Angelina Jolie, UNESCO Salute Malala’s Courage

UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie has praised the bravery of Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani girl injured in an assassination attempt on her way home from school earlier this month.

AsianScientist (Oct. 29, 2012) – Hollywood movie star Angelina Jolie and UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova have praised the bravery of Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani girl injured in an assassination attempt on her way home from school earlier this month.

In a piece entitled “We All Are Malala” published in The Daily Beast, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie suggested that the wounded girl – who has since became a symbol of the struggle in favor of the right to education – should be considered for a Nobel Peace Prize.

On October 9 this month, Yousafzai was shot in the head as she traveled home from school in a bus in Swat, in north-eastern Pakistan.

According to media reports, the Taleban have claimed responsibility for the attack during which two other schoolgirls were injured. Yousafzai was transferred to a British hospital on October 15 for prolonged medical treatment.

Yousafzai attracted public attention in 2009 when she published a blog telling of her life in Swat when the Taleban gained control of much of the region. She then became an activist campaigning for the rights of children and girls.

At a tribute for Malala organized by UNESCO’s Executive Board, the Director-General condemned the attack on a school bus in Swat in north-west Pakistan, which left three girls injured including Yousafzai.

“Whenever and wherever a young girl is forbidden from going to school, it’s an attack against all girls, against the right to learn, the right to live life to the full; and it is unacceptable,” said Bokova.

“In April, in Afghanistan, more than 100 high school students from the Takhar province were poisoned by fanatics hostile to girls’ education. Malala is the symbol of all of these young girls. We stand by them all and salute their courage. We support their struggle for the basic right of each individual to an education, in Pakistan and elsewhere.”

Yousafzai is now able to walk with assistance and breathe on her own, said her father at a news conference held last week. She is expected to undertake further skull reconstruction surgery, said Dr. Dave Rosser, the medical director at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham where she is receiving intensive care.

——

Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

Related Stories from Asian Scientist