Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, a former judge and human rightsactivist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. On10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for hersignificant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights,especially women's, children's, and refugee rights. She was the firstever Iranian to receive the prize.In 2009, Ebadi's award was allegedly confiscated by Iranianauthorities, though this was later denied by the Iranian government.If true, she would be the first person in the history of the Nobel Prizewhose award has been forcibly seized by state authorities.Ebadi lived in Tehran, but she has been in exile in the UK since June2009 due to the increase in persecution of Iranian citizens who arecritical of the current regime. In 2004, she was listed by Forbesmagazine as one of the "100 most powerful women in the world".She is also included in a published list of the "100 most influentialwomen of all time."Ebadi was born in Hamadan from an ethnic Persian family, Iran. Herfather, Mohammad Ali Ebadi, was the city's chief notary public and aprofessor of <strong>com</strong>mercial law. Her family moved to Tehran in 1948.She was admitted to the law department of the University of Tehranin 1965 and in 1969, upon graduation, passed the qualificationexams to be<strong>com</strong>e a judge. After a six-month internship period, sheofficially became a judge in March of 1969. She continued herstudies in University of Tehran in the meantime to pursue a master'sdegree in law in 1971. In 1975, she became the first womanpresident of the Tehran city court, and also the first ever womanjudge in Iran.Following the Iranian revolution in 1979, conservative clerics insistedthat Islam prohibits women from be<strong>com</strong>ing judges and Ebadi wasdemoted to a secretarial position at the branch where she hadpreviously presided. She and other female judges protested andwere assigned to the slightly higher position of "law expert." Sheeventually requested early retirement as the situation remainedunchanged.As her applications were repeatedly rejected, Ebadi was not able topractice as a lawyer until 1993, while she already had a law officepermit. She used this free time to write books and many articles inIranian periodicals.Ebadi now lectures law at the University of Tehran and is acampaigner for strengthening the legal status of children andwomen, the latter of which played a key role in the May 1997landslide presidential election of the reformist Mohammad Khatami.As a lawyer, she is known for taking up pro bono cases of dissidentfigures who have fallen foul of the judiciary. She has represented thefamily of Dariush Forouhar, a dissident intellectual and politician whowas found stabbed to death at his home. His wife, ParvanehEskandari, was also killed at the same time.The couple were among several dissidents who died in a spate ofgrisly murders that terrorized Iran's intellectual <strong>com</strong>munity.Suspicion fell on extremist hard-liners determined to put a stop tothe more liberal climate fostered by President Khatami, whochampioned freedom of speech. The murders were found to be<strong>com</strong>mitted by a team of the employees of the Iranian Ministry ofIntelligence, whose head, Saeed Emami, allegedly <strong>com</strong>mitted suicidein jail before being brought to court.Ebadi also represented the family of Ezzat Ebrahim-Nejad, who waskilled in the Iranian student protests in July 1999.In 2000 Ebadi wasaccused of manipulating the videotaped confession of Amir FarshadEbrahimi, a former member of the Ansar-e Hezbollah. Ebrahimiconfessed his involvement in attacks made by the organization onthe orders of high-level conservative authorities, which haveincluded the killing of Ezzat Ebrahim-Nejad and attacks againstmembers of President Khatami's cabinet. Ebadi claimed that she hadonly videotaped Amir Farshad Ebrahimi's confessions in order topresent them to the court. This case was named "Tape makers" byhardliners who questioned the credibility of his videotapeddeposition as well as his motives. Ebadi and Rohami were sentencedto five years in jail and suspension of their law licenses for sendingEbrahimi's videotaped deposition to Islamic President Khatami andthe head of the Islamic judiciary. The sentences were later vacatedby the Islamic judiciary's supreme court, but they did not forgiveEbarahimi's videotaped confession and sentenced him to 48 monthsjail, including 16 months in solitary confinement. This case broughtincreased focus on Iran from human rights groups abroad.Ebadi has also defended various child abuse cases and a few casesdealing with bans of periodicals (including the cases of HabibollahPeyman, Abbas Marufi, and Faraj Sarkouhi). She has also establishedtwo non-governmental organizations in Iran with western funding,the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child (SPRC) and theDefenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC).She also helped in the drafting of the original text of a law againstphysical abuse of children, which was passed by the Iranianparliament in 2002.On 10 October 2003, Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prizefor her efforts for democracy and human rights, especially for therights of women and children. The selection <strong>com</strong>mittee praised heras a "courageous person" who "has never heeded the threat to herown safety".Now she travels abroad lecturing in the West. She isagainst a policy of forced regime change. Her husband, JavadTavassolian, was an advisor to President Khatami.The decision of the Nobel <strong>com</strong>mittee surprised some observersworldwide. Pope John Paul II had been predicted to win the PeacePrize amid speculation that he was nearing death. Some observers,mostly supporters of Pope John Paul II, viewed her selection as acalculated and political one, along the lines of the selection of LechWałęsa and Mikhail Gorbachev, among others, for the Peace Prize.They denied that Ebadi's activities were directly related to the goalsof the prize, as originally stated by Alfred Nobel. According to his will,the prize should be awarded "to the person who shall have done themost or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for theabolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding andpromotion of peace congresses".She presented a book entitled Democracy, human rights, and Islamin modern Iran: Psychological, social and cultural perspectives to theNobel Committee. The volume documents the historical and culturalbasis of democracy and human rights from Cyrus and Darius, 2,500years ago to Mohammad Mossadeq, the Prime Minister of modernIran who nationalized the oil industry.In Iran, officials of the Islamic Republic were either silent or critical ofthe selection of Ebadi, calling it a political act by a pro-Westerninstitution and were also critical when Ebadi did not cover her hair atthe Nobel award ceremony. IRNA reported it in few lines that theevening newspapers and the Iranian state media waited hours toreport the Nobel <strong>com</strong>mittee's decision—and then only as the lastitem on the radio news update. Reformist officials are said to have"generally wel<strong>com</strong>ed the award", but "<strong>com</strong>e under attack for doingso." Reformist president Mohammad Khatami did not officiallycongratulate Ms. Ebadi and stated that although the scientific Nobelsare important, the Peace Prize is "not very important" and wasawarded to Ebadi on the basis of "totally political criteria". VicePresident Mohammad Ali Abtahi, the only official to initiallycongratulate Ebadi, defended the president saying "abusing thePresident's words about Ms. Ebadi is tantamount to abusing theprize bestowed on her for political considerations".Since receiving the Nobel Prize Ebadi has lectured, taught andreceived awards in different countries, issued statements anddefended people accused of political crimes in Iran. She has traveledto and spoken to audiences in India, the United States, and othercountries; released her autobiography in an English translation. Withfive other Nobel laureates, she created the Nobel <strong>Women's</strong> Initiativeto promote peace, justice and equality for women.
mypanchang.<strong>com</strong>June <strong>2013</strong> • North Indian Jyeshtha-Ashadha • Vaishaka - Jyestha • Vrishabha - Mithuna • Vaikaasi – AaniSUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SATJyestha KrishnaAshtami 10:02Revati 27:11Guru Astha302 Graha Pravesha, Wedding till 11:283 Graha Pravesha WeddingNo Muhurtha for Graha Pravesha, Vasthu, Wedding, orUpanayana from 5th June to 5 th July due to Guru Astha.Apara Ekadasi Jun 3Shani Jayanthi Jun 8Aranya Gauri Vratam Jun 14Ganga Dashhara Jun 18Nirjala Ekadasi Jun 19Vata Savitri Vrata Jun 22Sankathara Chaturthi Jun 25* 1Grishma Rutu (Drik Sid)Vaishakha KrishnaNavami 23:20P.Bhadrapada 18:412Hanumath Jayanthi(Andhra)345678Dashami 23:46U.Bhadrapada 19:41Panchaka endsApara Ekadashi 24:48Revati 21:17Dvadashi 26:21Ashvini 23:23PradoshamTrayodashi 28:18Bharani 25:53Guru Astha starts: 15:05Masa ShivaratriChaturdashi day/nightKrittika 28:40Guru AsthaAmavasya TarpanamChaturdashi 06:31Rohini day/nightGuru AsthaShani JayanthiAmavasya 08:56Rohini 07:39Guru Astha9101112131415KaridinaJyeshtha ShuklaPrathama 11:26Mrigashirsha 10:42Guru AsthaDvitiiya 13:54Aardra 13:45Guru AsthaRambha Tritiiya 16:16Punarvasu 16:41Guru AsthaUma Chaturthi 18:25Pushya 19:24Guru AsthaPanchami 20:12Aslesha 21:47Guru AsthaAranya Guari VratamAranya Shashthi 21:32Magha 23:42Sun: Mithuna 16:20 TarpanaAani, Guru AsthaSaptami 22:16P.Phalguni 25:03Guru AsthaMartyrdom of GuruArjan Dev SahibAshtami 22:20U.Phalguni 25:43Guru Astha16Navami 21:39Hasta 25:39Guru Astha17Ganga DasaharaDashami 20:14Chitra 24:51Guru Astha18TN: Periy AzhwarNirjala Ekadashi 18:06Svaati 23:22Guru Astha1920Varsha Rutu (Drik Sid)PradoshamChampaka Dvadashi 15:20Vishaakha 21:16Guru AsthaTrayodashi 12:03Anuraadha 18:41Guru Astha2122Vata Savitri VrataDeba Snana PurnimaJyestha AbhishekamSatyanarayana PujaDakshinayana beginsChaturdashi 08:24Purnima 28:32Jyeshtha 15:46, Guru Astha23242526272829(North Indian Ashadha)Jyestha KrishnaPrathama 24:38Mula 12:43Guru AsthaDvitiiya 20:53P.shadha 09:42Guru AsthaAngarakaSankathara ChaturthiTritiiya 17:27U.shada 06:54Shravana 28:32Guru AsthaPanchaka beginsChaturthi 14:30Dhanishta 26:44Guru AsthaPanchami 12:13Shatabhisha 25:38Guru AsthaShashthi 10:40P.Bhadrapada 25:21Guru AsthaSaptami 09:56U.Bhadrapada 25:52Guru Astha
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