Brussels, 10/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 10 October, the European Parliament's conference of presidents unanimously designated young Pakistani student Malala Yousafzai as the winner of the Sakharov Prize 2013. Malala has been fighting for the right to education for girls since she was age 11. In October 2012, she was seriously injured in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by the Taliban.
“I'm proud of the decision” made by the conference, said European Parliament President Martin Schulz, who highlighted “Malala's courage in standing up to a hostile environment dominated by men”. He described her as a fabulous personality of the 21st Century. “Malala is an inspiration to every man, woman and child,” said the president of the ALDE group at the Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt. “Malala is an inspirational and incredibly brave young lady who deserves this prize for her resolve and stoicism in the face of danger”, said Charles Tannock (ECR, UK).
The leader of the EPP Group, Joseph Daul (France) said: “We decided to let the world know that our hope for a better future stands in young people like Malala Yousafzai”. “While we take it for granted, she took a bullet for defending it (…) She is an icon of courage for all teenagers who dare to pursue their aspirations”, he added. In the fight for equality and education, “individuals like Malala are incredibly important. The Sakharov Prize symbolises our appreciation of her efforts and should be a reminder to all of us that equality and the right to education cannot be taken for granted”, said the leader of the S&D Group at the Parliament, Hannes Swoboda (Austria). The leader of the GUE/NGL Group, Gabi Zimmer (Germany), underlined Malala's “courage and her determination to improve the life of girls and women in the country where she was born and in the world”.
The MEPS also hoped Malala would win the Nobel Peace Prize, the winner of which will be announced on 11 October.
The Sakharov Prize will officially be awarded to Malala at the European Parliament's plenary session on 20 November. The other finalists were Ales Bialiatski, Eduard Lobau and Mykola Stakevich from Belarus, representing political prisoners, and US whistleblower Edward Snowden. (CG/transl.fl)