Malala wins Nobel Peace Prize — better late than never

It’s a year late and it must be shared with another, but it’s still cause for great celebration that Malala Yousafzai has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

She is the little girl who was shot in the head by Muslim extremists for daring to go to school in Pakistan. Her book “Malala” is a wonderful read. I wrote about it last year in this piece entitled “Avoid Radicals Like The Plague.”

I think high schools around the country ought to encourage students to read it. In her young mind, she characterizes the radical Muslims who infested her village and beheaded innocents as “vampires.”

She didn’t get the prize last year, in my opinion, because her story squares up on Islamic religious extremism and the Nobel Peace Prize committee, to put it bluntly, chickened out.

But in the ensuing year, Malala’s story has become even more urgent. It speaks to the big issue of the day. It’s a shame it had to be shared. Her co-award winner, Kailash Satyarthi, is worthy, of course. It’s just that what Malala’s story has more to say right now. The worldwide community of good people must put the pressure on religious killers like those who tried to kill Malala. They need to become outcasts, not leaders of cities and countries. The sooner that happens, the better.