2003
Shahnaz Bukhari
Acceptance Speech: There is no specific religious reason why this horrific violence [against women] occurs in my country. An outsider might say, "this is religion," but that would be wrong. There is nothing in the Quran that condones violence against women…The blame lies with the religious and political elements that are exploiting people for their personal gain. The misinterpretation of Islam and then the propagation of that school of thought have contributed to making more and more extremists, and fanatics.
Each night that I have stayed up crying for the fate of a little girl that will never have a tomorrow, each day that I have spent walking through courthouses seeking justice for women that have been wronged, my resolve has only been strengthened.