Raise your voice: MALALA YOUSAFZAI

“Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, In the name of God, the most beneficient, the most merciful” commences Malala’s speech at the Harvard Univesity on Malala day. Who is this young fearless lady? Malala Yousafzai is a 16-year-old Pakistani girl, a fighter and a believer in what’s right. She is an activist who fights for women’s education and other human rights. This little girl is also an excellent orator and has delivered inspiring speeches at the UN conference and at the Harvard University. She hails from the Swat district, an area in Northwest Pakistan.

When Malala was 11, her town was invaded by the Taliban. They stopped women from education, entertainment and curtailed their freedom. They stopped them from going to school and from going to the markets. The schools in Swat district were bombed by the Taliban. More than 400 schools were destroyed. Teachers and students were killed. The Taliban is a terrorist group that condemns the involvement of women in any social, political or economic activity. The Taliban made an attempt to stop women from getting education primarily out of fear. Education leads to an awakening and that was exactly what the Taliban did not want.

This is where the story begins. Malala started writing a blog for the BBC on day to day difficulties she and her friends faced while going to school when Taliban infused the Swat land. This story was taken up by a journalist and made public which drew people’s attention to the subject. Most of us take education for granted. What we don’t realize is it is still a privilege to many. Girls and boys in developing countries drop out of school at an alarming rate if they enroll in one. Some in the underdeveloped countries do not know what a school is. This is mainly due to poverty, lack of awareness, infrastructure and teachers. A school is an institution which lets you free. Children who are not blessed with a school are often trapped. They have no wings to explore. If you cannot read and write you cannot grow.

Women in poor countries are most affected. Oppression against women is not new. Even in the so called developed world, rapes, murders and discrimination amongst women is commonplace. Even today, we continue to live in a patriarchal society. The UN reports that the poorest young women in developing countries may not achieve universal literacy until 2072. Even learned successful women are given lesser opportunities than men in politics and business. If half the society is held, we can never succeed. Malala started advocating education in Pakistan at the age of 11. She was threatened by Taliban to stop her education movement but she continued. At 15, she was shot thrice in the bus on her way to school. Malala sustained serious injuries and was under critical condition for days. She was later taken to the UK for advance treatment. When Malala recovered, she came out stronger. She made a greater effort to spread her vision of education for all.

She delivered a speech at the Harvard University to raise her issues and bring the world together to fight for her cause. On her 16^th birthday, she delivered a speech at the United Nations Conference and suggested that education is the only solution to terrorism. In her worlds, if children are not given pens at the right time they will be given guns by the terrorists. These were her words to start a revolution: “Let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education First.”

She wrote her first book, I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and has continued to speak for women’s educational rights. Malala recently teamed up with Vodafone to spread literacy through mobile among more than 500 million girls. A Malala Fund has been formed to help the girl child in her quest for education. In the picture below, Malala distributes books among Syrian girls.

When Malala met Obama and his family, she spoke about drone attacks and their effects on the innocent. She pointed out that the means used to curb terrorism is in a way helping its growth. A 16-year-old girl advising the most powerful man in the world is phenomenal.

Malala dreams of becoming a politician to served her country when she grows up. She has been honoured amidst much criticism. She was awarded the Sitara-e-Shujaat, the third highest civilian award in Pakistan. She was also awarded the National Youth Peace Prize for her relentless quest for equality and education. She has also been featured on the cover of the TIME magazine as ‘100 Most Influential People In The World’. She has been conferred upon the Canadian citizenship. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 becoming the youngest person to be nominated. She has been nominated again in 2014. Whether she wins or not, she has already won a millions of hearts and will continue her fight for education.

Thank You Malala! Thank You for reminding all of us that it is our responsibility to fight for human rights. Thank You for reminding us to raise our voice. Today, every little girl wants to grow up to be you.