International

Dr Congo’s Dr Mukwege And Yazidi Campaigner Nadia Murad Win Nobel Peace Prize

Darpan News Desk IANS, 05 Oct, 2018 01:19 PM

The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the Peace Prize to Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and former Islamic State (IS) sex slave turned activist Nadia Murad for their efforts to end the use of rape and sexual abuse against women in times of war and armed conflict.

Murad, 25, is a Yazidi Kurdish human rights activist from Iraq. She was one of an estimated 3,000 girls and women from the minority community who were victims of rape and other abuses by the IS when it overran key cities in the country in August 2014.

She is the second youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate after Malala Yousafzai, who was 17 when she won the award in 2014. The Iraqi government congratulated her after the announcement.

Mukwege, on the other hand, is a gynaecologist who has been seen as the saviour of victims of sexual violence in his native country, where his surgery has become a refuge and beacon of hope for thousands of women. Through his work, he has earned the moniker "the man who mends women". He has treated tens of thousands of victims.

BREAKING NEWS:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2018 to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. #NobelPrize #NobelPeacePrize pic.twitter.com/LaICSbQXWM
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 5, 2018

Nadia Murad, awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, is the witness who tells of the abuses perpetrated against herself and others. She has shown uncommon courage in recounting her own sufferings and speaking up on behalf of other victims.#NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/NeF70ig09J
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 5, 2018

"As time passed, I found a way to escape where thousands of others could not. They are still captive."

Watch the harrowing speech given by this year's #NobelPrizePrize laureate, Nadia Murad, to the UN in 2016:https://t.co/gUlVr9sFx7
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 5, 2018

Denis Mukwege’s basic principle is that “justice is everyone’s business”. The 2018 Peace Laureate is the foremost, most unifying symbol, both nationally and internationally, of the struggle to end sexual violence in war and armed conflicts. @DenisMukwege #NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/KSzecKSkUc
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 5, 2018

The physician Denis Mukwege, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, has spent large parts of his adult life helping the victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr. Mukwege and his staff have treated thousands of patients who have fallen victim to such assaults. pic.twitter.com/9CrNWfj7zu
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 5, 2018

The winners announced in the Norwegian capital on Friday won the award for their "efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war", said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the Nobel Committee Chair.

Both laureates have made "a crucial contribution to focusing attention on and combating such war crimes", she said.

"Denis Mukwege is the helper, who had devoted his life to defending these victims. Nadia Murad is the witness, who tells of the abuses perpetrated against herself and others. Each of them, in their own way, have helped to give greater visibility to war-time sexual violence, so that the perpetrators can be held accountable for their actions," Reiss-Andersen added.

The Committee described Mukwege as a unifying symbol of the struggle to end sexual violence in conflicts, not only in his native Democratic Republic of Congo, where civil war has killed over 6 million people, but also within the international community.

Murad became an activist for the Yazidi people after escaping the IS in 2014. She campaigned to help put an end to human trafficking and won the European Union's prestigious Sakharov Prize in 2016.

In testimony to the US Congress in June 2016, Murad detailed how she and thousands of other Yazidi women and girls enslaved and raped by their IS captors. She recounted how six of her brothers and her mother were executed by the terror group in a single day.

The award ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize will take place in Oslo's town hall on December 10, the anniversary of the death of the Nobel Prize founder, Alfred Nobel. The winner will be awarded 9 million Swedish Krona ($1.1 million).

Last year's Peace Prize winner, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, congratulated Mukwege and Murad, saying "both laureates thoroughly deserve this honour through their incredible work to address sexual violence in conflict".

European Council President Donald Tusk said: "They have my deepest respect for the courage, compassion and humanity they demonstrate in their daily fight."

Yousafzai also congratulated the winners on Twitter, saying: "Their work saves lives and helps women speak out about sexual violence."

Prev Next

MORE International ARTICLES

Indian-Americans Launch Campaign To Remove Green Card Backlog

Eminent Indian Americans have launched a nationwide campaign in the US to create awareness about massive backlog for Green Card which they say is impacting some 300,000 high-skilled Indian applicants.

Indian-Americans Launch Campaign To Remove Green Card Backlog

US Judge Orders Release Of Indian-American Immigration Activist Ravi Ragbir

A US judge has ordered immediate release of prominent Indian-descent immigration activist Ravi Ragbir and granted him a temporary reprieve from deportation to his native Trinidad and Tobago, saying his detention was unnecessarily cruel.

US Judge Orders Release Of Indian-American Immigration Activist Ravi Ragbir

Indian Techie Venkannagari Krishna Chaitanya, 30, Found Dead In Apartment In Dallas

An Indian software engineer was found dead at his apartment where he was living as a paying guest in the US state of Texas, according to officials.

Indian Techie Venkannagari Krishna Chaitanya, 30, Found Dead In Apartment In Dallas

We Stand With You And Will Defend Your Culture, Your Way Of Thinking: Rahul Gandhi In Shillong

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked the Indian youth to be proud of their heritage, languages, and religions, and vowed to defend the culture and way of thinking of the people in Meghalaya.

We Stand With You And Will Defend Your Culture, Your Way Of Thinking: Rahul Gandhi In Shillong

Risking Jail, Iranian Women Protest Obligatory Hijab As Defiant Headscarf Demonstrations Spread

Many Islamists believe hijab should not be imposed by the law, though they consider it a religious task for every Muslim woman. Both Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei support softer attitude toward women with improper hijab, but hard-liners oppose to easing such rules.

Risking Jail, Iranian Women Protest Obligatory Hijab As Defiant Headscarf Demonstrations Spread

Indian-Origin UK Principal Neena Lall Attacked As 'Hitler' Over Hijab Ban

An Indian-origin principal at one of the UK's leading state-funded schools has been branded as "Hitler" on social media over her efforts to ban the 'hijab' for very young students.