United Nations in 1968 felt the need to honor those commendable people and organizations with UN’s Human Right Prize who have served the humanity. The UN started to celebrate Human Right Prize ceremony in 1968 and since then they have been giving prizes at five years intervals. Here is the list of Muslim personalities who have received this great prize for their remarkable contribution to the protection and promotion of Human Rights.
1968
Mehrangaiz Manouchehrian: Senator Dr. Mehrangaiz Manouchehrian of Iran, was the first Muslim personality to receive this honorable prize in its very first ceremony. Mehrangaiz was the first female lawyer of Iran and women right activist, who always talked about equal rights for women in parliament.
1973
Taha Hussain: Taha Hussain an Egyptian professor of literature, was the most influenced writer and intellectual of the Egyptian Renaissance. Taha Hussain was honored with the Human Right prize in 1973 for his contribution for the modernist movement in the Middle East.
1978
Begum Rana Liaquat: The first, first lady, prominent stateswoman and first female governor of Pakistan Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan also received the honorable Human Rights award from United Nation in 1978 for her outstanding contribution. Begum Rana was also the founder of a non political women organization called All Pakistan Woman Association (APWA) for the social, educational and cultural uplift of the women.
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan: Two Muslims were awarded with the Human Rights award in the year 1978. Prince Sadaruddin who served as the UN high commissioner for refugees also played a key role in the protection and advocacy of global environment.
1993
Hassib Ben Ammar: Hassib Ben Ammar was a politician and human right activist from Tunisia. He was also the president of Arab Institute of Human Rights, Hassib always stood for Human Rights in Tunisia and for his contribution he was given the UN’s award in 1993.
2008
Benazir Bhutto: The first female Prime Minister of the Muslim world Benazir Bhutto also received posthumous award in 2008 after her assassination in 2007. The former Prime Minister was awarded for her outstanding performance as a world leader.
2013
Khadija Ryadi: Khadija Ryadi is a moroccan Huma Rights activist and former president of Morocco Association for Human Rights was awarded the Human Right prize in 2013. Khadija was the first women to join MAHR and she was also the first one to preside it. Her major contribution was her fight for the release of political prisoners and prisoners of opinion, who were pressurized and harassed by the regime.
Malala Yusufzai: Malala Yusufzai, the education activist from Pakistan, who received the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year, had also received United Nation’s award in the filed of Human Right in 2013. Malala was shot by Taliban for attending school in 2012.
United Nations has awarded 60 world personalities with this award so far, out of which eight are Muslims. No Muslim was awarded in the ceremonies of 1988, 1998 and 2003.
