Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has been honored with a portrait at Oxford University’s Lady Margaret Hall alongside that of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
A special ceremony was held at Lady Margaret Hall to mark the installation of Malala’s portrait, which was attended by a large number of education experts.
On the occasion, the Nobel laureate renewed her strong call for international pressure on the Taliban over their treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan.
She said the Taliban are oppressing half of their population, depriving girls and women of their fundamental rights. Malala stressed that all countries must act on the basis of human rights, adding that Muslim countries, in particular, have a responsibility to condemn the Taliban’s un-Islamic actions.
Malala further said that the Taliban need to better understand their religion, as seeking knowledge is an integral part of Islam, and that no girl can be denied education in the name of religion.
She described the situation in Afghanistan as extremely dangerous, noting that the Taliban are stripping girls of their basic right to education and preventing them from attending school.
Malala Yousafzai also said that she stands with Afghan girls and supports their initiatives, urging Pakistanis to express solidarity with Afghans and condemn the Taliban’s actions.
