birthdays

Malala Yousafzai’s Sweet New York Sixteen

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Today, Malala Yousafzai — the Pakistani girls’ education activist who was nearly killed by a Taliban sniper last year — turns 16. The United Nations declared it Malala Day, and she gave a moving speech. Wearing a pink shawl that once belonged to slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, she said, “The wise saying, ‘The pen is mightier than sword’ was true. The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them.”

As Reuters’ Jim Roberts pointed out, her dad was visibly proud.

Photo: Jim Roberts/twitter.com

Earlier, she had book-shaped cake with Tina Brown.

Photo: Tina Brown/Twitter.com
Happy Malala Day!