Grassroots support is spreading for a Nobel Peace Prize for Malala-Yousafzai, who 14-year-old Pakistani girl who campaigned to promote the simple right of girls to go to school in Pakistan, a country where the Taliban is waging a terrorist campaign to close schools for girls. It is this terrorist campaign in which Yousufzai was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen.
In addition to a campaign in the Canadian Parliament, there has been a petition on Facebook, as well as one on Change.org. The campaign would send a message of world wide support for education for women, as well as opposition to forms of Islam that deny women basic human rights.
Because the Nobel prize has so often been awarded to people who did not deserve it, such as Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Yasir Arafat, awarding it to Yousufzai would restore some value and dignity to an award that has become all but worthless. In addition, it would strengthen the morale of intimidated moderate Muslims in Pakistan, who interpret their faith in a manner that does not deny basic dignity and rights to 50% of the world’s population.
It is encouraging to note that newspapers in the Arab world have been showing support for Yousafzai as she recovers in a British hospital from the gunshot wounds she suffered in Pakistan. The Khaleej Times reports that Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, Pakistan Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, as well as UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague visited Malala in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, where she is recovering from her injuries.
It is possible that public outrage at the attack on Malala Yousafzai might be a powerful force for the causes she has struggled for. As Malala struggles to regain her health, it is our duty to keep that outrage alive.
Following is a documentaryby Al Jazeera on the shooting of Malala Yousafzai.
