News

April 12 , 2017

Pakistanis have beaten back dark forces of intolerance: Maleeha


UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres Monday designated Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai as a UN Messenger of Peace with special focus on girls’ education.

At 19, Malala is the youngest Messenger of Peace, the highest honour given by the United Nations. She was also the youngest person to win the Nobel peace prize in 2014 when she was 17. “You are not only a hero, but you are a very committed and generous person,” Guterres told Malala in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, which was packed to capacity with youth representatives from around the world.

Also present was Pakistan’s UN ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, who later hosted a largely attended reception in honour of Malala Yousafzai in a UN lounge. Accepting the accolade, Malala profusely thanked the UN chief for the honour.

“I’m getting this award, but I also want to represent Pakistan, my country, because I want people to know that this is me representing Pakistan, not extremists and terrorists - they are not Pakistanis, they are not us,” she said.

“It’s girls like me, who stand in that country who believe in education; it’s girls like me who are Muslim and are proud of their religion who stand for education, who believe in education”. All Muslim girls believe in education and believe in peace.

In his remarks, Secretary General Guterres also praised Pakistan’s generosity for hosting millions of Afghan refugees. “We live in a world where so many borders closed; so many doors are closed, but Pakistan has received millions refugees with open borders, open doors and hearts” open a symbol of generosity.

He hoped this spirit could serve as an example that “it is not by closing doors that we will all be able to move forward”.

Guterres told Malala, “you have been to the most difficult places” visited several refugee camps. Your foundation has schools in Lebanon, in the Beka’a Valley,” while noting that as a former physics professor he felt emotional facing the “most famous student of the world”.

“You are a symbol of perhaps the most important thing in the world, education for all,” he added.

UN Messengers of Peace are distinguished individuals, carefully selected from the fields of art, literature, science, entertainment, sports or other fields of public life, who have agreed to help focus worldwide attention on the work of the global Organisation.

Backed by the highest honour bestowed by the Secretary General on a global citizen, these prominent personalities volunteer their time, talent and passion to raise awareness of UN’s efforts to improve the lives of billions of people everywhere. Other current Messengers of Peace include actor Leonardo di Caprio, for climate change, actor Charlize Theron, whose focus is prevention of HIV and elimination of violence against women, and actor Michael Douglas, whose focus is disarmament.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi terming Malala, “an icon of courage and resistance”, said she ‘epitomises the courage and resilience’ of the people of Pakistan who have long defied the odds to overcome the challenges that have confronted the country.

She said this while addressing a huge gathering at UN headquarters, adding with the courage and resilience, the people of Pakistan have beaten back and prevailed over the dark forces of intolerance, which seek to impose their views through violence, said a press statement Tuesday from New York.

Welcoming Malala Yousafzai at a reception hosted by Pakistan’s Mission to the UN in her honour, she said, “just like Malala did, our people will always reject those who challenge the vision of Pakistan set out by our founding fathers: of a modern, tolerant and progressive Muslim country”. In her remarks, Malala made an impassioned plea for education in Pakistan and beyond. She called herself a ‘proud Pakistani’ and a ‘proud Muslim’ and said she was obliged to raise her voice against the misrepresentation and misperception of her country and her faith. She said Pakistan is now uniting against extremist forces and showing that people in Pakistan believe in peace and education, and girls in Pakistan believe in their right to go to school.

Diplomats and top UN officials were present on the occasion; Malala hoped that while representing their own countries they also speak out for human rights and for education which was a human right.

Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk


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