Malala Yousafzai wears jewels owned by Queen of Afghanistan

Malala’s glittering red carpet tribute: Activist’s Oscars jewels belonged to Afghan Queen who advocated for women’s rights

• Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala wore jewels to the Academy Awards last night 
• Read more:  Jimmy Kimmel branded a ‘national disgrace for ‘harassing’ Malala

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai paid subtle tribute to an Afghan Queen who advocated for women’s rights in the country at the Oscars last night. 

Malala, 25, attended the Academy Awards in Hollywood in support of her nominated documentary, Stranger At The Gate.

The activist, who is known for human rights advocacy, turned heads as she walked the red carpet at the event wearing a silver sequin gown by Ralph Lauren Collection.

Meanwhile she also opted for jewelry from Fred Leighton that was previously owned by Queen Soraya Tarzi of Afghanistan, including a set of 1920s diamond pendant earrings and a 19th century diamond ring.

Queen Soraya was herself a strong advocate of women’s rights and established Afghanistan’s first women’s journal, which advocated gender equality.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai paid subtle tribute to the women of Afghanistan last night as she wore glittering jewels owned by a Queen of the country to the Oscars last night

Queen Soraya Tarzi of Afghanistan was herself a strong advocate of women’s rights and established Afghanistan’s first women’s journal, which advocated gender equality

After a speech given by her husband in which he said Islam did not require women to cover their bodies or wear a veil, Queen Soraya tore off her face covering in front of a crowd of onlookers.

In a 1926 speech marking the seventh anniversary of independence from British rule, she said the new freedom belonged ‘to all of us’ and called on women to ‘take their part’ in driving the country forward.

Speaking of Soraya, women’s rights activist and Afghan politician Shinkai Karokhail told Arab News that the queen ‘began a great revolution and managed to implement it through the king.

‘She appeared in public and travelled extensively to inform women about their rights and that they needed to acquire education.’

Malala herself was a teenage education activist when the Pakistani Taliban hunted her down. They stopped her school bus and shot her in the face in 2012.

She survived and two years later won the Nobel Peace Prize. She is known for human rights advocacy, and campaigns for the education of women and children in Pakistan.

In November, she called on the UK Government to ‘step forward more boldly’ in their support for Afghan women living under the Taliban.

The Pakistani activist accused world leaders of going ‘silent’ as she addressed the Action for Afghanistan rally opposite Downing Street, central London, on Sunday afternoon.

The protest came as part of a campaign aimed at sparking renewed focus on Afghan women and girls becoming increasingly oppressed by the Taliban, which took over the country after the withdrawal of Western troops in 2021.

She opted for jewelry from Fred Leighton that was previously owned by Queen Soraya, including a set of 1920s diamond briolette pendant earrings in platinum and a 19th century diamond navette-shaped ring (pictured) 

The activist, who is known for human rights advocacy, turned heads as she walked the red carpet at the event wearing a silver sequin gown by Ralph Lauren Collection 

The 25-year-old was joined by her husband Asser Malik at the red carpet event in Hollywood last night 

Addressing the crowd, Ms Yousafzai said her story is not ‘unique’ and that she can imagine what Afghan women and girls are going through since the regime banned their secondary education.

She said: ‘That is why I’m here today because, in the face of gender apartheid in Afghanistan, our leaders have gone silent.

Malala Yousafzai: The youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 

Malala was a teenage education activist when the Pakistani Taliban hunted her down.

They stopped her school bus and shot her in the face but she survived and two years later won the Nobel Peace Prize.

1997: Malala was born in Mingora, Pakistan

2008: Forced to leave school after the Taliban ban girls from attending

2012: Speaks out publicly about girls having a right to learn and is shot by a masked Taliban gunman

2014: Joins her family in the UK after months of surgery and rehabilitation. In December she receives the Nobel Peace Prize

2018: Begins studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University

2021: Malala married Pakistani cricket coach Asser Malik in a small ceremony in her Birmingham home

Malala continues to campaign for education and equality for girls and women

‘(Being) fragmented in their response has allowed the Taliban to increase their oppression of women and girls.

‘Each of us who have the freedom to speak must not look away. We must call on our leaders to act with urgency.’

The Taliban is known for its extreme interpretation of the Sharia law – Islam’s legal system which is based on the Quran and teachings from scholars.

It acts as a code of conduct for Muslims but some interpretations mean women can be treated harshly in terms of what they wear and what they are seen as being allowed to do.

Previously, under Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001, women weren’t allowed to work or be educated.

They were banned from wearing certain items of clothing, such as shoes with high heels, and could not leave the house without a male chaperone.

Elsewhere at last night’s event, Jimmy Kimmel was branded a ‘national disgrace’ after fans claimed he ‘harassed’ Malala during a bizarre Oscars 2023 segment.

The host, 55, left the Nobel Peace Prize winner visibly uncomfortable as he approached her during a break in proceedings and asked her an awkward question about Harry Styles and Chris Pine’s ‘spit-gate’ drama.

The presenter read out a question from a fan named Joanne, saying: ‘She asked, your work on human rights and education for women and children is an inspiration–as the youngest Nobel prize winner in history, do you think Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine?’

Malala looked unsure and then responded: ‘I only talk about peace.’

A breezy Kimmel retorted: ‘You know what, that’s why you’re Malala and nobody else is. That’s a great answer, Malala. The winner is malala-land, everybody.’

The evening then took a further awkward turn as an attendee dressed as a real-life ‘Cocaine Bear’ from the movie crawled down the aisle and began to pester Malala.

After a speech given by her husband in which he said Islam did not require women to cover their bodies or wear a veil, Queen Soraya tore off her face covering in front of a crowd of onlookers. Above: The couple in France in 1928

In a 1926 speech marking the seventh anniversary of independence from British rule, she said the new freedom belonged ‘to all of us’ and called on women to ‘take their part’ in driving the country forward. Above: Her and her husband in the 1920s

King Amanullah and Queen Soraya are seen surrounded by dignitaries in Manchester during a visit to the UK in March 1928

Kimmel called out: ‘Cocaine bear, leave Malala alone!’ as the activist looked on with worry.

Fans quickly took to social media to slam Kimmel’s ‘disrespectful’ behaviour, with one writing: ‘I love @jimmykimmel but his interaction with Malala was one of the worst and most painful things I’ve seen on TV in so many years.’

Another wrote: ‘Watching the #Oscars from home, I was absolutely horrified with the interaction between @jimmykimmel and @Malala Jimmy, you were incredibly disrespectful. 

One fan typed: ‘jimmy kimmel is a national disgrace. this woman deserves better’ while a second wrote: ‘why did jimmy kimmel and the cocaine bear just harass malala oh my god leave her alone.’ 

Another wrote: ‘I hope Jimmy Kimmel pays for making Malala answer that question. She deserves better than that!’   

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