October 12, 2009

Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Shirin Ebadi

On Wednesday, October 14, Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi will hold a press conference at the National Press Club to share her recent work to advance women's rights in Iran. She will be joined by Muslim Public Affairs Council Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati, who will share the group's new policy paper "Abusing Women, Abusing Islam," which examines recent controversial sharia-court rulings involving Muslim women in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

The MPAC Foundation will present Dr. Ebadi with its 3rd annual Human Security Award that evening at a reception in the Washington, DC area, which will be hosted by Ambassador Rafat and Shaista Mahmood. The Human Security Award was created to honor the contributions of extraordinary individuals who protect and empower the world's most vulnerable populations. Dr. Ebadi's work in confronting challenges faced by women around the world exemplifies these attributes. (To RSVP for the reception, please call 202-547-7701.)

Dr. Ebadi is the first Iranian to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for her efforts for democracy and human rights." Her career has been marked by many firsts. Born in 1947, Dr. Ebadi received her law degree from Tehran University in 1968 and became the first woman to serve as a judge in the Iranian judicial system in 1969. More recently, she co-founded organizations such as the Association for Support of Children's Rights, the Center for Defense of Human Rights, and the Nobel Women’s Initiative.

Press Conference Details:
What:    Advancing Women's Rights in the Muslim World
            Shirin Ebadi & Salam Al-Marayati
When:   Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.
Where:  National Press Club - Zenger Room 
            529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045

Human Security Award Reception Details:
What:    3rd Annual Human Security Award
When:    Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 6:00 p.m.
Where:   The Residence of Ambassador Rafat & Shaista Mahmood
             Alexandria, VA (location details will be given when you rsvp)
Cost:      Donation requested
RSVP:     Call (202) 547-7701

Past recipients of the Human Security Award were 2005 Nobel Laureate Dr. Mohamed Elbaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and 2007 Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.