When Shirin Ebadi defended human rights in Iran, she lost her position as a judge and was imprisoned.
But the Nobel Prize winner spoke freely yesterday to an audience of about a thousand in Huntsman Hall.
With the aid of a translator, Ebadi -- who was the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize -- delivered a speech centered around women's rights in Iran.
Ebadi said that polygamy, misrepresentation of women in court and general cultural repression of women are too common in Iran.
"The life of a woman is valued half as much as the life of a man," she said.
In the question and answer session following the speech, however, the issue of America's role in Middle Eastern affairs was brought to the forefront of the discussion.
"Instead of trying to give democracy to people with bombs, let's help their women achieve what is legitimately theirs," Ebadi said.
One audience member asked what Americans could do to help relations between Iran and the United States.
"The most important thing you can do to help the cause of the Iranian people is to explain to the American people the situation in Iran, not deleted or better than what it is but the actual situation on the ground. We count on the support of the American people, not the American government," Ebadi said.
Students took different aspects of Ebadi's speech to heart.
"The best thing she said is that democracy is related to women's rights; if you have women's rights you have democracy." Engineering graduate student Ramin Pashaie said.
Engineering graduate student Mubeen Bhatti responded strongly to a different message. "I liked how she talked about how the people in Iran have mixed up culture and religion in such a way that human rights -- especially women's rights -- has become something that they just decide whether to provide or not."
Ebadi was the inaugural speaker in the Provost's Global Forum, which brings in keynote speakers to address international issues.
Her "life has been dedicated to protecting the rights of the vulnerable society and who has done so in the face of constant danger," Provost Ron Daniels said.
