The Arab American News:

Ebadi’s strong criticism of the Iranian government has been both praised and criticized by her fellow Iranians. Ebadi has been a major proponent of the reform movement in Iran and often criticizes the government for unequal treatment of women in the Islamic Republic. Ebadi is described by fellow reformists as a hero and a leading voice for progress in Iran. To the more traditional supporters of the Islamic Revolution, Ebadi is considered a nuisance and a threat to the 26-year experiment in Islamic governance for the ancient Persian civilization. The late reformist President Khatami of Iran reaffirmed the controversial stature of Ms. Ebadi when he responded to questions about the importance of the Nobel Peace Prize victory awarded to her in 2003. He said that although Nobel prizes in science and technology were important, the peace prize was “political” and “insignificant.”