Malala’s powerful speech at UN

Sunday, July 14th, 2013 by


In a powerful and moving speech at the United Nations, Malala Yousafzai called on women and girls not to rely on men to provide them education, but to demand it themselves.  She said,“Malala Day is not my day, today is for… every girl who has stood for her rights.”  Showing signs of a nearly complete recovery from her head shot wound by a Taliban gunman last October, she spoke forcefully and clearly with only a slight sign of lingering paralysis of the left side of her face.

Responding to those who tried to gun her to silence she said, “I don’t even hate the Talib who shot me… This is the compassion that I have learned from Mohamed… Jesus Christ and the Buddha.  This is the legacy of kings that I have inherited from Martin Luther King, (and) Nelson Mandela… this is the philosophy of non-violence that I have inherited from Gandhi… and this is the forgiveness that I have learned from my father and from my mother.”

Take seven minutes to listen to parts of this amazing speech by a girl of only 16. She may be the clearest voice in the world speaking for fairness against extremists who use religion “for their own personal benefits.”

In her demand for world leaders to only make deals where the rights of women and children are protected, she said, “No other deals are acceptable.”  And also stated,  “I want education for every child.  I want education for the boys and girls of the Taliban and all the terrorists and extremists.”

Malala’s ringing oratory, delivered in a measured and modest cadence, brought her UN audience repeatedly to their feet, including, “There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights, but this time we will do it by ourselves.”

The full speech can be seen here by Canadian Broadcasting News.

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Malala gives powerful speech at UN. Photo source: Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP

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