On Thursday, Studentafton is visited by Nobel Prize winning lawyer and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi. The title of the evening is “Democracy, Human Rights and Islam”.
Guest at the autumn premiere of Studentafton is Shirin Ebadi. She was the first Muslim woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize when she accepted the award in 2003. For many years, she has been fighting for human rights from her position as a lawyer and judge in her home country of Iran. Above all, she has been recognised for standing up for the rights of children and women, and has been openly critical towards the patriarchal regime of the country.
Because of limited free speech and persecution of critics of the regime in Iran, she has been living in exile in London since 2009. She has been invited to Studentafton to discuss human rights, democracy and Islam.
“After the revolution (when Islamists seized power in 1979, Editor´s note), she has been an incredibly strong voice against the regime and has been supporting human rights. She is a role model for many women around the globe, perhaps foremost for Muslim women. She speaks a lot about how Islam is completely compatible with human rights, which is an interesting perspective that really should be highlighted, since many people today are of the opposite opinion,” says Helena Westöö, newly appointed chairperson for Studentafton.
Helena Westöö replaced Casper Törnblom as chairperson for Studentafton before this semester. She is at the end of her law education, and combined with her assignments as chairperson, it has been an intense time lately. Normally, twelve people are working with Studentafton, but for various reasons, almost the entire staff has been replaced for this semester.
“Some have completed their education, others had been with us for a long time and wanted to try something new. Until now, we have only been four people. But soon, eight new co-workers will join us, which will make things less stressful,” she says.
Since the start of Studentafton in 1905, the setup has been the same, and Helena sees no reason to change the concept.
“We will continue to provide something of interest for everyone. Some are interested in politics, others in sport. The idea is to mix heavy subjects with lighter ones,” she says.
Helena does not want to reveal what guests are booked for this autumn yet. More information on that and the moderators for those evenings will be added continuously on Studentafton’s webpage.
Written by: Eskil Blohmé
Translation: Carl-William Ersgård
