We must not enable anyone to impose his personal view regarding religion on others by force, oppression, or pressure. – Shirin Ebadi
Human rights is a universal standard. It is a component of every religion and every civilization. – Shirin Ebadi
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 mothers home. – Shirin Ebadi
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. – Shirin Ebadi
In the traditional urban novel, there is only survival or not. The suburban idea, the conformist idea, that agony can be seen to and cured by doctors or psychoanalysis or self-knowledge is nowhere to be found in the city. Talking is a way of life, but it is not a cure. Same with religion. – Jane Smiley