Nobel Peace Prize Laureate speaks out against Violence and Terror

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi spoke out against violence and terror on Wednesday at the opening of the Parliament of World Religions in Barcelona. She said it was misinterpretation of the faith that has led to violence.

Ebadi, a lawyer, writer and professor from Iran has joined approximately 7,000 others from a wide range of religious backgrounds in coming to Barcelona for the gathering. Ebadi is widely recognised for her support of women’s, children’s and refugees’ rights. She was a founder of Iran's Society of Defenders of Human Rights, and has spent time in prison for her activities. She was awarded the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize.

"Terror, violence, torture and humiliation of people in any society is something totally unacceptable," Ebadi said during the parliament's inaugural ceremony.

"No country has the right to attack another country under the excuse of human rights. You can't send human rights alongside bombs; human rights can only be achieved through democracy," she said, alluding to last year's U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

Ebadi's belief that "human rights are a common point between all the religions of the world" is one of the themes running through the parliament.

The Parliament of the World's Religions is a gathering that aims to discuss the role of religion in world affairs. The Parliament which will continue until July 13th is organised around workshops and discussion sessions where representatives from world religions talk about issues such as refugees, AIDS, and peaceful solutions to international conflicts.

William Lesher, the chairman of the Council for the Parliament of the World Religions said, "It's our goal to show that the religions of the world, though different from one another, are not antagonistic toward one another. We need to be humble about our past errors and forgiving of the errors of others."