Malala speaks out for safety of Kashmiri children, women

World’s youngest Nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai said that she was worried about the safety of Kashmir children and woman after India imposed a curfew in the Indian-occupied Kashmir after stripping it of special constitutional status.

In a statement on Thursday, Malala urged South Asian countries and the international community to respond to the suffering of Kashmiris.
“The people of Kashmir have lived in conflict since I was a child, since my mother and father were children, since my gradparents were young. For seven decades, the children of Kashmir has grown up amidst violence,” she wrote.

She said that South Asians can still live in peace despite representing different culture, religions and languages.

“I care about Kashmir because South Asia is my home – a home I share with 1.8 billion people including Kashmiris. We represent different culture, religions, languages, cuisines and customs. And I believe we all can live in peace. I know we can appreciate the gifts that all of our people, in all their diversity, contribute to our world.

“There is no need for us to continue to suffer and hurt each oher. Today I am worried about the safety of Kashmiri children and women, the most vulnerable to violence and most likely to suffer losses in conflict. “

“I hope all South Asians, the international community and concerned authorities respond to their suffering. Whatever disagreements we may have, we must always defend human rights, prioritize the safety of children and women and focus on peacefully resolving the seven-decade-old conflict in Kashmir. “