace is one of the five prize areas mentioned in Alfred Nobel's will. The will was, however, partly incomplete. Nobel simply stated that prizes be given to those who, during the preceding year, "shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind" and that one part be given to the person who "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." "
http://www.nobel.se/peace/index.html


Ms.Ebadi meets none of these standards. If her efforts have success like Dr King's, that would be a different matter. Until then I don't see " wishful thinking " as a proper basis for the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize.

[robbedvoter]

29. Herbert Hoover did what again? Depression Hoover? Nobel prize?

and you begrudge it to this woman?

[Jack Rabbit]

30. Our friend is in error

I checked the list of peace laureates following the end of World War I to see if the American Relief Administration that Hoover led was awarded a prize. It was a worthy effort and Hoover did himself great credit. However, no peace prize was awarded to it.

[tlb]

33. Correction accepted Jack.

I would have bet money the postwar relief effort was rewarded with a Nobel Peace Prize but my memory was mistaken. Substitute Woodrow Wilson then.

[Jack Rabbit]

35. And Wilson it was

Wilson won the prize for 1919.

[leesa]

32. So because someone devotes their life to striving for peace but can't be

"sucessful" because of powers beyond her control, it doesn't count? Success is everything, eh? Do you work on Wall Street?

[tlb]

34. Leesa you seem to think I am disparaging this year's winner.

I am not. From what I have learned of her in the last twenty four hours she seems quite admirable. This is all the time I have had to learn of her. I never heard of her before this, did you ?

The subject is whether the award is appropriate in this instance. And yes, in terms of peace "success' does count, much more then success on Wall Street I should think.

Consider, nobody has ever been awarded a Nobel Prize for Physics on the basis of a lifetime of dedicated work in a laboratory that still yields no results. The various Nobel prizes were to reward actual achievement. Or "success" if you like.

I posted above Alfred Nobel's criteria for the prize. As general as they are this case still fits nowhere in them. There is no Nobel Good Intentions award, though that is what the Peace Prize is evolving into.

In the spirit of your question to me, why do you want to cheapen, degrade, and devalue Dr King's prize ? I certainly don't.

[cspiguy]

16. on the other hand

someone as dangerous as she is to the patriarchal fossils running Iran may get the Peace Prize but be partially responsible for any outright rebellion or war the democratic opposition incites.

I think she's a great candidate but the prize and its politics are often too much for mortal minds to deal with.

[NYYFan]

22. Thank God that B/B weren't rewarded for their pre-emptive war

I think a clear message was sent- nothing PEACEFUL about it.

[Jack Rabbit]

24. BBC link

From the BBC Online
Dated Friday October 10 11:42 GMT (4:42 am PDT)

Iranian activist wins Nobel prize

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian campaigner for human rights, noted for her work in promoting the rights of women and children.
Ole Danbolt Mjoes, chairman of the five-member selection committee, paid tribute to Ms Ebadi's work both at home and abroad saying that she understood that "No society can be seen as democratic without women being represented".
On hearing of her victory 56-year-old Ms Ebadi, who is in Paris at the moment, said: "I'm a Muslim, so you can be a Muslim and support democracy. It's very good for human rights in Iran, especially for children's rights in Iran. I hope I can be useful."

I'd love to see the expressions on the faces of the Islamaphobes in the US junta when they read that remark: You can be a Muslim and support democracy. It's a shame there are people in responsible positions who need to be told that. Of course, no one in the Bush junta would know democracy if it bit them.

[moondust]

25. You just know the Scrub* is disappointed.

Undoubtedly felt entitled to it. Loves trophies.


Maybe somebody could come up with an Ignoble War Prize for B&B Enterprises.

[JoFerret]

26. What an inspired choice

Thank-you Nobel.

[eridani]

28. And she does NOT want Iran invaded, thankyewverymuch!

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1010-01.htm

Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi told a news conference that she opposed any foreign intervention in Iran.

"The fight for human rights is conducted in Iran by the Iranian people and we are against any foreign intervention in Iran," she said.

The 56-year-old lawyer and human rights activist was speaking after earlier being awarded the Nobel peace prize, becoming the first ever Muslim woman to to get the honor.

[leesa]

31. Excellent choice! Awarding it to a deserving Muslim and a woman

at that. This will make Republicans go nuts. They thought Dubya would win, hands down! And a woman! Conservatives HATE women who know their minds and those who stand up for what is right...well, actually they just hate women. Will they have to re-assess their certain opinion that NOTHING good ever comes from Muslims??