Dr. Shirin Ebadi was the first Iranian woman to achieve chief justice status and served as president of the city court of Tehran from 1975 to 1979. She was dismissed from the bench after the Islamic Revolution in February, 1979. Following dismissal, Ebadi entered private practice and began defending dissidents. She has been arrested several times. In 2003, Shirin Ebadi became the first Muslim woman -- and the first Iranian -- ever awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
Now a popular and vocal activist for human rights and against Islamic fundamentalism, Dr. Ebadi was invited to speak last month at a forum hosted by The Center for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at California State University, San Bernardino.
KVCR's Rick Dulock had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Shirin Ebadi through an interpreter.
More information is available at Cal State San Bernardino's Center for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies website: