Malala Yousufzai at the UN General Assembly. PHOTO: AFP
MINGORA: Malala Yousafzai, the teenage activist nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, says she has not done enough to deserve the award, as her old school closed Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of her shooting by the Taliban.
The 16-year-old was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban on October 9 last year for speaking out against them. She has gone on to become a global ambassador for the right of all children to go to school.
Feted by world leaders and celebrities for her courage, she has addressed the UN, this week published an autobiography, and on Friday will learn if she has won the Nobel Peace prize.
But in an interview with Pakistani radio station City89 FM, Malala spoke of her desire to do more to promote education, saying she felt she had not yet earned the Nobel accolade.
"There are many people who deserve the Nobel Peace Prize and I think that I still need to work a lot. In my opinion I have not done that much to win the Nobel Peace Prize," she said.
In Swat valley, in deeply conservative northwest Pakistan where women are often expected to stay at home to cook and rear children, officials say only around half of girls go to school -- though this is up from 34 percent in 2011.
Malala was taken to Britain for treatment in the wake of the attack and now goes to school in the central city of Birmingham.
On the first anniversary of the shooting that came within a whisker of ending her life, her old school in Mingora, the main town of Swat, was closed to mark the occasion.
"All sections of our school have been closed today to express solidarity with Malala on the anniversary of attack on her. The school will reopen as usual tomorrow," a teacher in Khushhal Public School told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Malala first rose to prominence with a blog for the BBC Urdu service chronicling the difficulties of life under the rule of the Taliban, who controlled Swat from 2007 until they were kicked out by the army in 2009.
Though their brutal rule has ended, pockets of militancy remain, with schools regularly being destroyed by insurgents. Fear of the men of violence means there will be no public event to mark the anniversary.
"We did not organise any function in Swat on the anniversary of attack on Malala because people fear they can also be attacked like her," district education officer Dilshad Bibi told AFP.
"Many girls are scared that they can be attacked if they are attached with Malala."
While Malala has enjoyed acclamation around the world, in Pakistan the response to her rise to stardom has been more sceptical, with some accusing her of acting as a puppet of the West.
But with her message of hope and determination she has managed to inspire some of the youngsters in her home area.
"The incident of attack on her one year ago is unforgettable. Education is our life and Malala raised her voice for it, so we like her very much," said 12-year-old Humera Khan.
"I also aim to fight for education when I grow up."
COMMENTS (41)
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A little girl fights the Taliban- monster,while impotent men, who should be doing that ,sit on their computers and spread hatred against her.That monster is not far off from them either,but then it will be too late.But that is what many of these cowardly people deserve.You see specimens of these bigots and cowards here in the comments section.Too afraid to raise their voice against Taliban and mayhem,and fighting and calumniating little girls.
@Zac: What kind of a retarded comeback is that? First of all, I am a woman, Haq is my last name, and second of all, Malala has done nothing but say really positive things about Pakistan and Islam. She is single-handedly changing the negative perception people have of Pakistan. The argument that she has defamed Pakistan is insane. She has instead shown the world that not all Pakistanis are terrorists (which is all western media talked about until Malala came along), she has proven that there are lots of people like her who oppose terrorism and who are fighting terrorism in Pakistan. Isn't that what we are all desperately trying to prove to the world as well? How is this a drama? Even if it were a drama, it is a drama that is creating a positive, soft image of Pakistan. The only people looking bad are the terrorists who deserve to look bad, and retards who support terrorists, who also deserve to look bad.
I wonder how Taliban shooter missed his shot in the first place when she was right in front of him. Doesn't it seem to be all staged ?
@Haq:
Why dont you wait for a few years and propose to her then.........You can earn her riches, fame .....oh and even an English Passport.... That way you can advocate for her even better.
@faizaan: She'a a Drama Queen. Pakistan doesnt need US or CIA sponsored Prime Ministers.
An agent who is paid to malign Pakistan's image worldwide deserves a slap from reality, not a nomination for nobel prize.
We are a nation steeped in a pathetic torpor for decades now...Amazingly we still manage to produce gems from this mayhem, which the whole world celebrates but we make sure that none of our next generations are touched by them....Dr Abdul Salaam and now possibly Malala!
Good Malala, now use your influence to get our Aafia back and end drone strikes. Do something for Pakistan, not just give talks to the West to tell them what they want to hear.
@ Haq - very well put. There is a saying in Hindi (and perhaps Urdu) - "Ghar ki mooli, daal baraabar". One doesn't appreciate one's own, it needs someone from the outside to point this out to you. So inspite of the worldwide accliam she is winning, she will always be a 'stooge of the West' to most Pakistanis.
Malala has been an activist for five years now. She didn't just become famous when she got shot. She got shot BECAUSE she was becoming famous for her activism. She was denouncing the Taliban oppression long BEFORE she got shot. So no, she is not getting awards for getting shot in the head, she is getting awards for speaking up, for continuing to speak up after such trauma, for championing such an important cause as education, and for being such a positive, humble, modest, and brave female role model in present times, when the only female teenagers we hear about are the likes of Miley Cyrus. She is an amazing young lady, who is showing the world how amazing Pakistani women are. I am truly SO proud of her. She is the best thing that has happened to Pakistan in a long, long time. I hope she wins every single award out there.
@Fakhar: Jealous or just couldn't stand that a young girl has accomplished so much for women education and Pakistan?
I wonder about our retarded mentality - the whole world is praising her and many Pakistanis believe it was a drama. I invite all the people who believe that Malala is just drama, just take a bullet in your head and then make the same claim.
Malala has done more to inspire me than any adult in the past 20 years. If the people cannot see her bravery and compassion, then I am afraid that is a "me" problem that requires more time seeking professional help.
Last time I read, there's no way to know definitely who gets nominated for any nobel prize.......
......until after 50 years of wait.
The 16 years young Malala is, among other things, an excellent orator, compared with all these phoney, uncharismatic and boring leaders. Whatever they say, EVERYBODY doubts them.........including they themselves!
On the contrary, whatever Malala says, people believe in her sincerity and originality! That's what matters!!!
Malala is the uncrowned Queen of the her young generation.
Little girls fight the Taliban ,while impotent men whine from their dens!!
This is Malala's greatness.
It takes a single courageous person to stand up the forces of darkness...... Malala is that person. I laugh out loud when read the pathetic comments of the apologists for the thugs .... they are quivering in their shalwars at the thought of confronting a little girl.
Intelligent, brave, and humble! She is indeed a gift to us all.
I wish her all the best and will be really proud if she gets the award. The kid gets undue stick and criticism by fellow Pakistanis. However their frustration should be directed at the people in whose hands she is been playing. Everybody knows that all the coverage and awards she gets grab more attention to that incident and a generalized image of our country is created as in every woman in this land is being opressed or god forbid, we shoot our women if they ask to study and that is definitely not the case in reality. But Malala as a little girl has only done things that should be praised and highly respected. May the kid gets the best of this world, and she inspired the women throughout the world!
yeah...fight for education..don't care how many die in pakistan due to other soooo many reasons...don't care about any of em...just care about malala...give her a noble prize...give her a music album in her name...what about the rest?...the rest the suffer so much?...is it going to do anything to them?..
@Fakhar: "...has she done anything at all except receiving awards?" So, what you are telling us is: either she has swindled all those rewards, or, that those who rewarded her, including the UN, are utter fools to have rewarded her so. I wish you could have earned even one reward before opening your big mouth!
Brave, intelligent, articulate, modest and female -- nice combo.
hats off to Malala for her modesty and resilience. her presence out there, representing her nation, defending her culture speaks multitudes in defence of a nation brandished time n again as terror perpetrators! malala .....nobel prize or not , u hv earned tremendous adoration and love which indeed is priceless. keep it up!
Malala on Daily Show;
Malala Yousafzai amazing answer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Malala has stood against the thugs who kill in the name of religion. She has successfully resisted the jehadis and kept going to the school till she was nearly murdered.She inspired lot of people not only in Pakistan but around the world. Wether she gets nobel prize or not doesn't matter. She is the most courageous girl and right thinking people should see her as 'daughter' of the nation.
@Fakhar: She's risen against barbaric extremists as opposed to someone who's criticizing her sitting in the comfort of their home, sipping tea
@xzxzx; 'a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory remarks'. how can a PTI person be a troll(he or she is just having a differece of opinion),as that person belong to the same country as you do-unlike the real trolls from our neigbouring country...take it easy.
Please not again..Malala Tribune..
The truth is: For her age, Malala has done a lot but in his life time, Edhi sahib has done a lot, lot more and even at his age he is doing so much more than anyone else. Personally, I would have liked Edhi Sahib to have won this Nobel Peace Price long ago. But, no one in Pakistan was really serious and even today many would think that JuD is doing more than Edhi Foundation. I have seen Edhi sahib 3-4 times in news channels and in not even one instance heard him recite Quranic verse before starting to reply a question. He is a true muslim who does not talk of Islam or recite verses to impress, but practices Islam every moment of his life and lives by it.
Malala stands for women's education as a symbol.
Those who question what has she really done? She hasn't done much.
But. BUT...
This is not the age for her to do anything. She needs to be steady, get her own education while quietly symbolizing women's education.
That's good.
What happens in the future, nobody knows. Maybe she will take the activism further. Maybe she will educate herself, get married and lead a happy life.
Nonetheless, the whole world needs to take a balanced approach. If she settles for her own happiness, be happy for her. If she fights for the education of the women of the world, join her hands.
She doesn't deserve any awards except the recognition of her symbolism.
Maybe in the future she does. Nonetheless, let her be herself. Don't put pressure. Let the future shape her. Let her shape the future.
Then decide.
Until then, can the world media take some time off?
PTI trolls are disgusting!
long live malala!!!
Pakistanies already hate their first Nobel laureat. Another one will be too much to bear in particular if it is for a youg girl who has courage and vision.
The comments above show what she has done and it is worthy of a Nobel! When educated classes, illiterate politicians and sham of an army were busy pandering to the terrorists; she kept it cool and kept pressing the matter which is ultimately going to affect this and future generations of Pakistan. Two largest rightwing parties of Pakistan cannot even condemn Taliban for their action so its too much to ask that they will support her.
She deserves it 1000 times more than Obama, who too go the Peace Nobel Prize for doing nothing whatsoever for peace or anything closer to peace. She deserves it at least million times more than Yasser Arafat the gun totting army dressed Palestinian leader. Anyway let us wait till tomorrow. We will know the result. My bet is still 100% on Malala.
"On the first anniversary of the shooting that came within a whisker of ending her life, her old school in Mingora, the main town of Swat, was closed to mark the occasion."
Malala is known and appreciated for her stand of education to girls and on the day of the anniversary of attack on her the school ( where she studied) has been closed to mark the occasion. what a contradiction to her principle. On this day the school should have remain open which would have been a better tribute to the cause.
@Fakhar pontificated "Has not done enough ??? But I am sorry, has she done anything at all except receiving awards?"
Let's hear you long list of accomplishments.
If Obama,Kissinger,Arafat,Peres and EU can get the Nobel 'Peace" prize, why not her? Interestingly the guy who always used the peace mantra (Gandhi) never got one.
You got a point atlast.. Yes, You do not deserve, Yet !
Happiness is: when a Head-Shot is the best thing EVER HAPPENED to you!!