OSLO, Norway — 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.
“I had two options,” Malala said. “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.”
She adjusted her coral pink headscarf and made no effort to hide her scars. She thanked her parents for unconditional love and then humbly suggested that she was not all that special — just a girl who fights with her brothers and 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 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 as Malala spoke and has volunteered to be her second father.
In his acceptance speech, Satyarthi referred to rapid globalization, high-speed Internet and international flights that connect people. “But there is one serious disconnect. It is a lack of compassion,” he said, urging the audience to “globalize compassion,” starting with children.
But in many ways, it was Malala’s moment. Even an asylum seeker from Mexico rushing on stage left her unperturbed.
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. She 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.
“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 said. “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.
But not everyone was thrilled. Some in Pakistan think Malala has become a tool of the West and question whether her shooting was staged or made up to make her a hero.
Naveed Ahsan, 25, a university student in Islamabad, said Malala was selected for the Nobel prize by those who wanted to use her to “create hate against the Taliban.”
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.
Malala 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.
“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.”
