Narges Mohammadi, Iranian Activist's Nobel Prize Win Sparks Hope Amidst Ongoing Women's Rights Struggles
Narges Mohammadi, Iranian activist's Nobel prize win sparks hope amidst ongoing women's rights struggles, her former cellmate Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said on Saturday.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuOct 08, 20237.1K Shares97.1K Views
Narges Mohammadi, Iranian activist's Nobel prize win sparks hope amidst ongoing women's rights struggles,her former cellmate Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said on Saturday.
British-Iranian aid worker Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released and returned to London last year, nearly six years after she was arrested at Tehran airport on her way home from an Iranian New Year's trip to see her parents with her young daughter.
The Nobel committee said the prize honored those behind recent unprecedented demonstrations in Iran and called for the release of Mohammadi, 51, who has campaigned for three decades for women's rights and abolition of the death penalty.
A Fearless Advocate For Women's Rights
“„I am very thrilled. I think it will also shine a light on the plight of us as Iranian women so it will be good for everyone, for all of us.- Zaghari-Ratcliffe
“„Narges being given the Nobel Peace Prize is a great recognition of the fight of woman in Iran and I think Narges is a symbol of all the injustice that is going on in Iran and the Iranian women.- Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Iran, which has called the recent protests Western-led subversion, accused the Nobel committee of meddling and politicizing the issue of human rights.
When the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the winner of the peace prize, Narges Mohammadi, she recited a slogan associated with the women’s rights movement in Iran:
“Women, life, freedom,” Berit Reiss-Andersen said on Friday. Mohammadi is a prominent Iranian human rights activist and physicist who has been fighting against the oppression of women in Iran.
Who Is Narges Mohammadi?
Mohammadi’s focus is on the fight for women’s rights in the region. The 51-year-old is also a writer and deputy director of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC).
She also works on broader human rights issues, such as campaigning against the death penalty and corruption.
“„She has worked for human rights for everyone in Iran, so this is going to be a huge boost to the human rights defenders centre and one that is putting her work in Iran on the map.- Henrik Urdal, director of the Peace Research Institute
Why Did She Win The Peace Prize?
Mohammadi won the prize "for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all," according to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
She has worked on Iranian women’s fight against oppression for the past 30 years. She has contributed to the grassroots movement in Iran by empowering women through education and advocacy. Her work has included organizing protests and sit-ins and writing essays.
Mohammadi is currently serving a 12-year sentence in Evin Prison in Tehran for charges that include spreading propaganda against the state. This is not Mohammadi’s first sentence. She was first arrested in 2011 and held in Evin.
She was again arrested in 2015, days after she was charged in court with crimes against national security, propaganda against the state, and forming an illegal group called Step by Step to Stop the Death Penalty, Mohammadi told the US-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
She was held in Zanjan Central Prison and released in 2020 after her sentence was reduced.
“„The regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes.- Reiss-Andersen said at the announcement ceremony in Oslo, Norway
Mohammadi On Mahsa Amini
In September 2022, Mahsa Amini, 22, was arrested in Tehran by the morality police for alleged non-compliance with Iran’s dress code. She was taken to a re-education centre where she collapsed.
She was then taken to a hospital where she died a few days later. Mohammadi said the day of Amini’s death has become a day that symbolizes “the oppression of the theocratic authoritarian regime against Iranian women” in a message sent from prison, according to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty.
After protests against Amini’s death broke out in Iran, Mohammadi has continued to report her experience of abuse as a woman in Evin Prison.
“„What the government may not understand is that the more of us they lock up, the stronger we become.- Mohammadi
Her Work With Shirin Ebadi
Mohammadi is the second Iranian woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize after Shirin Ebadi won the award in 2003 for her efforts to promote democracy and human rights.
Ebadi is an Iranian human rights activist and lawyer. In 1975, she was the first female judge to be appointed in the Iranian judiciary. She is also the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel prize.
She has campaigned for the reform of Iran’s family law, including matters of divorce, inheritance, and child protection.
Mohammadi has worked closely with Ebadi and is the deputy director of DHRC, which was founded by Ebadi.
Mohammadi’s work has come at the cost of her health. She reportedly suffers from a lung condition and a neurological disorder that causes muscular paralysis. She has not been able to meet her husband and two children due to her imprisonment.
“„This Nobel Prize will embolden Narges’s fight for human rights, but more importantly, this is in fact a prize for the women, life, and freedom [movement].- Mohammadi’s husband and activist Taghi Ramahi
Final Words
The Nobel Peace Prize for Iranian women's rights advocate Narges Mohammadi is a significant achievement, highlighting the ongoing struggle for women's rights in Iran.
Despite facing imprisonment and health issues, Mohammadi continues to champion these rights, despite being criticized by Iran for politicizing the issue.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a former cellmate and aid worker, expressed her joy at the recognition, hoping it will shed light on the challenges faced by Iranian women.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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