Malala to receive honorary Canadian citizenship

At her 15, Malala became an outspoken advocate for the right of girls to learn and to attend school, and was targeted by Taliban assassins

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai will visit Canada on April 12 to officially receive the honorary Canadian citizenship bestowed upon her in 2014.

She will also address the Canadian Parliament on the day, says a statement of Canadian prime minister’s office.

Previous plans to honour her at an event in Toronto on October 22, 2014 were cancelled after a gunman shot and killed reservist Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial and stormed Centre Block the same day.

“I am pleased to announce Malala Yousafzai’s upcoming visit to Canada. Her courageous response to those who threatened her life, and her advocacy for girls’ education, has inspired many millions of people around the world,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on April 3.

“Her story is one of determination and dignity, and Canada is proud to call her an honorary citizen of this great country. I look forward to attending the upcoming ceremony and witnessing the historic moment when she becomes the youngest person to address the Parliament of Canada,” he added.

“The people of Canada are leading the world in their response to the refugee crisis. I am honoured by Parliament’s invitation and look forward to visiting this great nation of heroes,” said Malala Yousafzai.

When Malala was 15 years old, she became an outspoken advocate for the right of girls to learn and to attend school, and was targeted by Taliban assassins.

She has since become an international spokesperson for girls’ education and the rights of women and girls.

In October 2014, the Norwegian Nobel Committee selected Malala Yousafzai as a co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. A native of Pakistan, she is the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

On October 21, 2014, the House of Commons unanimously supported bestowing honorary Canadian citizenship upon Yousafzai, to recognise her bravery in the fight for the rights of women and girls to go to school.

Malala Yousafzai is one of just six people to receive honorary Canadian citizenship. The others are Raoul Wallenberg, Nelson Mandela, the 14th Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the Aga Khan.

Source: dhakatribune