While visiting Brazil, Iranian Nobel Prize winner Dr. Shirin Ebadi was not received by president Dilma Rousseff despite Ebadi’s request. In return Shirin Ebadi refused to meet President Dilma’s assigned foreign policy advisor. Immediately after becoming the first female president, Rousseff distanced herself from IR friendly policies of former president Lula who had received Ahmadinejad in Brazil and visited Iran.
Dilma was criticized by some for sending the wrong message by not meeting Ebadi but it is not common for head of states to meet dissidents of another country that they have diplomatic and economic relationship with, especially when the person is on a promotional book tour. When asked by reporters, Brazil’s foreign minister replied that in the contrary they had a desire to open a dialogue by assigning president’s advisor but it was Dr. Ebadi who refused to meet him.
While on the worldwide book and human rights awareness tour, Dr. Ebadi should understand that she is not an elected or official representative of Iranians and therefore must not refuse opportunities to communicate with others simply because she wish to impose her wishes on the heads of another nation.
President Dilma Rousseff who herself was imprisoned between 1970-1972 by former military dictatorship before Brazil gained democracy recently had accepted both Shakira and U2 in the presidential palace, but seeing an artist has no political implications versus meeting a political dissident of another country while Brazil has been attempting to gain a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council. Meanwhile, Islamic Regime in Iran through its English newsletter Tehran Times , continued to accuse Ebadi’s trip as a propaganda tour for US and Israel.
On Wednesday night Shirin Ebadi was given an interview spot on Globo TV’s highly watched late night show Programa do Jô, the Brazilian Johnny Carson. Within parameters of a variety show Ebadi was successful in bringing attention to Iran’s human rights violations and also communicated message of friendship and thanks to the people and the government of Brazil:
Ebadi also spoke to Brazilian Journalists:
