Though Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani women’s education advocate who survived the Taliban’s attempt to kill her with a shot to the head last year, did not win the Nobel Peace Prize this week, her ongoing tour of the United States is still getting plenty of well-deserved attention. After making Jon Stewart’s jaw drop on The Daily Show, she paid a visit to the White House so the First Family could “thank her for her inspiring and passionate work on behalf of girls education in Pakistan.”
In the above photo taken by White House photographer Pete Souza, Yousafzai appears to be having a lovely discussion Barack and Michelle Obama and 15-year-old Malia. In an official statement, the White house said, “The United States joins with the Pakistani people and so many around the world to celebrate Malala’s courage and her determination to promote the right of all girls to attend school and realize their dreams.”
Yousafzai maintained her commitment to activism during the visit, using the opportunity to bring up the Obama administration’s use of drones, a practice she thinks is “fueling terrorism.” From her statement to the AP: “I thanked President Obama for the United States’ work in supporting education in Pakistan and Afghanistan and for Syrian refugees. I also expressed my concerns that drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people. If we refocus efforts on education it will make a big impact.” It sounds like she still has plenty of time to get that Nobel.
