Malala Yousafzai awarded honorary Canadian citizenship

E-Paper | April 30, 2026

Malala Yousafzai awarded honorary Canadian citizenship

AP Published April 12, 2017

Malala Yousafzai is presented with an honorary Canadian citizenship by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. —AP

Malala Yousafzai signs the guest book as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Speaker of the House of Commons Geoff Regan look on. —AP

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Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai received honorary citizenship in Canada and became the youngest person to address the country's Parliament.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented her with a framed certificate of citizenship on Wednesday. She's only the sixth person to receive the honor and the youngest ever.

The 19-year-old activist was 15 when she was shot in the head by Taliban militants while returning from school. She was reportedly targeted for advocating women's education.

She won world acclaim for her campaign and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Yousafzai was originally scheduled to receive her honorary citizenship in 2014 but the Canadian Parliament was stormed by an armed terrorist that day.

Yousafzai says that man called himself a Muslim but did not share her faith.

Justin Trudeau walks with Malala Yousafzai in the Hall of Honour on Parliament Hill. —Reuters

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usam

Apr 12, 2017 10:17pm

proud what education can do

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Aamir Latif

Apr 12, 2017 10:19pm

Salute to this brave girl. She is a great inspiration to all other girls in the country facing resistance to girls education.

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Ravi vancouver

Apr 12, 2017 10:34pm

Malala is very brave and true face of Islam. She is spreading message in teachings of Islam that every body irrespective of gender to get educated and seek knowledge. This is a very noble task and good service to humanity.

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Jamil Soomro, NEW YORK CITY

Apr 12, 2017 10:40pm

First United Nations now Canada. Another great feat achieved by Malala. My congratulations and respect to you from New York City.

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DADEEJEE

Apr 12, 2017 10:40pm

BRAVO, Malala, bravo. Universal education of girls is one of the most important human needs and means to advance human societies. May you be blessed for your efforts and endeavors.

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Saad Bin Razzaq

Apr 12, 2017 10:40pm

Love this child...I know haters attach lot of conspiracies with her but so far they don't have any facts to prove their theories.

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Asif Akbar

Apr 12, 2017 10:55pm

All those heaps of honour mean just a decorative stunt as millions of girls in Pakistan and in many other third world countries are deprived of education . So what good effect has been produced so far and just by rewarding a single person how many poor people have seen a change in their lives and has any government specially of Pakistan brought or introduced any concrete steps towards the education of girls at wider scales.

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Syed iRfaN ali

Apr 12, 2017 10:57pm

Malala is the pride of Pakistan.

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Maqsee

Apr 12, 2017 11:00pm

Graceful representation of a brave girl.

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Faisal

Apr 12, 2017 11:00pm

She is a citizen of the world

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enigma

Apr 12, 2017 11:05pm

Congratulations Malala! Your Pakistani sisters and brothers are so very proud of your trailblazing achievements, and wish you continued success, Inshallah! You and your father's diligence and devotion in helping females not only in our beloved Pakistan - also around the globe is truly admirable. Thank you for letting the world know that true Islam is about peace and not about suicide death bombers, destruction of places of worship, and vicious targeting of innocents. Those false (non) believers who engage in such barbaric anti-Islamic acts are not Muslims in any form or manner, and will be punished on Judgment Day with a most severe perdition meted out by the Almighty.

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Muhammad Afzal

Apr 12, 2017 11:07pm

Enjoy Canadian Citizenship!!

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Asad

Apr 12, 2017 11:14pm

Great hope for Pakistan

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Khurrum Ahmed

Apr 12, 2017 11:23pm

Proud of you Malala!!

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Khalid

Apr 12, 2017 11:25pm

I have nothing for admiration for Malala. I wish all fathers would allow their daughters to become Malala and make us all proud.

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Gnanesh

Apr 12, 2017 11:50pm

What the young girl has achieved at her age is no less than a phenomenon and a huge inspiration for all the girls and everyone. Why she can't be living in Pakistan and why the government doesn't do anything to bring her to her homeland ?

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kamran

Apr 13, 2017 12:17am

@Aamir Latif There is no resistance to girls education in Pakistan. Millions of girls are studying in schools all over Pakistan.

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ISrar

Apr 13, 2017 12:24am

All the respect for this brave and inspirational young woman. I hope we mature enough as a society to deserve her as a future PM of our country.

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Skkk

Apr 13, 2017 12:36am

Both are top class personalities. She was a conpetent person from a very young age-i know of her speeches at Pak universities and forums when she was a around 10-13.

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KARACHI KA RAJA, KARACHI

Apr 13, 2017 12:39am

Who is she and what are the long term future objectives by North American government by giving exceptional treatment more than a arm length? A sensible and wise think tank is needed.

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Arshad, Canada

Apr 13, 2017 12:39am

Love you Malala. You are doing a great job in all front, education, representing, Pakistan and Islam. Your dressing is so elegant . Do not get discouraged by some haters in Pakistan. Thank you.

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Imran

Apr 13, 2017 12:40am

Canadian prime minister is awesome. Congratulations to Malala.

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Changez Khan

Apr 13, 2017 02:21am

Congratulations Malala. We are proud of you.

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I. Khan (CAN)

Apr 13, 2017 02:39am

Dawn Admin, Please show the video when Malala is addressing Canadian Parliament, it is great, something to be proud and to be remembered.

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Jamil Soomro, NEW YORK CITY

Apr 13, 2017 03:21am

@Asif Akbar Majority of comments from various people around the world for Malala on DAWN have been full of praise except yours? I fail to understand why you are against a 19 year old Pakistani girl who has earned so much respect for herself and her Pakistani Nation internationally? Be patient I am sure as she grows she will certainly do a lot for the Pakistani girls.Millions of people follow one person who is called the Leader and that is what Malala will be.

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Ayub

Apr 13, 2017 03:45am

Congratulation! You are a great Pushtoon.

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Tunda thakur

Apr 13, 2017 04:36am

So proud of her achievements

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Aman

Apr 13, 2017 05:04am

I am proud of Malala, Canada and Canadian prime minister, A really great man. Thank you Canada.

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Ravi ambala city

Apr 13, 2017 06:13am

@Asif Akbar Why are you blaming her...........

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Jawaid kaMal

Apr 13, 2017 06:50am

Wish she can walk freely in Pakistan

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UnshacklePak

Apr 13, 2017 06:56am

What Canada has done is adpoted the good citizen of Pakistan as one of its own. Now Pakistanis can't complain she hasn't done anything for Pakistan. She can spread her message of education and peace in another country. Those still baffled at the deeper than ocean conspiracy theories about the reasons for this citizenship can continue to churn their brains for something inderministic instead of doing what they claim Malala isn't doing, and themselves helping Pakistan become better.

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Abdul

Apr 13, 2017 07:32am

This honorary citizenship doesn't come with all the rights and privileges which a Canadian citizen enjoy. It's an honor for her and for Pakistan but she will still need a visa to enter Canada. Just a party spoiler here.

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shah G

Apr 13, 2017 08:34am

Well done Malalah

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Sajjad kamran

Apr 13, 2017 09:00am

I am still at a loss to understand what Malala did (on her own) that has earned the Nobel Prize and all other laurels that followed. I bet that most including those who have commented here in praise of Malala do not know what her contribution was. They are just taking pride in the fact that she is from Pakistan. Malala was West's proxy and had zero contribution of her own.

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George

Apr 13, 2017 09:04am

Congratulations Get away as far as possible from Pakistan.

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Pakistani

Apr 13, 2017 09:08am

I have no conspiracies in mind, but am unable to digest reasons for awarding her Nobel prize, Canadian citizenship other prestigious awards. Thousands of other women in Pakistan are doing even greater work for humanity and even dyeing for their cause, so why Malala?

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Zubair Ahmad

Apr 13, 2017 09:11am

Malala,Pakistan's Ambassador of Girls Education,now an honorable Canadian Citezen as well.Welcome to Canada.

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HASSAN

Apr 13, 2017 09:12am

we are proud of you , Malala!

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DK PAMNANI - INDIA

Apr 13, 2017 09:18am

This is called luck without doing much social work.

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A Pakistani

Apr 13, 2017 10:26am

She sure is working for education of girls / women in Pakistan by getting foreign citizenship.

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Saif zulfiqar

Apr 13, 2017 12:44pm

Malala, the Pride of Pakistan, looks so graceful walking with Mr.Justin Trudeau , the Prime minister of Canada, in the Hall of Honour on Parliament Hill.

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