Educational Media Reviews Online

Shirin Ebadi may see herself as a “simple lawyer,” but her tireless efforts as a human rights activist helped her earn a Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, making her the first Muslim woman to win the honor.

Through personal interviews and speech excerpts, the documentary profiles Ebadi’s struggle to protect children, improve the status of women, and pursue broader human rights. She was the first female president of the Tehran City Court in the mid-1970s, but she lost that post during the Islamic Revolution in 1979. It took Ebadi over a decade to regain her law license, which has enabled her to challenge Iran’s laws and policies concerning women and children. She was also imprisoned for her reform efforts. As co-founder of the Association for Support of Children’s Rights and the Human Rights Defence Centre, Ebadi has created a forum independent of government control.

The film depicts Ebadi as an unassuming yet forthright advocate for human rights in her homeland as well as in repressed areas of the world. It also gives a voice to the moderate perspective on Islam that exists within a fundamentalist regime. Ebadi clearly rejects the notion that Islam and democracy are incompatible. While some reformers have wanted to use Ebadi as an icon, she has refused to be part of a “cult of personality” and instead insists that the masses should direct the path to freedom.

Overall, viewers will appreciate Ebadi’s commitment to the welfare of others despite the personal risks she and her family have endured.

Shirin Ebadi: A Simple Lawyer was among entries at the 2005 Middle Eastern Studies Association FilmFest and the 2006 National Women’s Studies Association Film Festival.

Highly recommended for college and university libraries.