New York: The director general of UNESCO has praised the bravery of 14-year-old girl Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousufzai, who was attacked by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on October 9.
"Malala was targeted because she stood up for every young girl's basic human right to receive an education. This is an attack against all young girls, against the right to learn, the right to live life to the full; and it is unacceptable," The News quoted director general Irina Bokova, as saying.
"Faced with such extreme cowardice and brutality, UNESCO's Member States should draw inspiration from the courage of Malala who in recent years defended publicly the right of all girls to go to school," Bokova added. "Seen that a 14-year old can stand up to the Taliban, what should we-we who have political power and the will to act-do Malala's courage impels us to join the struggle against barbarism," she added.
"We are all Malala and her courage must inspire our struggle to ensure the fundamental right of every human being to receive an education," she concluded.
Malala, who earned international fame for raising voice against Taliban oppression in Swat, was shot in the neck and head and two other girls sustained injuries when the TTP opened fire on their school van in Swat valley last Tuesday. Malala was transferred to a hospital in Birmingham, UK, on October 15 for specialised medical treatment.
A National Peace award winner, Malala had become the voice of all the girls in Swat when she began maintaining a diary on the website of the BBC under the pen name of "Gul Makai", where she described atrocities of the Taliban.
ANI
First Published: Friday, October 19, 2012, 14:24