'Well wishes for a great life ahead': Fort Bend judge congratulates Malala Yousafzai on marriage

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Malala Yousafzai | Wikimedia Commons

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani woman who was shot by the Taliban as a young girl but grew up to be a Nobel Prize-winning education activist, has tied the knot, with Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George sending Yousafzai and her new spouse his well wishes. 

The 24-year-old Yousafzai said on social media that she got married to Asser Malik in an intimate ceremony in Birmingham, England.

"Please join me in congratulating global icon for peace and equality @Malala for getting married," said Judge George in a post to his Twitter account on Nov. 10. "Fort Bend County and the whole world is sending you well wishes for a great life ahead."

Yousafzai and Malik were married under Muslim rites. The bride's parents were in attendance. Yousafzai was barely in her teens when she took a stand against the Taliban over their refusal to educate women.

People Magazine showed Instagram photos of the couple outside of the ceremony and also photos of the couple with both sets of parents. The marriage ceremony is referred to as a nikkah and it takes place either at a mosque or at the home of the bride. This ceremony is traditional within Islam. 

Yousafzai once said in an interview with British Vogue that she was not sure if she ever wanted to get married. She later revealed that she changed her mind about that during her second year while studying at Oxford University, according to a profile in People Magazine. 

Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, resulting in her becoming the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. She had been shot in the face two years earlier by the Taliban as a result of her educational activism for women and girls, which played a large factor in her Nobel Peace Prize win. She also co-founded the Malala Fund later on, which invests in educational opportunities for women and girls.