Double delight: Nadia, Mukwege named for 2018 Mother Teresa Memorial Award

Mumbai's Harmony Foundation on Friday announced Nadia Murad and Dr Denis Mukwege for this year's prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial Award-2018.

Both Murad and Mukwege were earlier announced joint winners of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize.

"It's a double delight for us. We heartily congratulate them for the Nobel Prize and now also the Mother Teresa Memorial Award," said Harmony Foundation Chairman (Dr) Abraham Mathai.

Murad will arrive in Mumbai on October 21 along with her fiance to receive the award, but Mukwege has prior engagements and expressed his regrets. We shall send the award to him in Congo," said Mathai.

Murad, 25, is an Iraqi-born activist and now enjoying Permanent Residency status in Germany. She is engaged to an Iraqi refugee Abid Shamo Kassim, who has been granted US citizenship.

The Harmony Foundation and its trustees also plan to hold a small celebration to mark Murad-Kassim engagement after the function at Hotel Taj Lands End, Bandra, that day, Mathai added.

The award, the only one officially recognized by the Missionaries of Charity, includes an unique silhouette image of St. Mother Teresa designed in sparkling crystal and a citation for the winner.

Murad courageously fought against exploitation at the hands of the IS terrorists, while Mukwege is a reconstruction surgeon specializing on rape victims, Mathai said.

"In view of this, the theme for this year's ceremony is also very apt for both the winners: 'Celebrate Her, Protect Her, Empower Her'," he added.

The award has been conferred on several Nobel laureates including the UNHCR, Malala Yousafzai, the Dalai Lama, Medecins Sans Frontieres, top international dignitaries such as Malaysia's Dr Mahathir Mohamad, UAE's Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan, UK's Baroness Caroline Cox, India's Priyanka Chopra, among many others, he said.

The Harmony Foundation was launched in 2005 to foster communal and social harmony between various communities.

--IANS

qn/prs