Teen Malala’s Nobel prize sparks pride in Pakistani bishop

Last updated on: October 10, 2014 at 11:04 pm by CNA Daily News

Teen Malala’s Nobel prize sparks pride in Pakistani bishop 2014-10-10T23:04:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Oct 10, 2014 / 05:04 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Malala Yousafzai has received the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17 – making her the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious award and prompting local Archbishop Joseph Coutts to laud the “great honor” she's bestowed on the country.

The Pakistani teenager gained global attention when she was shot in the head by Taliban activists in 2012, at the age of 14, as a punishment for her public campaign for the rights of girls to be educated.

She received treatment for her injuries in the United Kingdom, where she continues to reside with her family. Yousafzai has continued to campaign for global access to education.

“This award is for all those children who are voiceless, whose voices need to be heard,” Yousafzai told the press on Oct. 10 following her reception of the reward. “They have the right to receive quality education. They have the right not to suffer from child labor, not to suffer from child trafficking. They have the right to live a happy life.”

“Through my story, I want to tell other children all around the world that they should stand up for their rights, that they should not wait for someone else, and their voices are more powerful.”

She also said she was “honored” to share the reward with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian activist known know for his work in promoting children's rights.

The announcement of Yousafzai's reception of the award also came as “wonderful surprise” to Archbishop Coutts, who serves as shepherd of Karachi, Pakistan.

“The fact that a young girl like this,” he told CNA, “a teenager, has won the prize, such a prestigious international award, is a source of great pride for us, and for the country as a whole. A great honor.”

Because the international community often associates Pakistan with terrorism, he said, this award “just shows that there's the other side to a country as well, that there are people like this little girl Malala who stand up to a lot of negative things that are happening.”

“It is really something wonderful that has happened,” he said.

Speaking about the significance of Yousafzai sharing the Nobel Peace Prize with Satyarthi, he said: “I think the connection there is: here is this child in Pakistan . . . who stands up so bravely for the education of women which was being threatened by a certain extremist group called the Taliban. Then the other side of the country is a senior person, a man who has been also working to save children.”

Child labor and abuse are issues common to both India and Pakistan, he said.

“Both of (the recipients), in their own way, have been working to protect children and to work for the development of children,” he said.

Established in 1901, the Nobel Prize is an international award given by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm Sweden.

It is awarded yearly for achievements in peace, as well as in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature.

Pope Francis was also nominated for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. Had he won, he would have been the first pontiff in history to receive the award.

Vatican

Previous Post

October 10, 2014

Waiting for the decisive second half of the Synod on the Family

Next Post

October 11, 2014 Can death be beautiful? A response to Brittany Maynard

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book of the Bible has the longest chapter?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Isaiah Genesis Psalms Jeremiah