Malala Yousafzai known as the bravest girl in the world may not have won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday,
but she enjoyed a private Oval Office audience with President Obama and
the first family.
Yousafzai, the 16-year-old Pakistani student who was shot in the head
by Taliban gunmen for speaking out in support of the right of girls to
go to school, met Friday with Obama and his wife, Michelle. A photograph
issued by the White House shows the Obamas' 15-year-old daughter,
Malia, also present during the visit.
The Obamas welcomed Yousafzai to the Oval Office "to thank her for
her inspiring and passionate work on behalf of girls education in
Pakistan," according to a statement issued by the White House.
The statement added, "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 said she was honored to meet Obama and that she raised
concerns with him about the administration's use of drones, saying they
are "fueling terrorism."
"I thanked President Obama for the United States' work in supporting
education in Pakistan and Afghanistan and for Syrian refugees,"
Yousafzai said in a statement published by the Associated Press. "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."
The Pakistani teen was in Washington on Friday for an address at the World Bank, part of her U.S. visit to promote her new memoir, "I Am Malala."
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