The Nobel Prize and an Historic Mission
Student Movement For Democracy In Iran
The committee that appoints the famous Nobel prizes has selected Ms. Shirin Ebadi- a civil rights activist, the defense
lawyer in the still open cases of the victims of the chain murders, an activist for reviving the lost rights of Iranian
women and children, and one of the participants of the Berlin conference- as the most active defender of peace and human
rights so that she may receive the Nobel prize in the upcoming annual Nobel Prize Committee ceremony in 2003.
It is the first time that any Iranian- not just an Iranian woman- has achieved such an honor, which is all the more
significant as it has been achieved during the deplorable conditions governing the country, despite the systematic
implementation of the backwards completely violent, and unfair ideology of sexual discrimination by the Islamic
Republic. It is so that many Iranians, especially the women, enlightened people, and socio-political activists of our
country.
Also, while the majority of the leaders of other countries, various international organizations, the leading
international press and media, and even two of Ms. Ebadi's competitors for the same prize have declared their
congratulations to her and the oppressed Iranian nation, and just as President Bush have wished the nation success in
achieving freedom and democracy, this very unexpected naming of Ms. Ebadi has caused various, sometimes very
conflicting, reactions from the different factions of the regime. On the one hand, the faction known as conservatives,
which have now understood the depth of the issue and their own outcome, are condemning the political hands behind the
proverbial curtain, the minor change in the position of the Europeans, and the nomination of Ms. Ebadi. On the other
hand, the so-called Reformist faction, by announcing a belated congratulations, now sees a futile opportunity in the
nomination, so that maybe they can reignite the flame of government elections anew and start the outdated policy of the
regime, so that with the support of the very same opportunist Europeans and the support of ignorant and controversial
journalists such as Ms. Ammanpour, they may try to deceive the public anew to participate in the masquerade that passes
as elections for the representatives of the future Islamic parliament- the Majlis- so that they may make a false claim
to a modicum of democracy and legitimacy through the people's vote and change the view of the American government via
the lobbying of their Iranian lobbyists in America, and/or to buy time till the next presidential elections in America
in the hopes that the continuance of the conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan will lead to the downfall of the Bush
administration and save the Islamic Republic from a total collapse.
Such futile thought!
The Iranian nation, while honoring that part of Ms. Ebadi's effective social and judicial activities and her
achievement of the Nobelist title, will not give a blank check to anybody anymore, will not fall for any more schemes,
and will not let any person or group buy time for any faction of the regime as the nation has experienced a quarter
century of the Islamic Republic's scheming and its seven-year pointless promises of reform from within, and the nation
knows about the totally negative effect of foreign countries- especially the European countries- in supporting the
Islamic Republic and plundering the national wealth. Without doubt, the granting of this prize, which can be considered
a recognition of responsibility in some of the many problems created under the rule of the religious regime and a small
effort in making up for some of those problems, can only make-up for a portion of the wrongs that Europe has done to the
Iranian nation, and- especially- in the case of Norway, which due to their pressures prevented Ahmad Batebi from
receiving the ISFIT prize in order to obtain an oil contract with the regime that has been recently revealed by the
media, in the eyes of the Iranian students, has done a small bit to mend the rift. By now, countries worldwide should
have understood that the only slogans and the only goal of the Iranian nation is radical change for the total overthrow
of the Islamic Republic and the implementation of a national referendum in order to determine the type of political
structure for the "Secular and Democratic" Iran of the future in order to achieve true reforms and establish social
equality and modernism. And, under no circumstances will the nation give in to such lip service to democracy as "Islamic
Democracy", which is an oxymoron coined merely to deceive the public. Indeed, "reforms from within, was stillborn at its
inception and now the Iranian nation knows this truth! Now, onward to radical change and reform!"
Now, the "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran", while thanking all the members and judges of
the Nobel Commission, congratulates Ms. Shirin Ebadi and the valiant nation of Iran. Also, this committee deems it
necessary to personally thank Ms. Ebadi for the hard work that could be done under the contained environment in the
Islamic Republic for defending the destroyed rights of women and children as well as the victims of the chain murders,
all of which have been directly victims of the theocratic fundamentalist and oligarchic mafia ruling structure.
This committee, knowing that on the one hand Professor Ebadi was one of only four female judges in the relatively
secular prior regime, and that after the Islamic revolution became jobless in the system of conscience and sexual
discrimination like many women who were previously employed; and on the other hand, when she could have participated in
a more principaled struggle, she became a victim of the "Second of Khordad Reforms" (May 1997 Regime's Reformists Front)
as well as to the power squabbles of the factions of the regime; she should have assessed by now that the interference
of any religion, especially the clannish and anti-woman Islamic orders, in any kind of regime and the civil and judicial
laws dependant on it is an issue that even in its so-called "reformed" form, not only does not help establish true
democracy and justice, but just as has been experienced for any wise person, is also block to its attainment and the
cause of the repetition of the injustices, oppressions, and criminalities that have been going on for the past 25 years
in our country.
While rejoicing in Ms. Ebadi's clear declaration of her position in accepting the responsibility to pursue the case of
the torture and murder of Doctor Ziba (Zahra) Kazemi, the request for the release of all political prisoners in Iran,
and the annulment of punishments that are derived from the barbaric sharia laws; the Committee sees it necessary to
remind Ms. Ebadi of the heavy yet prideful historic civil burden that has now been assigned to her and ascertain that
the first Nobelist of Iran, can count on the complete support of all strata of Iranian society- especially, "The Third
Force" who will journey with her from the airport to the celebration of liberty and always honor her name as long as she
strives for the demands of the people that have been pushed to rebellion in order to "completely" pursue those
responsible in all the murders, tortures, and disappearances of the freethinkers; pursues a total inspection of all the
financial corruptions and contracts that are against the national interest; and toils for the total separation of
religion from state and the implementation of a "referendum" strictly to determine the type of secular regime of the
future in our country without any kind of factional interest.
May it be that in the historic books of tomorrow, all around the world, the Iranian name of Professor Shirin Ebadi be
set side by side with the names of freedom-loving history-making Nobelists such as Andrei Sakharov who had a great
impact in ending the life of the red tyranny in the former Soviet Union.
Long Live Freedom! Long Live Secularism! Established be Democracy!