the cinnamon peeler's wife

did i ever mention that i love shirin ebadi. she is the woman, a role model, and of course the winner of the 2003 nobel peace prize. she doesn't let opposition stop her, when iranian clerics decided she could no longer be a judge (because women were too emotional) she continued to defend human rights as a private attorney. now that the us govt will not let her publish her memoirs, she (not an american) is suing to uphold the first amendment. now if only all of us could have so much passion for our civil liberties and human rights. read her op-ed in today's nytimes.

an excerpt:
For many years now, I have wanted to write my memoir - a book that would help correct Western stereotypes of Islam, especially the image of Muslim women as docile, forlorn creatures. Sixty-three percent of Iran's university students and 43 percent of its salaried workers are women. I have wanted to tell the story of how women in Islamic countries, even one run by a theocratic regime as in Iran, can be active politically and professionally.
and another:
If even people like me - those who advocate peace and dialogue - are denied the right to publish their books in the United States with the assistance of Americans, then people will seriously question the view of the United States as a country that advocates democracy and freedom everywhere. What is the difference between the censorship in Iran and this censorship in the United States? Is it not better to encourage a dialogue between Iranians and the American public?

(sidenotes: drink lots of water- there are very bad consequences for not doing so, believe me i found out and it was painful/ my mendhi is at the weird stage where it is starting to look funny/ carpal tunnel sucks/ school work is inundating me and thus i am wasting my time/ read the alchemist/ watch bridget jones diary, i heard the second one is terrible but don't worry i will find out for myself and report back!)