Ironical, isn't it? The name Malala is of Pashtun origin and literally means sad/melancholic and is also the name of a warrior of the Maiwand battle against the British.
And at present, as I write of today, Malala lies on a hospital bed in Birmingham, England under the watchful monitor of the English/British doctors. This so, post an attack on her by Taliban gunmen who were against her propagating women's education in the ravaged SWAT province in Pakistan.
Malala Yousufzai is a 14 year old girl from Mingora, SWAT province in Pakistan. She was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen for the reason as mentioned in the previous paragraph. Due to the seriousness of her condition, she was airlifted to the UK where doctors have been providing her with the best quality care as the world waits with bated breath on when she regains consciousness or when she will mouth her first word post a barrage of surgeries.
I do not intend to write a biography on Malala or describe what she did. Thanks to the click of the mouse button, information is aplenty. What I do intend to voice here is the fact that her stoicness in the toughest of times, her indomitable spirit has started to resonate among the hearts of many a young women in Pakistan's Taliban "stricken" regions.
But what about several other 'Malalas' who may have gone unnoticed or are still under the shadows? Does it really take an NYT documentary, or felicitations by different governing bodies to make Malala heard or stand out? Should she have just cowered under the shackles imposed by the "re-established" Taliban regime? Many other voices may have already been drowned in the ensuing 're-Talibanization'.
No. Malala should not become a martyr of sorts. Yes. She deserves a carefree childhood. She deserves to be educated, not outside her country, but in her homeland. Her friends and sisters, brothers alike should be so proud of her. Her grit and determination are semblance to her maturity. It makes you look and feel small when one constantly whines about not getting to do what one wants despite numerous opportunities. And here we have Malala, who in spite of all the odds, stood tall straight into the face of the extremists and who now is on her way to slow and hopefully steady recovery.
I pray that she recovers fully (both physically and psychologically) and emerges stronger than ever to carry forward her 'wish'- to empower herself and many other young girls like her in her country.
Amen.
No. Malala should not become a martyr of sorts. Yes. She deserves a carefree childhood. She deserves to be educated, not outside her country, but in her homeland. Her friends and sisters, brothers alike should be so proud of her. Her grit and determination are semblance to her maturity. It makes you look and feel small when one constantly whines about not getting to do what one wants despite numerous opportunities. And here we have Malala, who in spite of all the odds, stood tall straight into the face of the extremists and who now is on her way to slow and hopefully steady recovery.
I pray that she recovers fully (both physically and psychologically) and emerges stronger than ever to carry forward her 'wish'- to empower herself and many other young girls like her in her country.
Amen.
