Malala Yousafzai. PHOTO: FILE
Teenage education activist Malala Yousafzai has been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
This year’s award will be announced in early October, but speculation was already underway as the deadline for nominations ran out on February 1. Apart from the teenage icon, some Eastern-bloc activists are also nominated.
“A prize to Malala would not only be timely and fitting with a line of awards to champions of human rights and democracy, but also ... would set both children and education on the peace and conflict agenda,” said the head of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, Kristian Berg Harpviken. Others known to have been nominated are human rights activists whose names have been mentioned in previous years, including Belarussian human rights activist Ales Belyatski -- currently behind bars -- and Russia’s Lyudmila Alexeyeva.
Trying to predict who will win the Nobel Peace Prize is a difficult task, complicated by the fact that the list of nominees each year is kept secret for 50 years.
But thousands of people are eligible to nominate candidates — including former laureates, members of parliament and government around the world, some university professors, and members of certain international organisations -- and they are allowed to reveal the names they have put forward.
As a result, it is known that French, Canadian and Norwegian parliament members have all separately nominated Malala.
Beliatsky’s and Alexeyeva’s names have meanwhile been put forward by two Norwegian lawmakers.
“They have both defied authoritarian state structures and the illegal and illegitimate abuse of power,” one of the two MPs, Jan Tore Sanner, said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (32)
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It is more of a give away really. Not undermining all that she has been through, but we are talking about NOBEL PRIZE please. Edhi, is a good choice for me. Anyone for Asma Jahangir ????????
I would love to see Edhi given 'noble prize'. He has devoted his entire life for disadvantaged people. Give to Edhi or the noble prize would be no more than a laughing bag to me.
@KULWANT SINGH: @B. Musashi: @karma: In fact Malala's issue has been exaggerated in Pakistan on the US' officials' commandments whereas many girls in Pakistan most especially importantly of tribal areas want to be educated but they are not allowed just due to the stereotypical customs and traditions.What about them?And you are promoting the exaggerated Malala's issue and nothing more.....
@Clear Black Bag: Brother try to understand the difference between what the Armed forces are doing and what the little girl done.It is the duty nof Armed forces to fight the enemy of the Nation they are trained for the same they are having sophisticated weapons but this little child is brave there was no security for her she was not having any arms for her safty she not being paid for it.
All respect to Abdul Sattar Edhi. He is only catering for Pakistanis specifically. Pakistan specific work does not make him nobel worthy. He must have a global impact. Malala's cause for girl's education has struck chord globally and hence her nomination is understandable. Regarding Abdul Sattar Edhi, I am not convinced. There are hundreds of charity organizations in the world ... some of whom are operating on a much much larger scale than Edhi foundation. These aid organizations have global reach. If the government really wants Edhi to get a nobel prize, it has to "sell" his image world wide, and after selling his name, must file an application for the nobel prize committee to review !!!!!!!!! After all, its an award and you (or someone) must file an application to get this award.
@Clear Black Bag: she has been a voice for girls to have an education and for girls to be treated equally. She has been promoting education, speaking against the taliban. She deserves it - the nobel prize even if she had not been shot.
@karma: You are makin it sound like everyone in Pakisan supports Taliban. Wich is not true. This is a victory for every pakistani who disagrees with the taliban socalled islam.
@ManofSteel! Malala is not Pakistani; she is now in UK. Pakistani killed Malala. So the award goes to yet another UK citizen !
Good bye forever Express Tribune..Don't you have any news except Malala??
@Clear Black Bag: If you had to ask that, you wouldn't understand even if one explained it for hours! It is to the credit of international community that they notice what she has done in an vicious environment is extraordinary.
"@Haji:She challenged Taliban atrocities,, a daring act which no body could have done,, could you visit Nishat Chowk ( Khooni Chowk) Mingora before Apr 2009,, I am sure not,, It requires guts. @Hassan:The truth is that Malala has done more for our society more that you or me, so instead of hating her, please let’s support her in a time when there are few Pakistanis worthy of our support." Suppose I accept your these stances/standpoints true that Malala has done a lot for our society and challenged Taliban then please first give the Noble Peace Prize to the Pakistan's army's troops who have been fighting on the constructed check posts against Taliban from a long time on Afghan border and within in tribal areas of Pakistan because they are the most deserving people for Nobel Peace Prize than Malala because Malala only raised her voice against Taliban but our Pakistan army's troops have been fighting practically since 2008 against Taliban and many of them have been martyred and the martyrs have to be given Nishan-e-Haider if on raising only voice against Taliban Malala deserves Nobel Peace Prize.In fact Malala's issue has been exaggerated on the commandments of USA because now-a-days Taliban are the biggest enemies of USA and USA is fulfilling the financial requirements of Pakistani civil and military leadership because our all foreign policies most especially importantly regarding Taliban,Iran and China are being monitored,observed and controlled by the US' officials.
If the comments here are anything to go by (and disturbingly, ET's readership represents the supposed liberal, educated class of our society) Pakistan as a society deserves every calamity and trouble that falls upon us. Instead of appreciating a girl who dearly paid the price for speaking out for education against subhuman barbarians, we try to find excuses not to support this achievement of hers.
Sure, there may be other deserving people who don't grab the headlines as much (my personal vote for a Nobel prize nomination from Pakistan would be for Abdul Sattar Edhi), and even if you don't think that this award has a lot of credibility, it still matters to a little girl who barely escaped death just for expressing herself, so have some decency and at least give her some support - but then it's not surprising considering how we treat our only other Nobel peace prize winner because he doesn't belong to the 'right' sect. Ashames me to be a part of this society, really.
prize for what ?
what ever at background but it make us to be proude pakistani ,and specily swat yousfzaies that our daughter is nomunated for noble prise and it mean she have realy did a grate job for which all over the word honur her for such best awards we love u malala and we are proudly says u r our daughter
@Haji: You are right. when Taliban were ruling Swat she had the courage to stand in that "Khooni Chowk" before TV cameras and to demand that she wanted her education institutions to continue. Although she is a little girl but still these preachers of darkness are scared of her and they proudly claimed that they had attempted to kill her and would also repeat the same act in future. She is the progressive face of Pashtun society and we are proud of her.
All of you are big haters. Next you take a bullet anywhere on your body and people call you an actor, tell me how you feel. I don't care what conspiracy theories might or might not be true, Malala can't be blamed for anything. The fact is Malala was trying to promote education and took a bullet for that. She did take a bullet (they took her to UK and many people visited her over there so you can't call it fake, unless you're living in a world where only you are the only smart guy and the other people are all controlled by the [Zionist] media).
You talk about Edhi? Yes, he deserves an award more than Malala. But if he didn't get it so Malala shouldn't get it either? What kind of logic is that?
And those of you constantly saying that Malala is overrated, haven't you guys ever heard of sensationalism? The media overrates her, so what's HER fault? Does that make her contributions to society less significant?
The truth is that Malala has done more for our society more that you or me, so instead of hating her, please let's support her in a time when there are few Pakistanis worthy of our support.
She deserves it. Simply! The reasons are very obvious.
If Obama and EU can get Nobel peace prize what is the problem with Malala getting it. She represent all the brave and determined young women in land of pure who are struggling against discrimination, ignorance, and stone age mentality. (i.e. taliban and their supporters and sympathisers)
@Munna:
Nobel price is given to the individual not a country. If Malala wins it is she and her family who should be proud.
It appears the only contribution Pakistan made is to allow her to get shot, and her town to be overrun by extremists. The world took note of how a girl, inspite of cowardliness of most of the nation stood up for cause of her freedom & rights that were being ceded by govt. of Pakistan to terrorits.
If Pakistan claimed credit for Malala getting Nobel, then it'd be like China claiming credit for it's dissidents getting Nobel!!
@Amir: You ask: "Nobel Prize for what?" When people don't have heroes, they invent them.
No matter what shes done or what she hasent done if she wins it will be a major achivement for Pakistan. If Pakistan avoids big scandals(like gangrape) in international papers i think Pakistan will win:) Did i mention theres a 16 crore prize award up for grabs? You better get her back to Pakistan :)
This prize has lost relevance long time ago.
This Malala drama is getting on my nerves, its been running too long
Ohh come'on.... Nobel prize was Like a real 'Honor' in every literal sense..... dont make it a give away..... I have my full sympathies with malala and her family..... but princes, u are not that big of a hero please, there are kids and girls like u facing much more intense attrocities, nobody speaks out for them. For me, u have been chosen, built n hyped for some un-known greater gains.....
Rightists have not digested lonely nobel laureat,Salam,another one will be a fatal blow on them.Opposition to the nobel prise for Mlala will suggest that commitee has made a right decision.Great appriciation. Thank you world community and shame on conspiracy theorists.
And what about Abdur Sattar Edhi or Ansar Barney and many many more who are doing much more for years and years. Just goes to show the criteria by which Nobel is judged by. It's media hype. Sad what happened to the littl girl but Nobel prize, ther are other much deserving winners
Not to take the struggle that Malala had undergone, but Nobel Priize for what?????
We have so many noble people who deserve to be nominated, especially people like Eidi. What is our priority?
@Clear Black Bag: Correction:Who would like to explain but I wrote mistakenly who would lie.Please take my word "lie" incorrect and correct word is "like"......
If obama can get nobel prize for peace for his continuation of wars in iraq and afghanistan (not closing down Guantanamo Bay too); then why can't Malala!! Pakistan deserves an award Not sure if they'll ever appreciate our army efforts in wot, so let it be through Malala!
Nomination for Nobel prize itself is a great honor.
Who would lie to explain truly,exactly,completely,honestly and sincerely this that what Malala has done for which she is going to be nominated for Nobel Peace Prize????