Malala Yousafzai gives a copy of her book "I am Malala", to Britain's Queen Elizabeth during a Reception for youth, education and the Commonwealth at Buckingham Palace in London October 18, 2013. PHOTO: REUTERS
The 16-year-old, who was shot by the Taliban for championing girls' rights to an education, met Queen Elizabeth at a reception for youth, education and the Commonwealth.
The activist survived being shot in the head on her school bus on October 9 last year and was sent for treatment to Britain where she now lives.
Malala, accompanied by her father, gave the queen a copy of her autobiography, "I Am Malala", telling her, "It is a great honour for me to be here, and I wanted to present you with this book."
Accepting the gift, the 87-year-old monarch replied, "That's very kind of you."
Malala told the queen, who is head of the Commonwealth, that she was passionate about every child around the world having a right to an education.
"Especially in this country as well," she added. "I have heard about many children that can't go to school, and I want to continue our work."
Prince Philip, 92, joked that in Britain, people wanted their children to go to school to get them out of the house - a comment that left Malala covering her face in a fit of giggles.
The reception, in the palace's White Drawing Room, was attended by 350 guests from academic institutions around the world.
After the attack last October, Malala was flown to Britain for specialist care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, named after the present monarch's late mother.
Malala has continued her education in the city while being feted in the West, addressing the United Nations and meeting US President Barack Obama although she was passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize last week.
At an event in Edinburgh on Saturday, Malala is set to be reunited with the two school friends who were injured alongside her.
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Malala, accompanied by her father, gave the queen a copy of her autobiography and she threw it in the trash....
@Pro Pak:
Stop comparing Edhi sahab with Malala, both have made humanity in general and Pakistan in particular proud.
Edhi sahab has been honored by the West with numerous humanitarian awards and audiences. The lack of Nobel Peace Prize for him has also been equally criticized in the West.
Humanitarian work is never a competition and comparisons like these are an insult to both Edhi sahab as well as Malala.
@Mohammad Rasool: Here is someone you might like to read about. She didn't have to receive a bullet in her temple like Malala because she belongs to a nation which egged her on to realize her dream. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/363808/she-flies-high-her-wings.html
Malala is an icon of Pakistan true as she conveysan is to the world that Pakistan is a stone age land where women have no rights whatsoever which is an insult to tens of millions of Pakistani women and girls working from fields gto high offices to flying fighter planes, studying in small corruption infested rural schools to highest degree PHD studies
real life Drama Queen ....
again what good would all this do for the education of children in pakistan? like i commented earlier, at the end of the day who patronizes us? our former rulers!! yet to hear an award announced for her by our govt!! if there was then not with such fanfare! and if not saudi arabia, then would any other islamic country think of inviting her?? to think of it, there is the famous al-azhar varsity!! (read between the lines)
@sensible: That's what I was thinking. :) Sensible question. :D
It is an extreme honour for Malala and Pakistan.Thanks the Royal Family. Malala will rise higher and higher. Her ill-wishers cannot stop her from gathering honours.
All those who understand the importance of Education and Knowledge are proud of what for Malala now symbolize
Malala is doing great things on a daily basis as a matter of routine and making Pakistan proud in the bargain ..... no wonder there is so much jealousy and hatred from these petty, small minded people who call her a western agent.
When she goes to school if she is attending all these events in weekdays when the school term is on?
” The name of her book should be “I am Drama not Malalh .Daily so many people are dying due to Blasts and Drown attacks. Why just our media is promoting her . y our media and people dont share the background life of other people. Where the remaining two girls who also sacrifice their life with her . Y we have forgotten her. Y everyone just appreciate . Its the conspiracy of american black water.
” The name of her book should be “I am Drama not Malalh .Daily so many people are dying due to Blasts and Drown attacks. Why just our media is promoting her . y our media and people dont share the background life of other people. Where the remaining two girls who also sacrifice their life with her . Y we have forgotten her?. Y everyone just appreciate? So many other people also working on education . its just the background of american black water .
She looks so confident.
Cyber-Taliban at it again;Killing a little girl with their verbal-bombardment
@Shamim: Everthing in an urbanite Pakistani's life is a Western Darama: - their food that is grown from their patented seeds, ferlilizer, pesticide and technology - their cloths that are based on Western fashions and wowen on their technology - their home appliances, computers, phones and electricity - their trains, cars, trucks, moterbikes and every transport medium they like to use - the medicines and health technology from Asprin to antibiotics to x-ray and MRI ...... And list goes on and on
What is your own my friend other than hypocricy and corruption?
Malala is too big for you.
It takes the worst ( religious extremist criminals ) of Pakistan to produce the best ( Malala ) of Pakistan.............and we should be proud of her.
She is a small wonder. How can anyone detest her. Whole world cannot stage a drama starring Malala, not even a democratic country can afford to risk a child's life, for the sake of no immediate gains.
Watching the wunderkind Malala with the honourable Queen, I try to recall the day as I sat on the shoulders of our driver to cheer the Queen as she passed through Mall road, Lahore in 1961.
Malala is looking very graceful wrapped in red chadar.
@Shamim: Western intersts is not Malala but education and development all over the world.Malala is a symbol of Courage to continue education and not give up under threats. It may be news to you but the Fact is western leaders are more concerned about education and development in poor countries than the leaders of those countries themselves.
God bless you Malala, our beloved "First" Daughter of Pakistan and of all its people. Just on your own you have gained immense goodwill and recognition all over the world for the majority of peace loving people who inhabit our beloved Country, those who eschew violence, respect people of all religions, cherish fellow citizens who belong to other faiths as our own brothers and sisters, and aspire to live in friendship, brotherhood and equality with all other countries of the world, including India and Afghanistan. The minority of fanatics, fascists, religious bigots, cold blooded murderers like the TTP, and their abettors and sympathizers amongst Pakistan's presently "(s)elected" leaders and political parties who temporarily hold the country in their grip will, in a matter of years, be forgotten and thrown into the dust-bin of history. However your name, example and efforts for furthering education ....that most noble of human pursuits... will always be remembered, and will encourage and inspire future generations of Pakistanis, as well as pluralistic and freedom loving people all over the world.
Who is paying for these trips?
@Shamim, Is there any evidence, argument or acknowledgement for that? or is it because Orya maqbool jan said it.
when do she study?
malala is great!
She is sign of Change, empowerment, encouragement and will.....Take it as positive sign for all those societies where, majority are actually minority and minority rule as majority.....
Waiting for the announcement of 'Malala being immortalized in Wax at Madame Tussauds' ... Duh!
@Asad Khan:
Let me try again with ET moderates if they accept my post.She is the 21st century world ICON and is currently sought after by the Monarchs and the Presidents, the political elites and the bourgeoisies and looked upby the proleteriats. She is proud fo her country and her faith.
Rex Minor
Keep it up Malala. You made us all proud.
@Unkown: It's not just the media Malala love affair, but the world Malala love affair. The media is just reflecting our setiments. And why not? The way this wonderful Pakistani girl has conducted herself, she has brought pride and joy to us. She hasn't even said anything negative about the fools who shot her. So mature.
Malala is singlehandedly doing what our Foreign Office unable do over the years i.e winning friendship of common people in the west
A great advocate of women's rights meeting another women who leads a kingdom yet still surprisingly the women who gave birth to her has always been absent from the camera and press conferences, I wonder why is that, why can't Malala and her mother have met the Queen why is always Malala and her dad when her biggest mission is equal rights for women, I term it as borderline hypocrisy.
Who would have thought that the world ICON of the 21st century will emerge from the land of the Pashtuns.in Pakistan. No one other than Malala could have proudly represented Pakistan in times when Pakistan leadership is weak and not able to stand up to its enemies!!! Pakistan youth generation are the assets of the country and the Government must prioritise educational reforms to bring its niversities to the international standard.
Rex Minor
@ Shamim. I don't understand your comment. There is nothing that I have seen in Malala's message that talks about East, or West. Her message is simply of children's and girl's right to education. She even talked about children's education in the UK. And education is education, knowledge is universal, it is not the domain of the West. It is physics, chemistry, geology, math, literature, social studies, and so on - so where do you see the interest of the West here?
I wrote in one of my previous comments on ET on Malala that she is the Queen of Pakistan.
Western Interest = Malala
And the media Malala love affair still continues.......