Nobel Peace
Prize winners Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan, center left,
and Kailash
Satyarthi of India arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize
award ceremony in
Oslo, Norway, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014.
The Nobel Peace Prize is being shared between Malala Yousafzai,
the 17-year-old Taliban attack survivor, and the youngest Nobel Prize winner ever, and Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi
in a ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday.
The Nobel Peace Prize is being shared between Malala Yousafzai,
the 17-year-old Taliban attack survivor, and the youngest Nobel Prize winner ever, and Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi
in a ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday.
(AP Photo/Cornelius Poppe, Scanpix)
Congratulations to Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai, a bright light in our world. She is the youngest person to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
Now, everybody knows: She is Malala.
Shot in the head by the Taliban two years ago for speaking out on education, 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai on Wednesday beamed as she received the Nobel Peace Prize and taught a lesson in courage.
"I had two options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed. I chose the second one. I decided to speak up," Malala said.
And with that, Malala proved that teenagers could tell the elders a thing or two. Anyone who hadn't read her memoir, "I am Malala," was about to get an education.
She adjusted her coral pink headscarf and made no effort to hide any scars that might remain from the attack. She thanked her parents for unconditional love and then humbly suggested that she was somehow not all that special — just a girl who fights with her brothers who wanted to learn above all else.
"As far as I know, I am just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women having equal rights and who wants peace in every corner of the world," she said.
"Education is one of the blessings of life, and one of its necessities."
Malala shared the prize with Kailash Satyarthi of India. Both have campaigned for the rights of children and young people, particularly education.
The two laureates bonded immediately. They share a hard-won understanding among those activists who have suffered much, but there is also warmth and commitment to the future. Satyarthi looked on approvingly as she spoke, and has volunteered to be her second father.
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She has used her time in the spotlight to offer hope that her prize will inspire young girls all over the world to fight for their rights — and to step forward to lead.
In an interview with The Associated Press, she played on the theme of a global sisterhood of sorts, with women gathering the strength to fight for education, the key to a future.
Malala herself often has expressed her wish to lead — setting sights on one day becoming Pakistani prime minister and following in the steps of the late Benazir Bhutto.
And it was in talking about Pakistan that she melted — if but a bit. It was as if all the excitement about the Nobels, all the interviews, all the banquets — all of it — just faded for a moment as she described her pride in being Pakistani and what the award would mean for people back home.
"There was a time this region of the world was called a terrorist place, and many people get scared of it. No one even tried to say the name of this country," she told the AP. "So I am really proud to tell people that the people of Pakistan are peaceful, they have harmony, they love each other, they believe in brotherhood.
"But there are some extremist-minded people who misuse the name of Islam and who give a bad name of our country," she said. "But that's not true. Many people are standing up for children's rights, woman's rights and for human rights."
In her hometown of Mingora, Pakistan, roughly 200 people gathered at the Khpal Kore Model High School in the Swat Valley where a large screen had been set up to show the ceremony.
"We feel honored today," said 17-year-old Naveed Ali, who was delighted to see a fellow student and hometown girl win such a big prize.
But not everyone was thrilled. Some in Pakistan feel she has become a tool of the West and question whether her shooting was staged or made up to make her a hero.
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The persistence of such divisions make Malala's example that much more potent.
Sarah Cardey, a lecturer in international development at the University of Reading in Britain, said Malala stands for the indomitable courage of the human spirit.
"Her quiet example will achieve more than 1,000 drone strikes in efforts to defeat the Taliban," she said.
Malala herself left a memento behind in Oslo to show she hasn't forgotten how she got there: the bloodied school uniform she was wearing the day she was shot. It will form part of the Nobel Peace Center exhibition opening Thursday.
It's a stark reminder of how the world came to know Malala, of the time a Taliban gunman climbed into the back of a small pick-up truck used to transport Swat Valley children home from school.
"Who is Malala?" he shouted.
She attempts to answer that in her book, written with British journalist Christina Lamb. She understands she's known as the girl shot by the Taliban, the girl who survived. But she's other things too.
And she is just 17.
"I'm pretty certain I'm also the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who still fights with her younger brothers," she said as her family burst into grins. "I want there to be peace everywhere, but my brothers and I are still working on that."
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And as Oprah likes to do, I too wondered, what ever happened to the men and boys responsible for the attack. Here's what I found:
Men involved in Malala Yousafzai shooting arrested in Pakistan
A gang of 10 Taliban fighters who tried to kill the teenage education activist Malala Yousafzai two years ago have been arrested, the Pakistan army claimed on Friday.
The military said a top commander of the Pakistani Taliban had told the men to kill the schoolgirl and 22 high-profile figures in Swat, the picturesque region where Yousafzai lived before being shot in the head by a gunman in October 2012, when she was 15.
The attack on a girl who had risen to prominence after campaigning against the efforts of the Taliban to violently stop girls attending school drew global condemnation. Despite serious head injuries Malala survived thanks to emergency care at Pakistani army facilities and subsequent surgery and rehabilitation at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
"The entire gang involved in the murder attempt … has been busted," said army spokesman General Asim Bajwa.
The army said 10 members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), led by a local furniture shop owner called Zafar Iqbal, had been told to kill Malala and other "significant members" of the local community, including members of an anti-Taliban "peace committee".
The killing spree was ordered by Mullah Fazlullah, who became the overall leader of the TTP last year after his predecessor was killed by a US drone strike.
Nicknamed "Mullah Radio" for his fiery broadcasts at the time, Fazlullah was credited with spearheading the Taliban takeover of Swat in 2007-8. The valley, just a few hours drive from the capital Islamabad, was only reclaimed after a major military operation was launched in 2009.
On Friday the army said the initial arrest of a suspect called Israr ur Rehman revealed information that led to the capture of the other men in a series of intelligence led operations.
The full network was apprehended more than six months ago, an intelligence official said, although the news was kept under wraps for operational reasons.
He said the men had provided useful information for ongoing campaign launched in June against the TTP and other groups based in North Waziristan, a militant sanctuary bordering Afghanistan.
"These men received their orders from Fazlullah so of course they had ties to the militant hideouts in North Waziristan," the official said.
Commenting on the arrests, Malala's father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, said: "This is good news for our family and most importantly, for the people of Pakistan and the civilised world.
"This first step of apprehending Malala's attackers signifies the beginning of real hope for the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been affected by terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Swat and the whole country.
"We greatly appreciate the efforts of the security forces and police in bringing these men to justice and fighting for the re-establishment of peace.
"This is the beginning of the real restoration of the writ of the government, where the rule of law and justice prevails for all."
It was not clear whether the arrested men had been charged since their arrest and what legal basis they had been held.
Under the controversial Pakistan Protection Ordinance, recently introduced as a terrorism fighting measure, suspects can be held without charge for up to 90 days.
"Soon they will be brought in front of law and booked according to the law of the land," the official said.
Shortly after the announcement, a former TTP spokesman issued a statement sayingsaid the army's claims were based on "thoughts and fantasies".
Ehsan Ehsanullah, who has since joined a Taliban splinter group, said the initiative to kill Yousafzai had been taken by junior fighters and that the leadership was only informed later. In Swat the news that Yousafzai's alleged attackers had been arrested was welcomed, although many people say the army has still not fully removed the Taliban threat from an area once regarded as a tourist destination.
"I do not trust the army claims of the arrest of those who attacked Malala," said an academic in Swat who did not want to be named because of his anti-Taliban views. "The army always used to claim that they were just about to arrest Fazlullah, but now he is living safely in Afghanistan."
The young girl has made a remarkable recovery since a gunmen leaned into the back of a converted van she was sitting in to ask which of the girls waiting to be driven home after school was Malala. The schoolgirl had first defied militants by writing an anonymous BBC blog about life under the Taliban.
Two of her classmates, Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz, were also injured in the attack.
Despite world-wide admiration for a teenage girl who subsequently wrote a book, won the European Union's human rights award and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, many of her fellow Pakistanis are deeply suspicious of the global interest in her story.
Conspiracy theories abound, including that the entire incident was concocted by foreign spies to defame the TTP, even though the banned group enthusiastically took credit for the attack and threatened Pakistani journalists who criticized them for it.
The military said a top commander of the Pakistani Taliban had told the men to kill the schoolgirl and 22 high-profile figures in Swat, the picturesque region where Yousafzai lived before being shot in the head by a gunman in October 2012, when she was 15.
The attack on a girl who had risen to prominence after campaigning against the efforts of the Taliban to violently stop girls attending school drew global condemnation. Despite serious head injuries Malala survived thanks to emergency care at Pakistani army facilities and subsequent surgery and rehabilitation at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
"The entire gang involved in the murder attempt … has been busted," said army spokesman General Asim Bajwa.
The army said 10 members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), led by a local furniture shop owner called Zafar Iqbal, had been told to kill Malala and other "significant members" of the local community, including members of an anti-Taliban "peace committee".
The killing spree was ordered by Mullah Fazlullah, who became the overall leader of the TTP last year after his predecessor was killed by a US drone strike.
Nicknamed "Mullah Radio" for his fiery broadcasts at the time, Fazlullah was credited with spearheading the Taliban takeover of Swat in 2007-8. The valley, just a few hours drive from the capital Islamabad, was only reclaimed after a major military operation was launched in 2009.
On Friday the army said the initial arrest of a suspect called Israr ur Rehman revealed information that led to the capture of the other men in a series of intelligence led operations.
The full network was apprehended more than six months ago, an intelligence official said, although the news was kept under wraps for operational reasons.
He said the men had provided useful information for ongoing campaign launched in June against the TTP and other groups based in North Waziristan, a militant sanctuary bordering Afghanistan.
"These men received their orders from Fazlullah so of course they had ties to the militant hideouts in North Waziristan," the official said.
Commenting on the arrests, Malala's father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, said: "This is good news for our family and most importantly, for the people of Pakistan and the civilised world.
"This first step of apprehending Malala's attackers signifies the beginning of real hope for the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been affected by terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Swat and the whole country.
"We greatly appreciate the efforts of the security forces and police in bringing these men to justice and fighting for the re-establishment of peace.
"This is the beginning of the real restoration of the writ of the government, where the rule of law and justice prevails for all."
It was not clear whether the arrested men had been charged since their arrest and what legal basis they had been held.
Under the controversial Pakistan Protection Ordinance, recently introduced as a terrorism fighting measure, suspects can be held without charge for up to 90 days.
"Soon they will be brought in front of law and booked according to the law of the land," the official said.
Shortly after the announcement, a former TTP spokesman issued a statement sayingsaid the army's claims were based on "thoughts and fantasies".
Ehsan Ehsanullah, who has since joined a Taliban splinter group, said the initiative to kill Yousafzai had been taken by junior fighters and that the leadership was only informed later. In Swat the news that Yousafzai's alleged attackers had been arrested was welcomed, although many people say the army has still not fully removed the Taliban threat from an area once regarded as a tourist destination.
"I do not trust the army claims of the arrest of those who attacked Malala," said an academic in Swat who did not want to be named because of his anti-Taliban views. "The army always used to claim that they were just about to arrest Fazlullah, but now he is living safely in Afghanistan."
The young girl has made a remarkable recovery since a gunmen leaned into the back of a converted van she was sitting in to ask which of the girls waiting to be driven home after school was Malala. The schoolgirl had first defied militants by writing an anonymous BBC blog about life under the Taliban.
Two of her classmates, Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz, were also injured in the attack.
Despite world-wide admiration for a teenage girl who subsequently wrote a book, won the European Union's human rights award and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, many of her fellow Pakistanis are deeply suspicious of the global interest in her story.
Conspiracy theories abound, including that the entire incident was concocted by foreign spies to defame the TTP, even though the banned group enthusiastically took credit for the attack and threatened Pakistani journalists who criticized them for it.
Pakistan official: Boys involved in Malala attack
Tue October 30, 2012
On October 9, Malala
Yousufzai was on her school van in the Taliban-held Swat Valley when
armed thugs stopped the vehicle and jumped on board. They demanded that
other girls riding identify 15-year-old Malala. Then they shot two girls
and fired at Malala, striking her in the head and neck.
At the time, Malala was
well-known in Pakistan, and her profile was growing internationally. She
had been campaigning since she was 11, encouraging her fellow
Pakistanis to stand up to the Taliban who were trying to push girls from
classrooms.
Pakistani authorities
believe that one of the boys distracted the van driver, while the other
asked someone to point out Malala, Pakistan's interior minister told
CNN.
Photos: Supporters rally behind Malala
UK politicians meet Malala's family
Minister: Malala is 'pride of Pakistan'
Malala's story
The history of the Pakistani Taliban
"Obviously they had done
their homework," Rehman Malik said. "They had seen the vehicle of Malala
going up and down, and accordingly they acted on that."
On Monday, police told CNN they were searching for two boys and a man they say drove the youths to the van.
Malik identified the adult suspect as Attah Ullah Khan, 23, but he did not name the boys.
Police said last week that they had arrested six men in connection with the shooting but were searching for Khan.
Khan is a masters' chemistry student, police said.
A 'miracle for us'
Malala is recovering in
Great Britain, where a team of international doctors are caring for her.
She's made some progress, but her caregivers have said she has a long,
hard road ahead.
Her father, Ziauddin Yousufzai, has described her survival as a "miracle for us."
Malik, the Pakistani
interior minister, visited Malala's hospital in Birmingham, England, on
Monday. He later met with foreign ministers from Britain and the United
Arab Emirates. The UAE provided the air ambulance that flew Malala from
Pakistan, where she was treated in the initial days after the attack, to
the United Kingdom.
"The people of the UAE
were appalled by what happened to Malala, which is why we helped to
bring her for medical care in the UK," Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah
Bin Zayed said, adding the emirates believe girls should be educated.
Malala is in "our prayers," he said, according to a release from British
Foreign Secretary William Hague.
Hague said he personally thanked the team of doctors helping Malala.
Hague said officials are "determined to do all we can to champion education for women and girls in Pakistan."
In his interview with CNN, Malik was asked about the progress of the investigation.
He replied by saying, "Within 24 hours we were in a position to identify almost everybody."
He said Pakistan should not involve the military in finding Malala's attackers.
"A military solution is not the solution," he said.
'Pride of Pakistan'
When Malala was 11, she worked with the BBC and published a blog in 2009 detailing her struggles to attend school in Swat.
In January of that year, the Taliban issued an edict ordering that no school should educate girls.
As Malala breathed on a
ventilator and the world grew increasingly outraged about her shooting,
thousands in Pakistan rallied. Many were aghast that the Taliban would
attack a teenage girl.
The Taliban issued a statement online saying that if Malala lived, they'd come after her again.
In his interview with CNN, Malik called the teenager "the pride of Pakistan."
He said that the country "would love her to come back."
If Malala were to return to Pakistan, guards would protect her family, with a female contingent surrounding Malala.
The government would pay to provide the service, he said.
Malik told CNN that he knew Malala is doing well in the hospital because she has asked for her schoolbooks so she can study.
He said that if she comes back to Pakistan, they'll find her old books and give them to her.
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