Quotes of the Day

The 100 Most Influential People [April 29 / May 6]
Malala Yousafzai more than deserves the worldwide appreciation and respect bestowed upon her for what she has so bravely been trying to do from a young age: stand up for the education and self-determination of girls and women. But let us also remember that she was born in a Muslim country to Muslim parents. If they had decided that she should stay at home or be married off, there is nothing she could have done about it, even if she had wanted to. I therefore believe her parents deserve high praise for the way they raised their daughter, even at risk to themselves and the rest of their family from those who would forbid it. Wil O. Radelaar-Dijk, The Hague

It is highly commendable that Aung San Suu Kyi made the list; she has, after all, been an important voice for democracy in Burma and a vocal human-rights advocate. However, I am disappointed that she has remained silent on the plight of the Rohingya people. Regardless of their historical origins and religious beliefs, they are human beings and should be entitled to basic rights and dignity. Andrew Lim, Dunedin, New Zealand

I have been reading TIME at various periods for more than 40 years, and through it I have been able to follow the changes in the world. One thing stood out when I was looking at the map showing where the honorees hail from: no one was born in Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Central and Eastern Europe. This was unimaginable 40 years ago! Is this proof of the region's decline? Pierre-Xavier Becret, Braine, France

True leadership and influence must be very hard to measure. Only that can explain the inclusion of U.S. Senator Rand Paul in the list of 100. This latest, but not the last, taste of the season for a Republican Party that is still desperately searching for a new identity does not deserve this prominent place among true political world leaders such as Mario Draghi and Hassan Sheik Mohamud. That he is endorsed by Sarah Palin is only testament to this fact. Sjoerd Handgraaf, Helsinki

I was surprised to see Aamir Khan included on the list of most influential people. He is not a social activist as portrayed but simply a typical Bollywood actor cum filmmaker who makes mediocre movies and escapist melodramas to entertain the masses. Lagaan, in which he was both actor and producer, was nominated for an Oscar, but technically it's an awfully bad film. His television show Satyamev Jayate is yet another popularity gimmick as future investment for him, presumably for his next film. Suresh Parappurath, Bangalore, India

TIME spit on charm, class, grace, poise and intelligence when it picked Nigerian movie actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde over Genevieve Nnaji as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. It was sickening to read Richard Corliss gush over Jalade-Ekeinde, daring to call her the Queen of Nollywood. Even the village women know that the title belongs to Nnaji, whom CNN referred to as the Julia Roberts of Africa. Nnaji is equally the Aishwarya Rai of Africa. Cosmas Uzoma Odoemena, Lagos, Nigeria

Among those who made the list, Markus Persson and Jens Bergensten were the most impressive in terms of influence on children. Having known Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys, plastic bricks and Erector sets, I deem their Minecraft creation to be inspiring. TIME's recognition of their stimulus to create rather than destroy, as so much kid-oriented entertainment seems to elicit, is well deserved. Jim Pogorelc, Hillcrest, Australia

In his write-up on national Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre, gun-rights advocate Ted Nugent describes the Second Amendment as "sacred." Sacred? Does it have some sort of untouchable religious sanction? You know an argument is feeble when advocates connect it to religion in an attempt to give their cause some sort of divine credibility. Gerald Lawson, Hamilton, Australia