Crikey, I forgot about the Nobel Peace Prize. But I’m delighted to announce that it couldn’t have been given to a better person. The recipient this year is an Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, imprisoned for ten years for running “a human rights movement that campaigns for the abolition of the death penalty”. The Nobel committee made no bones about its opposition to the despotic Iranian regime, a despotism that’s particularly cruel to women, and which I highlight daily with a tweet from Masih Alinejad.
Here’s the committee’s announcement, also showing the the “Woman Life Freedom” mantra that’s become the mantra of anti-regime activists. The announcement also recognizes the “hundreds of thousands of people who, in the preceding year, have demonstrated against Iran’s theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women.” You can’t get more explicit than that.
More on the recipient from the Nobel committee. The second sentence is telling.
Narges Mohammadi is a woman, a human rights advocate, and a freedom fighter. Her brave struggle for freedom of expression and the right of independence has come with tremendous personal costs. Altogether, the regime in Iran has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes.
Narges Mohammadi is still in prison.
A photo from the NYT announcement:
You can also vote at the site: something I’ve never seen in a Nobel announcement. That, of course, will send a message to Iran:
A bit from the NYT:
The closely watched announcement, made by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo, comes after women-led protests in Iran that convulsed the country following the death in police custody of a 22-year-old who had been arrested by the country’s morality police.
Hundreds were killed in the ensuing government crackdown, including at least 44 minors, while around 20,000 Iranians were arrested, the United Nations calculated.
“This year’s peace prize also recognizes the hundreds of thousands of people who, in the preceding year, have demonstrated against Iran’s theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women,” the committee said. “The motto adopted by the demonstrators — ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ — suitably expresses the dedication and work of Narges Mohammadi.”
There were 351 candidates for the prize this year, according to the Nobel committee, the second highest number ever. Ms. Mohammadi joins 137 laureates named since the prize’s inception in 1901, a list that includes President Barack Obama; Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk; and Mother Teresa.
The committee has been known to make surprise picks, but speculation about this year’s prize had focused on activists for women’s rights — including Ms. Mohammadi and Mahbouba Seraj of Afghanistan — and on climate change and the war in Ukraine.
. . .The closely watched announcement, made by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo, comes after women-led protests in Iran that convulsed the country following the death in police custody of a 22-year-old who had been arrested by the country’s morality police.
Hundreds were killed in the ensuing government crackdown, including at least 44 minors, while around 20,000 Iranians were arrested, the United Nations calculated.
“This year’s peace prize also recognizes the hundreds of thousands of people who, in the preceding year, have demonstrated against Iran’s theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women,” the committee said. “The motto adopted by the demonstrators — ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ — suitably expresses the dedication and work of Narges Mohammadi.”
There were 351 candidates for the prize this year, according to the Nobel committee, the second highest number ever. Ms. Mohammadi joins 137 laureates named since the prize’s inception in 1901, a list that includes President Barack Obama; Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk; and Mother Teresa.
The committee has been known to make surprise picks, but speculation about this year’s prize had focused on activists for women’s rights — including Ms. Mohammadi and Mahbouba Seraj of Afghanistan — and on climate change and the war in Ukraine.
Finally Masih has the news on her site:
I congratulate Narges Mohammadi on winning the 2023 #NobelPeacePrize for her brave fight against Islamic Republic’s oppression.
This award is a slap in the face of Ali Khamenei’s regime which has declared war on its own people. Armita Geravand, 16, is in a coma after being… pic.twitter.com/CWEVsdDbq3— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) October 6, 2023
Will they let Mohammadi out of jail for this? I doubt it, though if they do they may deport her, as the Soviet Union did with Nobelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. But Iran can’t harbor somebody who will continue to organize opposition to the government. At least they can’t kill her now. . . .
Good.
Very keen to point out Solzhenitsyn. I recently obtained Warning to the West – at some point, I’ll get The Gulag Archipelago.
Hopefully some writing by
Mohammadi is forthcoming or I learn about it.
The Nobel wesite has been excellent this year allowing real time video access to each day’s announcement. Also they had a weit-style vote yesterday on whether viewers had read anything by Jon Fosse the literature laureate. When i voted no yesterday afternoon with 3000 votes it was 90/10 no/yes.
Another reason why Salman Rushdie should win!
Difficult to know how much weight should be given to popularity with readers. It certainly shouldn’t be the over-riding criterion or we’d end up with Dan Brown as a Nobel Prize winner!
I agree that Salman Rushdie would be a worthy winner.
“Renowned author Dan Brown wins his much-heralded Nobel Lit Prize.“?
Ha ha! Yes!
This is a good choice for the Peace prize. The Iranian regime can’t end soon enough.
I can’t think of a more deserving recipient.
Indeed. Sheds light on an important activist most people don’t know and world-shames the Iranian regime by highlighting what they have done to her. Well played Nobel folk!