Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai reiterated her support for Palestine in an interview with British Vogue and said she did not want Palestinians to be dehumanised.
“For me at this time, I feel like humanising people is so important. It’s one of the biggest challenges we face. Oftentimes, when we look at conflicts, wars, oppression against people, it always begins with dehumanising another group,” she said.
Yousafzai maintained that the situation in Gaza, especially because of Israel’s recent airstrike on a refugee campsite in Rafah, was heartbreaking and terrifying, adding that she could not imagine the atrocities and pain faced by the Palestinians.
“I want people to see those children as humans,” the Nobel laureate said, calling for a ceasefire and peace.
She also urged for a stop to the “indiscriminate bombing” that destroyed more than 80 per cent of schools and all universities in Gaza. “Everybody wants a life where they can play sports, watch TV, go to school.”
Yousafzai continued that her recent appearance in the musical-comedy We Are Lady Parts was important because it showcased the stories of Muslim girls and helped people connect and relate to them. She hoped that people would get to hear “more stories of people from Gaza, from Afghanistan, and from other parts of the world,” and use everything in their capacity to be a voice for the people in Gaza.
The reiteration of her support for Palestine comes a month after she reaffirmed her support for the people of Gaza after criticism over her decision to co-produce a Broadway musical with former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton. In the past, Clinton has defended Israel and argued against a complete ceasefire in Gaza in an op-ed for The Atlantic last November.
Yousafzai also took to her Instagram to announce a scholarship for Palestinian students who aspire to study at Oxford University and that the first recipient of the scholarship would begin at the varsity in October.
“There can be no future for Gaza if its children have no place to live and learn safely. Today, more than 80pc of Gaza’s schools and all universities have been damaged or destroyed.”
She stated that rebuilding Gaza’s education system required a lasting ceasefire, however, people must do everything they could to lend support to “as many Palestinian students as possible by sharing their stories, echoing their calls to action and funding them directly”.
Yousafzai added that the scholarship was a signal of solidarity to young Palestinians whose voices and demands would continue to resonate across the globe.
The Nobel prize winner said that she would soon announce additional support for Palestinian-led organisations and humanitarian efforts, building on the more than $300,000 the Malala Fund already committed to the cause in recent months.