London, Oct. 13: The young Afghan woman whose nose was chopped off by her husband and who later went on to become the poster girl of Taliban oppression has now got a new nose, thanks to surgery in the US.
The photograph of 19-year-old Aisha without a nose sparked an outpouring of sympathy. Her photograph appeared on the cover of the Time magazine and it was accompanied by an article highlighting the plight of women in Afghanistan.
Daily Telegraph reported that Aisha has received the Enduring Heart award at a benefit for the Grossman Burn Foundation that paid for her surgery in Los Angeles. Ms Maria Shriver, wife of the Governor, Mr Arnold Schwarzenegger, presented the award to Aisha.
Aisha said: “Thank you so much.” She now has a prosthetic nose and doctors hope to give Aisha a more permanent solution.
When Aisha was just 12, her father pledged to repay a debt by promising her in marriage to a Taliban guerrilla, the media report said.
She was abused and forced to sleep in a stable with animals. Caught while trying to escape, Aisha’s nose and ears were cut off by her husband as punishment.