Malala Yousufzai: A Child Hero

     (Batkhela.tk)   Honour killings, fundamentalism, Islamists, terrorists and danger. These are the words generally used to describe Pakistan from an outsider’s perspective. Those within the country agree times are horrible. So, they whine about politics through social media and feel a little light hearted after tweeting in a revolutionary tone. Sporadically a Pakistani prodigy emerges, breaking through all barriers and restrictions, whether financial, social or gender based, proving to fellow Pakistanis and the world that this country is holding immense untapped potential in its people. If only someone would take a stand and lead it in the right direction.

One such exemplary case is Malala Yousufzai, a young, resilient and gallant member of Pakistan’s aspiring youth stuck in troubled times. Yousufzai can easily be dubbed the Anne Frank of Pakistan, using chaos and pain to archive her experiences, dreams and terrors in the form of a diary, which made it to BBC Urdu. She is now 13 years of age and is ecstatic to be amongst four other inspiring girls, chosen from over 42 countries for the Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu.

Stemming from Swat, Malala Yousufzai, much like several other Pakistanis, is sick and tired of the negative global perception regarding our homeland. Let’s face it. No one wants to make it big in the media for being termed the “most dangerous place on Earth” nor do we want to be ranked second to Somalia, in a list of countries where women are living in deplorable, inhumane conditions. 

A face like Malala’s is blinding hope for many Pakistani’s who want to improve the image of their country. Whether it is writing about how we feel and getting it out there for the world to read or feeding starving children, which we have in abundance right outside our homes.

Amidst drone attacks, civilian violence and bomb blasts, stories such as Malala’s get buried away under the giant sea of information being injected into the world. Her diary enables us as readers to delve into the tarnished life of a female victim of the Taliban regime. Her psychological despair is evident when she begins to have nightmares about the Taliban and their heinous ways of dealing with society; public execution being a prime example. 

It is not easy being a child in the Swat Valley at this time and one cannot imagine the horror they undergo as a daily part of their lives. Education gives these children a sense of freedom and connection with the other parts of the world. If this too is taken away from them, the women will be silenced eternally. Malala was lucky to learn how to read, write and represent her people on a global level. Unable to comprehend why the Taliban wanted to ban education for women, she found her voice, deep within her stirring consciousness and was finally heard and recognized by the world. 

Despite challenges and difficulty, Malala Yousufzai aims to educate women in her society so that they can be independent and stand at par with the rest of the world. This child has such ambitious and humbling goals at the age of 13 that we can only imagine the positive impact she will have in her community. Besides her efforts for promoting girl education, her resolve alone is something to gain inspiration from. It takes one voice, a little effort and strong will to bring change. If Pakistani society continues to produce brave, hopeful patriots like Malala Yousufzai, that day is not far when we will be back in Times Magazine for boasting the best hiking trails, world class textile and a thriving tourism industry attracting millions of culture seekers from across the globe.