With the whole world watching, Malala Yususzai, 15, has started her road to recovery after being brutally shot by the Taliban.
The cause of this barbaric attack by Taliban was Malala’s stance on education of women. She has campaigned for women’s right and educating girls in the Swat Valley in north-west Pakistan. Swat was under complete Taliban control from 2007 to 2009, until Pakistan reclaimed the valley using military force in one of the largest air operations in the country’s history.
Malala, the winner of Pakistan’s first peace award, was shot in the head and neck when she was recognized by disguised men boarding her school bus.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Malala raised her voice against Taliban who were demolishing schools in Swat. She protested against them and became a symbol of bravery. With this regards, she is unquestionably a brave girl and reflects sentiments of Pakistan. Malala had started to write diaries and blogs, whereby she articulated the troublesome situation in Swat and how Taliban are breaking the writ of Pakistani government. She advocated almost on every forum for girls’ education and peace.
What was Malala’s agenda? She was asking for her school to resume and was fighting for the right to education, which Taliban had vehemently taken away.
How many girls Malala’s age have raised their voices for women’s right to education, written blogs and above all, dared to campaign against Taliban with such passion and bravery? Malala’s only wish was to study and to gain knowledge. These are the attributes of Malala Yousafzai that make her unique. Hence, the whole world is standing behind her innocence, courage and bravery.
However, Malala incident is not an isolated event. Taliban has killed 40,000 civilians and 5,000 to 7,000 security personnel according to the Government of Pakistan. Taliban are enemies of Pakistan and are certainly impairing the society overall. They are shredding Pakistan’s social, political and economic life.
It is high time that Pakistan’s progressive, enlightened forces unite and stand up against the obscurantists & extremists. All of the political parties and every section of society should be addressed and be taken into consensus against this terrorist element to resolve this menace. Pakistan can not afford divergence of any sort within the society at this stage. Bewilderingly, this is a state of misfortune for everybody in Pakistan.
In my opinion, the Taliban are shaken and being defensive. They are justifying their attack because of antagonistic backlash by the people of Pakistan.
Ubiquitously people are praying for Malala and thousands of candles are being lit so that her message does not fade away. The incident has caused the majority of the people of Pakistan, barring few hypocrites, to develop a consensus and are united against these terrorists. Politicians and a majority of the Muslim clerics, across the board have condemned it. There is a general consensus that Malala has been a victim of brutality.
“When she fell, Pakisan stood” Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of Malala said. “This is a turning point and that is why I am thankful to all the people all over the world, indifferent to caste, creed, religion, faith, age and sex. Everyone across the world, they condemned the attack in strong words and prayed for my daughter. She is not only my daughter, she is the daughter of everybody-the sister of everybody.”
