The Taliban tried to shut her up, but all they have done is to create a force that will undoubtedly help to destroy their influence in the Middle East and around the world.
This speech gave me chills.
Mark my words this incredible young woman will someday soon become an incredibly political powerful force in Pakistan and beyond. She is a great representative of her religion, and I have little doubt
that there are numerous Muslims in the world who are crying tears of joy
for her survival and strength and shame that it was fundamentalists from their religion who tried to snuff out her amazing light.
Malala certainly wouldn't be welcome in Texas!
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredibly courageous young woman!
ReplyDeleteIt makes me ashamed to know that I cannot possibly imagine the amount of strength she possesses.
She truly deserves our admiration.
The GOP is working hard to undo, step by step,the progress women and blacks have made in the USA in recent decades.
ReplyDeleteI hope the voters in America are heeding the message this brave, well spoken, young lady is bringing to the masses.
We must remove the "extremists" (Teapeers & GOP old men) from office if we are to recapture women's rights.
You don't think the rightwing nuts are trying to take education away? Check out the home schooling, charter school ratings (worse than you might realize)cost of college, rise in interest rates on student loans already in existence etc., etc., etc.!
Once schools are destroyed, women will have no option but to stay home and educate their children. That is the TeaGOP plan.
DeleteWow! Real Courage on display by this young lady, and she's only 16 yrs old.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, she will inspire many others in Palistan and in other countries throughout the ME. Since the Taliban was unable to kill her nor even slow down her efforts to advance women's rights by shooting her in the head,, I'm sure that the Taliban wil be concerned about making a martyr out of her now as well as creating an international incident that would be condemned by all civilized societies of the world.
This is the spirit that we have seen from Congr.Gabby Giffords and more recently from TX State Sen Wendy Davis. If somehow the GOP could understand that their efforts to quash Women's Rights is viewed by the majority of folks in the US as a Taliban-lite sentiment, then perhaps many of those GOP politicos would work to reform the platform of their party, if not out of an actual change in principles of fairness, at least as a means of self-preservation in national politics.
Great post, G. I hope Malala Yousefzai's story goes viral throughout US mainstream media and the Internet. Here's a young lady, wize beyong her years, who already understands how critical education is to advancing a society. We need more adults to be exposed to the crisis that is being created by those who promote Taliban-like philosophies toward women and education.
10:13, I'm afraid I don't share your certainty about the Taliban having enough intelligence to recognize the threat posed by martyrdom. Fanatics rarely have enough intelligence to see things of that sort. They see opposition. And threats to their agendas. Period.
DeleteTo the best of my knowledge, Malala has not returned to Pakistan since she was medevaced to the UK. Personally, I would prefer to not call judgement on that aspect of this story until after she has survived a long time after her return!
Sorry, but that's the pessimist in me. I find that attitude works best with fanatics.
I cringe as I watch this. Malala is a wonderful, fantastic YOUNG LADY (as in not really a child, BUT NOT YET AN ADULT). She should not be in this position. It seems to me she is being pushed into these positions by adults. THey are doing so becasue she is effective, and articulate, and wonderful, and bright and a lot of great things. but she is also not yet an adult, and should be protected, not exploited. She should not be put in the position of doing the adult's work.
ReplyDeleteI understand your concerns. Nevertheless, from what I have read, she has always been very outspoken about education, way before she was shot (there is a video out there that I think her dad made). Her very determined voice and body expression prove she is far from being manipulated. She is exceptionally strong and wise for her age, and I doubt that she would want to remain silent about this. She fought to survive and she will probably do everything in her power (and by her own choice) to forward her cause. May she be heard.
Delete111:14, I couldn't agree with you more. But I will bet you don't see the ANGLE from which I am agreeing.
DeleteYou are so right. At sixteen she is still basically a child in today's world. And yes, she is being pushed into doing the work of an adult. THAT much is completely true.
But she is being pushed into that role by the Taliban! She is being forced to speak out against something that shouldn't exist. That shouldn't be ALLOWED to exist. You make it sound as though it is her parents and other role model adults who are "forcing" her to speak out.
It wasn't a choice SHE made to have international attention crammed down her throat. All she wanted was to go to school. Intelligent people have a need to do that. They NEED to learn.
Her enemies decided that she shouldn't have that right. And so they sent someone to shoot her; to shut her up and use her silencing as a warning to others.
I believe you are confusing encouragement with pushing and exploiting.
Yes, she should be a girl still, but the Taliban forced her into a leading lady role. And the world itself has to accept some of the blame for that as well, since it is we who are asking her questions and essentially hanging on every word she says.
And if you really want to consider her brave? Ask yourself this one question: What will her country do to her if she says one wrong thing and someone charges her with blasphemy?
This young lady has a Wikipedia page: "In early 2009, at the age of 11–12, Yousafzai wrote a blog under a pseudonym for the BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule, their attempts to take control of the valley, and her views on promoting education for girls.[10] The following summer, a New York Times documentary[4] was filmed about her life as the Pakistani military intervened in the region, culminating in the Second Battle of Swat.[11] Yousafzai began to rise in prominence, giving interviews in print and on television[12] and taking a position as chairperson of the District Child Assembly Swat.[13] She has since been nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize by Desmond Tutu[14] and the Nobel Peace Prize, being the youngest nominee in history for the latter.[15][16] She is the winner of Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize.[5] Malala appears to speak for herself without adults pushing her. Encouraging her, yes, but not pushing.
DeleteThe blog should have stayed anonymous.
DeleteAn 11-year old who writes beautifully about important issues gets praise and attention for being so articulate about such an important issue. It's intoxicating. It's intoxicating for adults, much less for children.
Being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize isn't difficult. I could nominate you.
I think the fact of all these nominations is evidence of all the seduction that this child is dealing with - whether she or the adults realize it or not.
I don't see how any of these things, or all of these things, give any evidence of whethr she is encouraged or pushed. I think I'm most concerned about her (or her parents) being seduced by the attention.
I agree. I think 16 is too young to become an international spokesperson for ANY cause, no matter how noble the cause. Even the SPCA.
ReplyDeleteI have had my kids come along with me when I was campaigning for a candidate. But I was with them - I wasn't sending them ahead of me. And it wasn't about a dangerous topic. And if the day came when they changed their mind, there would no issue of having to retract public statements. There would be no attempts to blackmail or threaten violence against my kids to change their mind.
There are costs to being an international spokesperson for a political cause that 16-year-olds can't fathom. I suppose there is not clear-cut age at which a young person can make such a decision, but 16 is clearly below that level.
And she isn't jsut an international spokesperson for a political cause - she is a spokeperson for a political cuase that angers vengeful people with weapons they are willing to use against her. She could easily become a martyr. I wouldn't want that.
Where are the adults in her life, at least to help shield her, or speak with her, if not to do the adult thing and fight the fight for her.
Anonymous @5:43 pm: 16 year old, and much younger, girls are forced into marriage, therefore should have the privilege to speak out about something that personally affects/affected her.
DeleteI think you need to do a bit of research to understand the life of Malala. Nothing I have read indicates that her parents are pushing her onto the international stage. She is there because of her attempted murder for the crime of seeking an education.
It would be nice of some of the 16 years olds in this country had a cause instead of ipads, texting and sexting.
You know, thinking about this, if I thought this would change things, I MIGHT consider going out with my daughter.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while she wins a great deal of admiration from the western world, but I doubt she changes anything in Pakistan. In fact, I suspect it angers those who are against her and makes things more difficult for those left behind.
I suspect there are other more effective ways to do things - such as gathering money to make it happen, such as the P.E.O.
"but I doubt she changes anything in Pakistan." Shows how little you know about Pakistan.
DeleteMalala is definitely not one of those Wasillabilly Palins.
ReplyDelete16 is plenty old enough. She's clearly articulate, knows what she's talking about, and strong. This idea of 'teenager' isn't found in every culture - it's actually a Western focused one.
ReplyDeleteYes, Muslims around the world are very, very proud of her. She speaks the values we often don't get to broadcast to a wider audience for lack of resources or, well, attention.
My take on this is that those speaking of her being exploited, pushed, not protected by family members, is ridiculous. The terrorists already tried to kill her and she fought back through that deadly physical trauma, no doubt stronger than before.
ReplyDeleteShe is doing what adults who are privy to the conditions do not have the "balls" to do. How many 16 year olds do you know who have a mission that is self-defined, are articulate and energized to take it forward?
She is not selfishly saying she wants educated, she is saying all girls/women need the opportunity.
Some people are born mature. Whatever accolades or awards are granted to her, make no mistake, she has earned them.
With the ridiculous, disrespectful behaviors and dress, tattoos, piercings etc. flaunted by so many of the US teenagers today, are some of the remarks here just jealousy that their own offspring don't have lofty goals they are pursuing?