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OSLO: Russian dissidents and religious leaders working for Muslim-Christian reconciliation are among the favourites to win the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize when the result is announced on Friday.
The year has brought few notable peace breakthroughs, leaving an unusually large selection of names in circulation and perhaps increasing the chance of a surprise winner.
The betting agency Unibet favours Maggie Gobran, a Coptic Christian nun who runs a children’s mission in Cairo, giving her a 13 per cent chance of winning.
Others mentioned include Pakistani philanthropist and welfare worker Abdul Sattar Edhi and Nigerian religious leaders John Onaiyekan and Mohamed Sa’ad Abubakar, who have helped to calm their country’s Christian-Muslim violence this year.
A direct recognition of the Arab Spring is unlikely, however, as the committee gave part of its 2011 award to the journalist Tawakkol Karman to recognise her work in Yemen’s transformation, and it rarely visits an issue two years running.
“I’m pretty sure the committee would like to honour the monumental events in the Middle East,” said Jan Egeland, the Director of Human Rights Watch Europe.
“But as the Arab Spring turns to ‘autumn’, this is becoming very difficult, so an approach may be to look at those who work for dialogue among religions,” said Egeland, a former United Nations under-secretary-general.
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Comments (36) Closed
Oct 12, 2012 08:46am
By giving Edhi a Nobel Peace Prize Nobel committee would honor Edhi but also itself after more than a few controversial decisions in past years.
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Oct 12, 2012 08:25am
Only Allah can reward his deeds but it would be good to have a Pakistani Muslim Nobel Prize Winner.
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Oct 10, 2012 04:51pm
It would be a lot more meaningful if one of us could win the Nobel prize in sciences. The Nobel prizes for Peace, literature and Economics are all from Western perspective and very much in line with the Western media's portrayal of the world.
They are not going to give a Nobel prize to Jinnah or Gandhi for breaking up their empire, yeah yeah I know the Nobel prize is from Sweden not UK.
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Oct 10, 2012 01:22pm
I wish Pakistanis can institutionalize Mr.Edhi's idea by embracing its philosophy, and enact in their daily lives as their second nature.
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Oct 10, 2012 12:08pm
May Allah Give Edhi Sahab success and health,He is an asset to this nation and he deserves this award
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Oct 10, 2012 12:48pm
You are the man ....
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Oct 11, 2012 03:42am
Abdul Sattar Edhi absolutely deserves this award.The other Russians and the Nigerians have not been doing the good work for as long as Mr Edhi is doing.
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Oct 11, 2012 07:47am
Nonel prize or not...what Edhi does is worthy of much more than what a noble peace prize as recognition or acknowledgement.
His efforts are as evident as the sun shining in the sky.
God bless his soul ever after.
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Oct 10, 2012 04:34pm
I doubt if Mr. Edhi would want to be in the same company as Obama, Menachem Begin, Elie Wiesel and Henry Kissinger, a cocktail of war mongers and hate mongers. Remember it is peace from European perspective.
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Oct 11, 2012 06:35am
Baba Edhi is great
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Oct 10, 2012 12:55pm
Sattar Edhi is a great man. Especially in a country like Pakistan where playing goodness is no norm. In most develped countries goodness is institutionalized, like in the form of hospitals, police (9.1.1.) schools etc. But Sattar Edhi started his work as a single individual, and evolved in to an instituition within himslef. Being honest and selfless in a country like Pakistan is like shining like a moon among stars.
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Oct 10, 2012 01:47pm
Looking what Obama has won the peace prize for? Edhi is great beyond that. He deserve the award a long ago, only thing go against him because he is a Pakistani!
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Oct 10, 2012 05:51pm
I would love to see the award goes to Sattar Edhi. I have personally witnessed his services for the cause of humanity.
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Oct 10, 2012 05:51pm
Prof Abdus Salam was also a Pakistani. Why do you have such a persecution complex?
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Oct 10, 2012 12:22pm
Men like Edhi are the pride of nation. His efforts and services for humanity is a milestone for young social workers.
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Oct 10, 2012 01:07pm
EDHI Sahib is a very important name of humanity.
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Oct 10, 2012 01:01pm
He doesnt need recognition by any nobel prize......already a loved and respected person among people
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Oct 10, 2012 12:17pm
No doubt he is THE person to get the prize.
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Oct 10, 2012 11:40am
Edhi is our hero. May Allah give him long life and continued strength.
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Oct 11, 2012 08:15am
For Edhi that would not be a good reward, there must be more than that!
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Oct 10, 2012 12:31pm
His level of service is beyond Nobel prize.
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Oct 10, 2012 02:24pm
Good luck Mr. Edhi. God bless you and Mrs. Edhi.
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Oct 10, 2012 02:28pm
The humble beginnings yet the magnitude of the work that Abdul Sattar Edhi is doing all over Pakistan is mind boggling. Noble Peace Prize has lost its credibility any way and it is too little for his services to humanity
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Oct 10, 2012 02:29pm
Abdul Sittar Edhi is a Noble
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Oct 10, 2012 08:12pm
Mr and Mrs Edhi do not need any peace prize ,he need our love and appreciation ,which we have in abundance for them, Mr Edhi is a living Saint. God bless him and we are thankful for him that he lives in Pakistan.
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Oct 10, 2012 02:34pm
In fact Govt. of Pakistan herself should
announce a "Edhi Peace Prize" in this regard for whole world community
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Oct 10, 2012 02:41pm
A peace prize?
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Oct 10, 2012 10:47pm
The Noble Committee would be the one honored should Edhi be offered the prize and accept it. Allah's servant Edhi is far above all that. His reward awaits him from Allah's Unbounded Bounty in Eternal Paradise---the unlimited return on his life long 'Khidmet-Kurz a Husna' to Allah's most destitute, blind, widows, orphans, needy and the poor.
The Promised return on his 'Kurza a Jariaah', 'Swab a Jariaah' is counting on. He is not done yet. One of Allah's most favored. Allah knows best.
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Oct 10, 2012 06:12pm
This noble man is beyond any noble prize. His reward is waiting for him in heaven and only Allah can give him the reward for whatever he did for mankind. I wish I could be like him. May Allah bless him with good health.
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Oct 10, 2012 03:12pm
This institution of Nobel Prizes is a Political Hoax. Edhi should refuse to accept the prize if they announce it. After all they gave the Nobel Peace Prize to the second greatest warmonger in History. I wonder how they forgot Hitler !
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Oct 10, 2012 07:47pm
Mr. Abdus Sattar Edhi is humanist. He was awarded Ramen Magsaysay award long back. He donated the proceeds then and there for the deserving in the Philippines.
Ramen Magsaysay award is not less than Nobel Peace Prize.
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Oct 11, 2012 04:27am
It will be a great honour for Pakistan and the subcontinent if Mr.Eidhi is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In fact it will increase the esteem with which the Noble Prize is held.
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Oct 10, 2012 06:44pm
I will say with full confidence, conviction and authority that for quite many years Edhi is the best living human on the face of earth to be decorated with Noble Prize but he is ignored simply because he is a Pakistani whom others think none but a terrorist. Had he been the citizen of another country he had been awarded more than once. Attack on Malala gives strength to the notion that Pakistani can be a terrorist and not a selfless social worker like Edhi. I wish Edgi is not ignored this time, aameen.
Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait
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Oct 10, 2012 03:50pm
As Pakistanis we are too busy providing justifications in support of religious extremists even taliban. As nation we can never emulate what Mr. Edhi is doing.
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Oct 11, 2012 08:04am
Edhi Sb is beyound Nobel Prize.....Edhi Sb is the greatest.....May Allah give him good health and longlife...Ameen
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Oct 10, 2012 07:11pm
He is the most deserving among all. My best wishes to him.
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