EBADI RETURNED TRIUMPHANTLY, AS KHATAMI INSULTED IRANIANS
Iran Press Service
TEHRAN 14 Oct. (IPS) “The Nobel prize for peace is not that important, as it is usually bestowed on political considerations. Look at some of the personalities who have received it, Anwar el Sadat, Yaser Arafat or Menachim Begin. But the literature or scientific prizes are most important, for they are given on researches and works”, said Iran's President Mohammad Khatami on Tuesday.
In his first reaction to the Peace Prize for 2003 offered on 10 October by the Nobel Academy of Norway to the Iranian lawyer and human rights campaigner Shirin Ebadi, a visibly jealous Khatami also warned her “to consider the feeling of Iranian people and not be elated by her new status”, as she has become the centre of the media and world’s public attention.
In interviews with the international press and press conferences in Paris, where she was on a private visit, Mrs. Ebadi said she would continue with her struggle in reforming some of Islamic laws that segregated women and warned the ruling clerics that if they do not heed people’s demands for democracy, freedom and the rule of law, they would bear all the consequences.
Speaking to reporters hours before the arrival of Mrs. Ebadi to Tehran, where she was greeted by hundreds of well wishers, including students, scholars, journalists, intellectuals and also ordinary Iranians, Mr. Khatami nevertheless added that “like other Iranians, he is also happy that a compatriot has won this prize.
When asked by a reporter from the independent students news agency ISNA why he had not issued a formal statement reacting to last week's announcement, he dismissed the question, saying “one can not issue statements over any event”.
“I wished Khatami would continue with his silence, thinking he had been forced by his hard line superiors. He has been finished politically, but now that he has insulted me, I consider him as if he was dead. Now, I think I have more respect for Khameneh’i and the next time, I would vote for the conservatives”, an angry student told Iran Press Service, expressing the sentiment of most Iranians.
The achievement of the 56 years-old Mrs. Ebadi, the first ever Iranian and Muslim woman to win the much envied prize angered the ruling ayatollahs who, via their press, not only questioned the personality and the activities of the laureate, one of Iran’s very few females becoming judge before the Islamic revolution of 1979, but also accused the judges on the Nobel panel of a “deliberate decision” in harming Islam.
Even the official reformists extended only lukewarm congratulations to Mrs. Ebadi while the hard-line Iranian press has ignored or criticized her selection, and her decision not to wear a headscarf at a news conference in Paris.
Khatami’s first words, coming five years after the event that surprised the whole word and filled Iranians with joy and pride angered so much the public that one of his closest aides in Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Ali Abtahi had to redress the situation, stating that “abusing the President’s words about Mrs. Ebadi is tantamount to abusing the prize bestowed on her for political considerations”.
However, eyewitness at Tehran airport told Iran Press Service that the authorities have taken unprecedented security precautions, as hundreds of plainclothes security men are camouflaged amongst the well-wishers.
“Most roads leading to Mehrabad international airport are closed to traffic and it seems that there are more security agents than well wishers”, one eye witness reported.
However, Mrs. Ebadi callied for the freeing of political prisoners as she was mobbed by thousands of well-wishers.
"I hope that all political prisoners will be freed", told reporters after she stepped off an Iran Air Boeing 747 from Paris.
"This prize is not only for me, but for all those in favour of peace, democracy, human rights and legality", a visibly emotional Ebadi repeated.
"The world recognises the fight of Muslim women, and this is my political message", she said. "My message for Iranians is a message of love, friendship, peace and justice", she added, according to an dispatch from the French news agency AFP.
Some 10,000 people, a majority of them women, had descended on Tehran's Mehrabad airport for her homecoming.
Many shouted political slogans, including calls for political prisoners to be set free and chants directed against embattled Khatami because of the scorn he had poured on the prize.
As the area surrounding the city centre complex was brought to a standstill by bumper-to-bumper traffic, people were seen abandoning their vehicles and covering the final few kilometres (miles) on foot to catch a glimpse of the petite and softly-spoken jurist.
Many women were clutching bouquets of flowers and pictures of the Nobel winner, and singing patriotic hymns. Most of them were also wearing white headscarves.
An organising committee set up by supporters of Ebadi to plan festivities for her return from Paris had called on women to make the symbolic gesture of wearing white rather than the usual black preferred by the Islamic regime.
"I cannot meet you tonight, there are too many people. I am sorry for this evening but, as of tomorrow, I will be at your service", she told the crowd briefly while standing on a chair.
http://www.iran-press-service.com/articles_2003/Oct-2003/ebadi_returns_141003.html