Malala shooting: Women of US Senate demand swift justice
Call on Pakistan govt to confront extremism and violence against children.
WASHINGTON:
From politicians to peace activists and celebrities, condemnation of the attack on 15-year-old girls’ education activist, Malala Yousafzai, and her friends Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz have been pouring in from all corners of the world.
Fifteen female US Senators wrote a letter to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, expressing outrage over the Taliban attack on the girls. The Senators called upon the government to bring the attackers to justice and continue working to confront extremism and violence against Pakistani children.
The Senators, led by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman, Senator Dianne Feinstein, said in the letter that an “attack against Malala represented an attack against all women across the world, and must not be tolerated.”
“We hope that the Government of Pakistan will continue to work to confront extremism and heinous violence against its own children. We urge you to ensure that the perpetrators of this violence are brought to justice quickly, and that you might also redouble your own efforts to safeguard and advance girls’ access to education and opportunities for them to reach their full potential as contributing and productive citizens,” the letter read.
The letter added that the world was horrified by the “brazen nature of the attack”, carried out by Taliban militants who targeted Malala for advocating education for girls and herself. The Senators said that while they applauded the government and Pakistani citizens who have condemned the attack, they hoped that the Pakistani government will prosecute those responsible for the attack on Malala, Shazia and Kainat.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2012.
From politicians to peace activists and celebrities, condemnation of the attack on 15-year-old girls’ education activist, Malala Yousafzai, and her friends Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz have been pouring in from all corners of the world.
Fifteen female US Senators wrote a letter to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, expressing outrage over the Taliban attack on the girls. The Senators called upon the government to bring the attackers to justice and continue working to confront extremism and violence against Pakistani children.
The Senators, led by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman, Senator Dianne Feinstein, said in the letter that an “attack against Malala represented an attack against all women across the world, and must not be tolerated.”
“We hope that the Government of Pakistan will continue to work to confront extremism and heinous violence against its own children. We urge you to ensure that the perpetrators of this violence are brought to justice quickly, and that you might also redouble your own efforts to safeguard and advance girls’ access to education and opportunities for them to reach their full potential as contributing and productive citizens,” the letter read.
The letter added that the world was horrified by the “brazen nature of the attack”, carried out by Taliban militants who targeted Malala for advocating education for girls and herself. The Senators said that while they applauded the government and Pakistani citizens who have condemned the attack, they hoped that the Pakistani government will prosecute those responsible for the attack on Malala, Shazia and Kainat.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2012.