Shirin Ebadi Quotes

Hong Kong is not just a global financial center. It's also a place with a lot of teens and youth who love freedom, democracy, and human rights.

The spirit of democracy is not a mechanical thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms. It requires change of heart.

America is a Nation with a mission - and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace - a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman.

Ever since I took to the streets when I was 17 to protest at great personal risk against the communist dictatorship, I have been a passionate democrat.

If we expose the Chinese to our freedoms, it may create a greater hunger for democracy, reform and liberties in China.

We see the tendency in the world to criticise democracy and sometimes even to say that authoritarian countries like China are more efficient. That is very short-sighted. China looks efficient only because it can sacrifice most people's rights. This is not something the west should be happy about.

Once a man has tasted freedom he will never be content to be a slave. That is why I believe that this frightfulness we see everywhere today is only temporary. Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life. All men will want to be free and share our way of life. There must be so much that I should have said, but haven't. What I will say now is just what most of us are probably thinking every day. “I thank God and America for the right to live and raise my family under the flag of tolerance, democracy and freedom. “

We know, deep down, that repression is not the wave of the future. We know that the desire for freedom is not confined to, or owned by, any culture; it is the inborn hope of our humanity. We know that free governments are the only way to ensure that the strong are just and the weak are valued. And we know that when we lose sight of our ideals, it is not democracy that has failed. It is the failure of those charged with preserving and protecting democracy.

I always think that reforms and turning China into a free country is a long and tortuous process. Despite this, in a totalitarian state, the fight for freedom comes from the accumulative efforts of the people; without such efforts, very little will happen.

I have the deepest, deepest respect for these guys who are actually fighting for democracy in countries far away.

The only situation that I can't be in favour of is the lack of respect to human rights in Venezuela.

The freedoms of religion, thought and speech are all fundamental rights Canadians not only enjoy, we have fought for them at home and abroad. We know that a vibrant democracy means that on some issues, Canadians will understandably have different views.

If I have a thought, I say it. If I keep it down, it's because I'm waiting for a good moment for me to say my piece. That's a luxury we have in our society, but parts of the world still don't have it.

Believing in and practising the principles of the rule of law is, with our liberty and democracy, among the most powerful weapons we have. It is less effective if we blur its clarity and we should do this as sparingly as possible.

The true test of liberty is the right to test it, the right to question it, the right to speak to my neighbors, to grab them by the shoulders and look into their eyes and ask, “Are we free?” I have thought that if we are free, the answer cannot hurt us. And if we are not free, must we not hear the answer?

Democracy is the superior form of government, because it is based on a respect for man as a reasonable being.

Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.

I am totally committed to maintaining the freedom and equality America has to provide to every citizen.

The U.S. affirms freedom of speech.[Vladimir] Putin is no friend of freedom of speech.

Our job here is to defend freedom.

I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.

Being democratic is not enough, a majority cannot turn what is wrong into right. In order to be considered truly free, countries must also have a deep love of liberty and an abiding respect for the rule of law.

In the most civilized and progressive countries freedom of discussion is recognized as a fundamental principle.

Democracy is not an end in itself, but a means to achieve the sacred promises of human dignity, justice and peace.

All over this world people are standing up for freedom.