Winning hearts, not awards: ‘Malala herself is a Nobel Prize for us’

People close to the teenage icon were confident of her win, but despite the final snub they are not disappointed.

MINGORA:

When Malala Yousafzai didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, thousands of crest-fallen Pakistanis joined a nationwide debate that questioned the snub at Oslo. But those close to her believe that both Malala and her noble cause are far above any award.

“Malala herself is a Nobel Prize for us. Today, she can read, write and talk for girls’ education in the entire world after the shooting, and we couldn’t be prouder,” Mahmoodul Hassan, Malala’s cousin, told The Express Tribune. “We are thankful to Allah for her and what she has achieved.”

Although a majority of people in Mingora believed her win was inevitable, they were not disappointed when she did not. “Even if she did not receive the Nobel Prize, her nomination was a great honour not only for her but for the Swat Valley and the entire Pakhtun belt,” said Mohammad Amjad, one of her teachers.

According to former students of Khushal School, who were seniors of Malala, the brave teenage girl raised her voice globally for education and if she did not win the Nobel Prize, it does not mark the end of her cause. “It does not mean that her mission has stopped. Her efforts will go on and we hope she will get it next time,” said Neelum Chattan, a women’s rights worker and former student at the school.



Until Friday morning, all the students of Khushal School were fully confident that she would win the prize. “All the girls were sure that Malala would be awarded the Nobel Prize and they wanted to hold a celebration at the school,” said Iqbal Hussain, the school administrator.

“We don’t feel bad because her aim was not getting awards and prizes,” her friend Uzma Ali proudly said.

“If she had won the Nobel Prize, it would definitely be the victory of peace and the defeat of militants – those who abhor female education. But we are hopeful that she will continue her fight for girls’ education and women rights in the marginalised communities across the country,” said Miss Nargis, one of  her teachers. Civil society members and literary persons also praised Malala’s efforts and said that she is still very young and they expect that she would achieve the Nobel Prize in future.



“The small girl who has done a very big deed deserves higher accolades than the Noble Prize and that is her success,” Rahima Naz, a poet and writer from district Chitral, said sanguinely. “She has a long journey in front of her and we are sure that she will get her reward soon when all the girls in the world will be literate.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2013.