World condemns Pakistani girl activist's shooting

Condemnation has poured in from
international leaders for the shooting
of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai by the
Taliban.
Leaders from around the world have
condemned the shooting of 14-year-
old Malala Yousafzai, an education
and rights activist in the northwestern
Pakistani region of Swat.
Yousafzai was shot by Taliban
gunmen on Tuesday in her
hometown of Mingora while on her
way home from school.
Ehsanullah Ehsan, a Pakistani Taliban
spokesperson, said the group had
repeatedly warned Yousafzai to stop
speaking out against them.
"She is a Western-minded girl. She
always speaks against us," he said by
telephone from an undisclosed
location.
"We will target anyone who speaks
against the Taliban.
"We warned her several times to stop
speaking against the Taliban and to
stop supporting Western non-
governmental organisations, and to
come to the path of Islam."
Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of
State said that the attack should serve
as a call to action for those promoting
the rights of women and girls.
Speaking Wednesday, Clinton said the
shooting of Malala Yousufzai should
galvanise support for "brave young
women ... who struggle against
tradition and culture and even
outright hostility, and sometimes
violence'' to pursue their rights. She
blamed the attack on extremists who
are threatened by girls'
empowerment.
Clinton said the "attack reminds us of
the challenges that girls face, whether
it is poverty or marginalisation or even
violence just for speaking out for their
basic rights".
Jay Carney, US President Barack
Obama's spokesperson, said that
Obama saw the shooting of Yousafzai
as "barbaric" and has offered air
ambulance services to help evacuate
her.
"I know that the president found the
news reprehensible and disgusting
and tragic," Carney said, adding that
US forces were ready to offer
transport and treatment to Malala
Yousafzai if appropriate.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
expressed outrage and the strongest
condemnation over the shooting.
The UN chief called Tuesday's attack a
"heinous and cowardly act", UN
spokesperson Martin Nesirky said.
Ban urged that the perpetrators be
swiftly brought to justice and
expressed solidarity with Pakistan's
efforts to confront violent extremism,
he said.
Nesirky said on Wednesday that the
secretary-general was deeply moved
by Malala's "courageous efforts" to
promote education, a right enshrined
in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
He said Ban is writing to her family to
express his hope for her full and
speedy recovery, and expresses
sympathy to the two other girls
injured in the attack.
Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign
policy representative slammed the
Taliban for shooting Yousafzai, in
what she described as "a vile
aggression".
Ashton said in a statement that she
was "appalled" the teenager had been
attacked for advocating girls' rights.
"Malala's bravery in one so young and
the principled stand she has taken are
a source of admiration for all of us,"
Ashton said.
"This vile aggression is an assault
both on basic human values and
against all human rights defenders in
Pakistan."
Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president,
telephoned Asif Ali Zardari, his
Pakistani counterpart, on Wednesday
evening to condemn the attack.
He expressed grief and shock over the
attack which he called "cowardly".
Aljazeera