Shirin Ebadi: Assad Iran’s puppet, war would end without Tehran’s support
BRAVO SHIRIN EBADI – GOOD WORDS ! (MESOP)
26 May 2013 / – Zaman- This week’s guest for Monday Talk has said the Iranian government’s support for the Bashar al-Assad regime keeps it alive and that the war would end if Tehran stopped supporting the Syrian regime.
“Iranian government officials have repeatedly said that Bashar Assad is Iran’s red line. Assad is [the] Iranian government’s puppet. Iran fears that if there is a government change in Syria, the next government may not be the puppet of Iran,” said Iranian human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003.
She also has said that the international media’s focus on Iran’s nuclear question leads to the ignorance of dire human rights conditions in Iran. “The focus of the international media has been on the nuclear question, and the human rights violations of Iran have been forgotten. That, of course, [has] made conditions for human rights much worse in Iran,” she said, adding that Iran’s uranium enrichment must stop immediately to prevent greater sanctions on Iran. Ebadi has said that she does not vote in the Iranian elections because the elections are not free, just “a theater of democracy.”
“Elections have never been free in Iran,” she said. “More than 600 people were registered as candidates but the Guardian Council of the Constitution qualified only eight people. … That means that [the] elections are not free at all.” According to Ebadi, Turkey has progressed to a large extent since her first visit in the ’80s. “I came to Turkey in 1981 for the first time. At that time, when we wanted to exchange currency, the rate of exchange would change every half hour. The next time I came to Turkey was in 2012. I saw that there has been a lot of progress. The rate of exchange is much more stable now. There is much more economic stability now in Turkey.” Answering our questions in İstanbul, where she participated in the 38th congress of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) on May 23-27, she elaborated on these issues.
Would you tell us about your life, work and residence lately, especially since you have been intimidated by the Iranian government?
Since [the] 2009 elections in Iran, I’ve been living abroad — in London, Paris and New York City — and travelling for 10 months a year. As short as four months ago, I have faced threats to my life. I publish monthly human rights reports in Persian and English. My two books have been translated to Turkish, “Iran Awakening: One Woman’s Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country” and “The Golden Cage: Three Brothers, Three Choices, One Destiny.”
You’ve been recently living in the United States. How is life for you in the States?
The United States is a multi-cultural society. I am happy there, but I’d be happier in Iran. My husband is in Iran. My husband and my sister were arrested because of me in 2009. He was in prison close to a month and he is out on bail. Same thing happened to my sister. They tortured my husband and he was forced to incriminate me on television. They have taken away his passport. We have two daughters, but they live abroad.
When did you come to Turkey for the first time?
I came to Turkey in 1981 for the first time. At that time, when we wanted to exchange currency, the rate of exchange would change every half hour. The next time I came to Turkey was in 2012. I saw that there has been a lot of progress. The rate of exchange is much more stable now. There is much more economic stability now in Turkey. Iran will have its presidential elections in June. Some Iranian officials say that the Iranian elections are the “freest in the world.” What would you say about that?
Elections have never been free in Iran. More than 600 people were registered as candidates but the Guardian Council of the Constitution qualified only eight people. It is interesting that one of the people who were disqualified was Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani [former president], who is the chairman of the national expediency council — [which puts him in] a position to decide what is in the best interest of people. How come he is disqualified? That means that [the] elections are not free at all.
Are you going to vote?
No, because this is not [an] election; this is a theater of democracy and I will not take part in it.
Have you ever voted, since you are abroad?
I have not because the elections are not free.
‘Iran’s human rights violations have been overlooked’
What is your opinion about the President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad period in regards to developments in Iran?
During [the] Ahmadinejad period, violations of human rights have increased, the class gap has widened and corruption has increased. And women’s rights [are] in a much worse situation.
What we hear in the international media is much about Iran’s nuclear development, more specifically its uranium enrichment program. Do you think the human rights situation has been ignored?
The focus of the international media has been on the nuclear question, and the human rights violations of Iran have been forgotten. That, of course, [has] made conditions for human rights much worse in Iran.
Do you think Iran should stop its nuclear activities?
Uranium enrichment must stop immediately to prevent [greater] sanctions on Iran.
Iran also faces threats by the international system because of that…
I don’t think the United States is in a position to attack Iran, because previous interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan have not been so good for the US.
When the Arab revolts started about two years ago, there had been an expectation in the world that Iranians might choose a similar path, but there has not been a similar uprising in Iran. Why do you think this is the case?
The Iranian regime is very strict. They arrest people for the slightest criticism of the regime. People have been intimidated, and they also do not want to engage in violence. In the past 34 years, they had one revolution and an eight-year war with Iraq. That is too much for one generation. Therefore, the Iranian people want to do it very peacefully. This peaceful approach will result in something better, but it will take time.
About 70 percent of the Iranian population is under 30 years old. How do they express their feelings, thoughts?
They are against this government. They want freedoms, and they don’t have it. They want jobs, but they don’t have it. [The] unemployment ratio is very high in Iran. That is why Iran has the highest rate of brain drain from the country.
‘Many dictators come to power with votes of majority’
Do young people use social media in Iran to get their opinions out?
The national Internet has come into operation recently and the government makes it difficult for people to access [the] Internet internationally.
You have been very concerned about Iran’s support for the Syrian regime. And you’ve expressed that at the FIDH’s opening session by apologizing to the Syrian people.
Yes, as an Iranian, I’d like to apologize to the people of Syria for the military assistance of the Iranian regime to Syria, which has caused the deaths of many civilians. This policy of Iran is not backed by Iran’s people. I hope peace will return to Syria as soon as possible. [The] Iranian government supports Bashar Assad. Iranian government officials have repeatedly said that Assad is Iran’s red line. Assad is [the] Iranian government’s puppet. Iran fears that if there is a government change in Syria, the next government may not be the puppet of Iran. The war in Syria would end if there was no Iranian military support.
You have also indicated concerns that after dictatorships, democracy might not follow. Would you elaborate on this idea?
The collapse of one dictatorship in a country would not necessarily end dictatorship in that country. In other words, the nations [that] rise for democracy must know that, after the fall of a dictatorship, they must not allow a new dictator to misuse the sentiments of revolutionaries. Let’s look at the example of Iran. The Iranian people had a revolution and threw out a dictator, but democracy did not come to our country. In place of one dictator, a religious dictator came, and he was even more stringent than the previous dictator. The first dictator was allowing individual freedoms. Under the religious dictatorship, individual freedoms were also lost. One student of mine said that “we are not even free to go to hell after we die in Iran.” My definition of democracy does not mean rule of [the] majority.
What is your definition of democracy?
Many dictators come to power with votes of [the] majority. We see that clearly in 1979 in Iran. Iranian people, without any force, chose the Islamic Republic. In some countries, like Tunisia and Egypt, people have chosen Islamic parties. I am happy that [the] people of Egypt were courageous enough to say [that the] revolution has not been finished, and they have resisted the victorious group which has won the election. Victory in elections does not mean democracy. Tunisian, Turkish and Iranian governments, even though they are Islamic, must interpret Islam in a way that would implement human rights criteria. It should not be possible to use [the] pretext of religion or ideology to ignore human rights. In addition, no government should use the pretext of religion to deny rights of half of the population: women. Islam should encompass human rights with proper interpretation.
‘Iranian officials don’t pay attention to complaints by prisoners and their relatives’
“Iranian officials don’t pay attention to complaints by prisoners and their relatives. … For instance, one can mention the situation of Dr. Mehdi Khazali, who was once again arrested and sent to jail at a meeting of the Forum of People of Pen [Saraye Ahle Ghalam] on Aban 9, 1391 [Oct. 30, 2012], following his previous arrests on several occasions after the last presidential election. At present, Mehdi Khazali is in an alarming condition after around 100 days since he started his hunger strike. His family is seriously concerned about his life, but despite this, so far, no attention has been given to the complaint lodged by Mr. Khazali.”
‘Hunger strikes to continue in Iran; courts have lost independence’
Ebadi wrote to Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, on March 26: “As addressed in previous reports, a number of Dervishes are currently in prison in Iran merely for expressing their religious beliefs. In September 2011, four lawyers, namely Mustafa Daneshju, Farshid Yadollahi, Omid Behruzi and Amir Eslami, who had power of attorney over a number of Dervishes alongside three other Dervishes, Afshin Karampoor, Hamidreza Moradi Sarvestani and Reza Entesari, have been arrested and imprisoned.
“Subsequently, a trial was organized for these people. To show their objection to their illegal arrest, they have refused to present themselves in the court. This has caused the imposition of further punishment by the relevant authorities. Therefore, they have been transferred to solitary confinement since 15 January 2013, when strict conditions have been imposed on them.
“Owing to the fact that authorities have not paid attention to their requests, two Dervishes, Salehedin Moradi and Kasra Noori, who have been arrested previously and were in prison, have gone on hunger strike since 16 January 2013 in solidarity with their imprisoned lawyers. Because the judicial authorities continue to ignore their requests, they have gone on a dry hunger strike since 21 March 2013 and now are in dire physical condition. “To object the ignorance of prison authorities and the judges, Alireza Rooshan and Mostafa Abdi, two Gonabadi Dervishes, have also started their hunger strike since 21 March and it is expected that others will join them in this initiative in the coming days.
“Dervishes are all Muslims and followers of Shia Islam whose organisation dates back to several centuries ago. After the Revolution of 1979, they have been subject to many illegal pressures including arrest, torture, intimidation and threat because of their beliefs. … Unfortunately, the courts in Iran, especially the revolutionary courts, have lost their independence and have effectively turned into a branch of the Ministry of Intelligence.”