The name Malala comes from a Middle Eastern story dating back to the Anglo-Afghan Wars of the 1800s. As the Afghan soldiers lose their vigor at the Battle of Maiwand, a young woman named Malalai stands firm using her veil (or a fallen flag in some versions) as a symbol of strength and endurance, eventually bringing them to victory (Dalrymple). This theme of female strength is rare in the Middle East, where women are considered a lesser sect of humanity and no one rejoices when a daughter is born. In many of those countries, it is illegal for a woman to show her face, to receive an education, or really even think for herself. Malala Yousafzai’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, refused to follow that standard, instead choosing to name his first child …show more content…
Young Malala “didn’t say much, but ‘she could follow, and she never got bored’” (Baker); two years later, Ziauddin Yousafzai admitted four-year-old Malala into his school, where he instilled in her education’s power to set anyone free. When the Taliban took ahold of Pakistan in 2008, they implemented a series of edicts in a severe effort to eliminate girls’ education, consequently sparking Malala’s fight against them. At age eleven, she gave her first fiery speech for the national press titled, “How Dare the Taliban Take Away My Basic Right to Education?” A series of protests followed in the form of publicly speaking at events, interviews, documentaries for the New York Times, and an anonymous blog for BBC. From her seventh grade eyes, Malala chronicled the Taliban’s brutal takeover of her district, from the steep decline in girls’ attendance at her school to the dead bodies on the street. In the midst of the Taliban’s terror, her outcries sent a message to the girls of her community and to the rest of the world: do something because we are not free in the absence of …show more content…
Over the next few months, charities directed towards girls’ education in Pakistan saw tremendous increases in the number and monetary amount of donations (Baker). Furthermore, Gordon Brown, a representative of the United Nations, launched the Malala Petition urging “the United Nations to recommit to Millennium Development Goal 2, which promises that all children, boys and girls alike, should be able to complete primary schooling” (Mulholland). The petition garnered three million signatures and prompted Pakistan to pass the Right to Education Bill, yet despite that, a large majority of Pakistani girls are still failing to receive an education. Malala continues to fight this with her book, “I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban,” the Malala Fund, an organization bringing awareness to girls’ education, empowering those girls, and demanding change, all on top of her standard perseverance and powerful speeches. In 2014, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her dedication to bring justice to all children, especially in undeveloped countries, and her unwavering dissent to the Taliban’s restriction girls’ education even while under threat to her
Malala started her heroic journey when she started blogging under a pen name “Gul Makai” how life is with the Taliban for the BBC. She knew that by doing this she was taking a risk, but for her, the risk was worth it if she could get girls to have an education. She was able to go back to school when
Bibliography Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. N. p. : n.p., n.d. print.
The Taliban had began targeting girls' schools in Swat valley because they believed that female education went against their extremist Islamic beliefs. When the Taliban had prevented her and several other girls from attending school, Malala publicly spoke up against the Taliban's outrageous actions. In 2008, Malala spoke to an audience at a local press club in Peshawar about the Taliban taking away her, as well as several other females, basic right to an education by destroying educational and government institutions. Her speech entitled, “How Dare the Taliban Take Away My Basic Right to an Education,” displays the passion and outrage that Malala feels about the events occurring in her hometown. While Malala's speech was well received and made her publicly known among her village, it was her blog that made her rise to world wide fame. After hearing the announcement by Mullah Fazlullah that girls' schools were to be closed by January 15th, Ziauddin Yousafzai was asked by a BBC reporter if he could search for a girl who was willing to write about life under Taliban rule (Profile: Malala Yousafzai, 1). One girl had volunteered but was later dissuaded by her parents who feared the risks and danger of going against the Taliban (Alter, 1). Malala's father encouraged Malala, who willingly accepted the challenge. In order to avoid discovery, Malala wrote under the pseudonym of
Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. It is the very same “legacy of change” that Nelson Mandela used that inspires what Malala Yousafzai does today. At the age of 15, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating for girls’ education. Since this appalling incident, Malala has gone on to be the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize, start the “Malala Fund”, that funds education in developing countries, and is currently the figure of women’s rights. Malala has been constantly speaking, advocating and helping women and children acquire the rights they deserve. In her powerful speech to the U.N, she opened the world’s eyes to the truth about education
Imagine a world with no education. It is hard not to imagine a society where no knowledge, no future, or no life. If the world had no education; how will we build our sources? How will life know what is right and what is wrong? How would society know about the stages of life from past, present, and future? Just think how empty the world would be without education. Malala Yousafzai, an activist of woman and children's right of education known for her courageous acts to improve education globally. Malala Yousafzai has positively benefitted modern society by speaking up for her rights of education and by inspiring others to join her to create equality for all.
In the fall of 2012, a young Pakistani female was shot in the head by the Taliban while riding the bus home from school, but being shot was only one of the trails Malala Yousafzai was to overcome. Malala’s injuries were too great to be dealt with in hospitals in Pakistan; thus, she was transferred to England to undergo surgery. While in England Malala’s story became so popular that the United Nations heard of how she was shot and as a result, she had become an advocate for education; therefore, on July of 2013, at the age of sixteen, Malala, was invited to speak about her experience at the United Nation’s headquarters in New York. Her speech was intended to inform people of an epidemic that has invaded not only the Middle East but also
Writer, political activist, and feminist Malala Yousafzai once said, “One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen, can change the world.” Education is not a luxury, but rather a basis for survival; sadly, thirty-one million females ages five through eleven are not in a primary school and seventeen million of these females are expected to never enroll in school (Education). Malala Yousafzai fought, and is currently still fighting for education rights for women and children (Van). Malala Yousafzai defied a law which she determined unjust and was prepared to pay the ultimate price: her life. Due to Yousafzai’s personal beliefs, she choose to participate in civil disobedience by protesting the ban on education. Malala Yousafzai was successful in her actions through the use of peaceful protest. Yousafzai committed an act of civil disobedience in the eyes of the Taliban. Civil disobedience is defined as peace protest that violates a law intentionally (Suber).In addition to
Malala was born on July 12th, 1997, to Tor Pekai and Ziauddin Yousafzai, in Swat Pakistan. She was given the name Malala, which was derived from Malalai. Malalai from Maiwand is a well known warrior of Afghanistan, who was responsible for the Afghan victory against British-Indian forces. She freed the land and helped tend to the wounded. A fitting name for the young activist.
July 12nd 2013. Malala celebrated her 16th birthday. It was the day her first major speech held at the U.N after Taliban’s attempt to assassinate her for promoting education for females.
She has been an advocate for the right to education and spoke out against the Taliban’s presence in her home country of Pakistan for years before she was shot on her way to school by the terrorist group. After surviving the attack, she continues to speak out for education. Malala’s autobiography not only covers the inequality of education, but also cover’s women’s rights, which is becoming more of a pressing issue around the world. With society becoming more forward, it is important that women and men are equal in all countries. In third world, war torn countries, there is virtually no equality.
Malala Yousafzai made a change in the world when she stood up for everyone to get an education. Some people may not agree that girls should get an education but Malala still does what she thinks is right. All girls and boys should get an education. Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan. As a child, she became an advocate for girls' education, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her.
Then, in December 2008, they banned girls from going to school. Malala, under the pen name Gul Makai, blogged for BBC about life under the Taliban’s rule. He blog received global attention as her school closes its doors for good. In May of 2009, the Pakistani army begins to fight the Taliban, all citizens are forced from their homes. Malala is featured in a New York Times about her fight to protect girls education.
Her work is never in vain and “with a growing public platform, Yousafzai continued to speak out about her right, and the right of all women, to an education. Her activism resulted in a nomination for the International Children's Peace Prize in 2011. That same year, she was awarded Pakistan's National Youth Peace Prize” (“Malala Yousafzai,” 1). The Pakistani schoolgirl continues to use her fame to speak out for the rights of women and taking big actions. She gave many speeches and is still fighting to achieve something that has not been accepted into our societies.
How far would you go to stand up for what you believe in? Would you stand up to guns? Would you stand up against your own family? Would you stand up to state legislators? Against all odds, teens activists stand up for what they believe in by- speaking up for education, violence, and ecology.
Malala Yousafzai. An activist for education for females. Malala was born and raised in Pakistan, where education for young girls was threatened by the Taliban. In October of 2012, Malala stood up to the Taliban and demanded education for girls. She was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman but survived this tragic incident, and at seventeen years old, went on to be the youngest person to receive a Nobel peace prize. Now, Malala shares her story with the world, influencing and moving females of all ages to strive for an education for themselves and for others.