Washington, Oct 11: The United States today warmly congratulated Iranian human rights activist and feminist lawyer Shirin Ebadi on receiving the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize and said it hoped the award would promote democracy in Iran. "We congratulate Shirin Ebadi for the Nobel Peace Prize, the first for an Iranian and the first for a Muslim woman" in the prize's 102-year history, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "The prize is in well-deserved recognition of a lifetime championing the cause of human dignity and democracy," he told reporters. "She has worked tirelessly and suffered at the hands of the clerical regime, including imprisonment for promoting democracy and human rights in her country," McClellan added. At the State Department, spokesman Richard Boucher echoed those comments but added that Washington hoped the honor bestowed on Ebadi would translate into greater freedoms for the Iranian people.

"We fully support the aspirations of the Iranian people to live in freedom and hope the call for democracy will be heard and transform Iran into a force for stability in the region," Boucher told reporters.

Ebadi, 56, was given the prize "for her efforts for democracy and human rights," particularly for women and children in her country, which has been under Islamic rule since a 1979 revolution, the Nobel committee said.

Bureau Report