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Shirin Ebadi
1947: Born, Hamadan, Iran
1948: Family moved to Tehran
1965: Admitted to law school
1969: Appointed as Iran's first female judge
1975: Appointed president of the city court in Tehran
1979: Dismissed from judgeship after Islamic Revolution
1992: Succeeded, after many years of effort, in obtaining a lawyers license
2003: Received Nobel Peace Prize
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Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi told a crowd at Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday night that fighting terrorists with military force is a lost cause. Education and the loud voices of what she called "modern Muslims" is the answer, she said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Ebadi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her human rights work, was an attorney and former judge in Iran. She left the country in 2009 and travels 10 months out of the year giving lectures and working on human rights issues, particularly those affecting women and children, as well as those imprisoned for their writing or for their political views. Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian was convicted by a secret Iranian court on charges of espionage in recent days and remains in prison there, despite calls for his release by Ebadi, and others.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
During her talk and a question-and-answer session, Ebadi addressed current conditions in Iran, human rights and democracy in general, and, mostly, the fight against terrorism, or what she termed Islamic fundamentalism. Air attacks on groups such as ISIS won't work, she said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“Bombing,” she said, “is not the right answer. Experience has taught us we won’t get anywhere doing this. What surprises me is why we want to repeat our failed experience. After the drastic events of Sept. 11, the Taliban were attacked and the fight still continues.”googleoff: allgoogleon: all
These groups are fueled by what she said is a misguided ideology.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
"We have to fight the wrong ideology with the correct ideology,” Ebadi said. “We have to be loudspeakers for the right ideology. Knowledge is like a spotlight that sheds light on the dark area where all these animals live. This is why I have always said, instead of bombs throw books at the Taliban, throw books at ISIS.”googleoff: allgoogleon: all
That line drew the single round of applause during her lecture.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
She also warned the crowd not to be complacent.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“The danger is right here,” she said. "If we think there is no support for ISIS, I have to say there is a lot of support for ISIS."googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Islamic extremists, she said, use fear to enforce their ideology. Governments such as Iran use the same kind of tactic to keep their citizens in line. Each night, she said, Irani television stations broadcast reports on the wars in Syria and Iraq and warn that a revolution in Iran would have similar results.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“They tell them, ‘If you rise up, this is what your future will look like,’ ” she said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
In an interview preceding her lecture, Ebadi said that because of the power structure in Iran, she sees no indication that things will change anytime soon. She discounts hopes that the newly completed nuclear accord will provide inroads for western influence.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“After the nuclear deal was concluded,” she said, “the leader of Iran stated several times that nothing will change, either in domestic or international policy. At the same time, we are witnessing that nothing in Iran has changed in terms of human rights.”googleoff: allgoogleon: all
She called attention to the fact that during the past week, two juveniles were executed in the country. The government action brought condemnation from UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon, who asked Iranian officials to stop executing underage offenders.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Ebadi said the involvement of Iran and Russia in the Syrian civil war will only make things worse. She also said the United States should not be providing arms to rebel factions or their supporters.googleoff: all
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