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Malala Yousafzai, survivor of Taliban shooting, announces marriage on Twitter

A woman adjusts a scarf covering her head
2014 Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai at Harvard University in 2018.
(Charles Krupa / Associated Press)
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Nobel Prize laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai announced her marriage on Twitter on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old Pakistani human rights campaigner who was shot by the Taliban for daring to want an education posted images on Twitter of her celebration on Tuesday with her new husband Asser Malik and her family.

“Today marks a precious day in my life,” Malala wrote. “Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life. We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead.’’

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Yousafzai was targeted by the Taliban for her relentless objections to the group’s regressive interpretation of Islam that limits girls’ access to education. She was shot while returning home from school in Pakistan’s scenic Swat Valley in 2012.

She traveled to the English city of Birmingham for medical treatment and her family eventually joined her. She went back to school as soon as she could but kept campaigning for the right to an education for other girls. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and graduated from Oxford in June 2020.

Her Twitter feed was flooded with expressions of goodwill.

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