Malala Yousafzai tipped for top European peace prize
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for promoting education for girls, was tipped to win this year`s Sakhorav peace prize.
|Last Updated: Oct 09, 2013, 04:20 PM IST|Source: IANS
Islamabad: Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for promoting education for girls, was tipped to win this year`s Sakhorav peace prize.
Sajjad Khan, the European member of parliament (MEP), tipped Malala for the Sakhorav peace prize for championing women`s rights to education despite fresh threats against her life by the Taliban, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
Malala, 16, was shot in the head by two gunmen as she sat on a school bus in her hometown. The teenager was targeted by the Taliban in an effort to silence her vocal support of promoting education for girls.
However, instead of silencing the brave girl, the shooting drew immediate outrage and condemnation in Pakistan and internationally. Malala was flown to Britain for medical treatment and she now continues to speak out and campaign against the Taliban and its policies, particularly against women.
"Malala`s courage, determination and defiance to speak out against one of the world`s most violent and oppressive regimes is truly inspiring. It is only fitting that she is awarded the EU Sakhorav prize for Freedom of Thought on the anniversary of the attack which almost killed her," Khan said.
"She continues to defy the Taliban and will not allow them to stop her championing girls` rights to education even with their renewed threats.
"At the age of 16, her towering achievements have already made her a giant amongst men and she will be considered as one of humanity`s greatest living heroes alongside Nelson Mandela. I strongly support Malala`s cause and her message is not just for the girls of the Swat valley, it is a message for us all," he added.
The winner of the Sakhorav prize will be announced Oct 10, and the $50,000 prize will be awarded at Strasbourg in France Nov 20.
Malala Yousafzai was Tuesday awarded with the Pride of Britain award which was presented to her by David Beckham. She is also hotly tipped for the Nobel Peace Prize this year.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.