Democracy can be applied to Muslim countries: Nobel Laurate

Democracy can be applied to Muslim countries: Nobel Laurate

Agence France-Presse, Washington

Democracy can be introduced to Muslim countries if Islam is given a broader interpretation, Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi said in an interview made public on Saturday.

"All I've tried to do in the last 20 years was to prove that with another interpretation of Islam, it would be possible to introduce democracy to Muslim countries," the Iranian human rights lawyer told Newsweek magazine.

"We need an interpretation of Islam that leaves much more space for women to take action. We need an Islam that is compatible with democracy and one that's respectful of individual rights."

Human rights can exist in an Islamic republic, she said. "There is no contradiction between an Islamic republic, Islam and human rights," Ebadi said. "If in many Islamic countries human rights are flouted, this is because of a wrong interpretation of Islam."

Ebadi, 56, said it was still possible to bring reform to Iran because the number of people who support change has increased. She expressed hope that young Iranians would be able to do more than her generation to advance reform.

"When I was young we had neither computers nor the Internet," she recalled. "Our only source of information was a small library at the University. So I hope that today's young people can do much more and do better for our country than I did."