Justin Trudeau
Justin TrudeauReuters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday spoke at a ceremony bestowing Canadian citizenship upon 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.

In his speech, Trudeau said, "Honoured guests, parliamentarians, colleagues, and friends, it is a pleasure to be here today to host one of the newest and possibly bravest citizens of Canada, Malala Yousafzai.

"Malala, it is a privilege to welcome you to our House, and now that you are an honorary Canadian, I hope you will consider this your House too. Welcome.

"Malala’s story is one we know well. It is both exceptional and familiar... We were reminded that a bullet is no match for an idea, that in the face of evil, what is right and what is good will always prevail.

"Malala, when you said that you harbor no ill will against your would-be assassin, you manifested a profound goodness that Canadians can identify with.

"Just a few months ago, a Quebec City mosque was the target of a terrorist attack. That senseless act of violence left six innocent people dead. They were husbands, fathers, sons. Even in the wake of that crime, Canadians stood united. We did not turn against one another. Neighbors did not turn their backs on each other. We did not succumb to hatred or fear.

"By taking positive action, as we always try to do in Canada, we told the rest of the world that we would not answer violence with violence, that we would instead answer fear and hatred with love and compassion.

"[You are] an everyday hero, a trailblazer and a teenager, a renegade and a reader, a fearless advocate and a girl who wants nothing more than to see more kids in classrooms. On top of that, you are impossibly humble. We Canadians are all about that.

"We call on our brothers and sisters around the world to speak boldly and without fear, knowing in their hearts that the right words at the right time can make change happen."