| Series Title | European Voice |
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| Series Details | Vol.10, No.7, 26.2.04 |
| Publication Date | 26/02/2004 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 26/02/04 NOBEL Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi has urged the EU to continue negotiating with the government of her native Iran with a view to ushering in democracy in the country. Talks launched in December 2002 on securing a trade and cooperation accord between the EU and Iran are on ice due to concerns over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. It appeared this week there was little prospect of reviving them in the short term, with the Union's foreign ministers condemning the ban on some 2,500 reformist candidates from contesting the recent parliamentary elections in Iran as a move to stifle "genuine democratic choice". But human rights lawyer Ebadi said yesterday (25 February): "You must talk with the Iranian government. Embargoes and boycotts never solve anything. It is negotiations that resolve problems. However, these negotiations must have aims. They must be negotiations which are not mere talk, negotiations which highlight your clear wish for democracy." Ebadi's comments were made to the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee during her visit to Brussels. Appointed one of the first female judges in Iran in 1975, Ebadi was forced to step down following the 1979 Islamic revolution. Despite her relentless campaign for women's rights, she urged the EU not to provide funds towards Iran-based groups that share her goals. "Even €1 that you give will make me be accused of being a spy," she said. "If one or several organizations are given financial help, then those institutions will be destroyed. We need your spiritual help; we do not need your financial help." She also insisted there is no incompatibility between Islam and democracy. "The history of Islam is full of instances in which the prophet Mohammed and his true followers respected the common will, that is to say democracy. No group or movement can trample on democracy under the pretext of Islam." Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was the guest on 25 February 2004 of a joint meeting of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Women's Rights Committees. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Countries / Regions | Middle East |
