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10 most controversial Nobel Peace Prize winners
By Sumayia Asif
PHOTO: WHITE HOUSE
KARACHI: Controversy has rarely escaped the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, presented each year since established in 1896 by the will of Alfred Nobel.
Alfred Nobel, who was Swedish by origin, was a business leader, engineer, scientist, and, interestingly, the inventor of dynamite and other explosives.
The Nobel prizes were set up to honour men and women who make outstanding achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, and Literature and for efforts made toward peace.
According to Alfred Nobel’s will, the Nobel prizes were to be awarded to “those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.”
Often, the Nobel Peace Prize is scrutinised for being presented to politicians and bringing international conflicts into public focus.
Here are, in no particular order, 10 of the most controversial Nobel Peace prize laureates:
1. Henry A Kissinger
PHOTO: AFP
The former US secretary of state was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 which was to be shared with Vietnames leader Le Duc Tho for their efforts in bringing peace. The latter rejected the award as he did not feel peace had been achieved and did not want to share the award with Kissinger.
The award was also controversial because Kissinger was accused of playing a role in America’s secret bombing of Cambodia in 1969 and 1975.
2. Yasser Arafat
PHOTO: AFP
While views may conflict when it comes to Yasser Arafat, he is in fact a Nobel peace prize laureate. He shared the 1994 prize with then Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and foreign minister Shimon Peres for their work on the Oslo Accords which promoted development and fraternity in the Middle East.
3. Shimon Peres
PHOTO: AFP
Shimon Peres was responsible for establishing Israel’s nuclear weapons arsenal and was also blamed for the 1996 shelling of Qana.
4. Fritz Haber
PHOTO: NOBELPRIZE.ORG
Awarded the prize for his discoveries in chemistry, specifically ‘synthesising ammonia’, which enabled modern day food growth by way of synthetic fertilizer. Prior to that, Haber was involved in the development of poisonous gasses, which went on to kill millions of people in World War 1, used by the Nazis. His wife killed herself merely 10 days after the first instance of chemical warfare.
5. European Union
PHOTO: AFP
According to the Nobel committee, EU deserved the award “for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe”
The award was widely criticised because it came at a time when social rights were suffering greatly due to discord between member states resulting from economic crisis.
6. John Forbes Nash
PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA
Awarded for his economic contributions, Nash’s award was criticised due to his history of mental illness and suspected anti-semitisim. Nash was portrayed by Russel Crowe in the Oscar winning film A Beautiful Mind.
7. Jimmy Carter
PHOTO: AFP
Carter was awarded the Peace prize for “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” It was very controversial because it was awarded right after the US senate authorised use of military force against Iraq to enforce UN resolutions.
By Sumayia Asif
PHOTO: WHITE HOUSE
KARACHI: Controversy has rarely escaped the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, presented each year since established in 1896 by the will of Alfred Nobel.
Alfred Nobel, who was Swedish by origin, was a business leader, engineer, scientist, and, interestingly, the inventor of dynamite and other explosives.
The Nobel prizes were set up to honour men and women who make outstanding achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, and Literature and for efforts made toward peace.
According to Alfred Nobel’s will, the Nobel prizes were to be awarded to “those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.”
Often, the Nobel Peace Prize is scrutinised for being presented to politicians and bringing international conflicts into public focus.
Here are, in no particular order, 10 of the most controversial Nobel Peace prize laureates:
1. Henry A Kissinger
PHOTO: AFP
The former US secretary of state was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 which was to be shared with Vietnames leader Le Duc Tho for their efforts in bringing peace. The latter rejected the award as he did not feel peace had been achieved and did not want to share the award with Kissinger.
The award was also controversial because Kissinger was accused of playing a role in America’s secret bombing of Cambodia in 1969 and 1975.
2. Yasser Arafat
PHOTO: AFP
While views may conflict when it comes to Yasser Arafat, he is in fact a Nobel peace prize laureate. He shared the 1994 prize with then Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and foreign minister Shimon Peres for their work on the Oslo Accords which promoted development and fraternity in the Middle East.
3. Shimon Peres
PHOTO: AFP
Shimon Peres was responsible for establishing Israel’s nuclear weapons arsenal and was also blamed for the 1996 shelling of Qana.
4. Fritz Haber
PHOTO: NOBELPRIZE.ORG
Awarded the prize for his discoveries in chemistry, specifically ‘synthesising ammonia’, which enabled modern day food growth by way of synthetic fertilizer. Prior to that, Haber was involved in the development of poisonous gasses, which went on to kill millions of people in World War 1, used by the Nazis. His wife killed herself merely 10 days after the first instance of chemical warfare.
5. European Union
PHOTO: AFP
According to the Nobel committee, EU deserved the award “for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe”
The award was widely criticised because it came at a time when social rights were suffering greatly due to discord between member states resulting from economic crisis.
6. John Forbes Nash
PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA
Awarded for his economic contributions, Nash’s award was criticised due to his history of mental illness and suspected anti-semitisim. Nash was portrayed by Russel Crowe in the Oscar winning film A Beautiful Mind.
7. Jimmy Carter
PHOTO: AFP
Carter was awarded the Peace prize for “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” It was very controversial because it was awarded right after the US senate authorised use of military force against Iraq to enforce UN resolutions.
Good evening all, Tay.
