The favouriteisSimaSamar, an Afghanhuman-rightsactivist, with Piedad Córdoba, a Colombiansenator who has pushed forpeace in her country, not far behind.
In June, SimaSamar, the former minister for women's affairs, was summoned before a court for blasphemy, after allegedly telling a Canadian magazine that she did not believe in sharia, the Islamic law.
Nor are they likely to, though on May 25th, Mr Karzai's women's affairs minister, SimaSamar, who is responsible for drafting the guidelines for a human-rights commission, insisted there should be no amnesties for militia leaders accused of abuses, even if they support the government.