Voice for the Rights to Education in I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Voice for the Rights to Education in I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Dr.S.Sumathi,

Asst.Prof of English,

J.K.K.Nataraja College of Arts & Science,

Komarapalayam.

          Education empowers people, not only by giving them knowledge that they can use to gain power, but by encouraging them to have confidence in themselves. From an early age, Malala is aware of her father Ziauddin’s self-education. One of the earliest parts of her education, one might say, is her realization that she can do anything with the proper studying and preparation like her father. As Malala grows up, her respect for education grows. While she does well on her exams, her most important moments of learning comes when she sees the impact of education on others. In the large, cosmopolitan city, Malala is overjoyed to see women with professional careers and as strong, forceful personalities. It is no coincidence that when Malala returns to her native town of Mingora, she throws herself into her political projects condemning the Taliban for their opposition to universal education, making radio broadcasts, and reaching out to struggling women around her country. Malala’s coming-of –age largely consists of her increasing recognition of the value of learning.

            The central theme of I am Malala is even more important that the power of education – is the theme of women’s rights. Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl who narrates the book, is passionate about the equality of the sexes, and often quotes the founder of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, regarding this issue: “No struggle can succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the Pen” (Yousafzai 75). There is a third power stronger than both, that is women.

Women have had a complex role in Pakistan history. Malala is a Pashtun, a tribe that traditionally confines women to the domestic world, and even trades women as if they are objects. And yet the greatest idol of the pashtuns is Malali since the founding of Pakistan following World War II, women have continued to play a conflicted role in their religion’s history. Evenly Mohammed Ali Jinnah wanted women to play an active role in politics, and in some ways, they have Benazir Bhutto rose to lead Pakistan in the late 1990s, as the first female head of state in the Muslim world. And yet in many ways women are still treated as inferior to men, they are informally discouraged from pursuing an education, they are granted fewer rights in court.

           

From an early age, Malala is capable of seeing the Taliban for what they are: disturbed men who, in a time of global instability, take out their anger, fear, and aggression on women. In spite of the growing crisis of women’s rights in her country, Malala grows up knowing the value of strong, educated women. Her father Ziauddin uses his talent to run a chain of schools that offer good, affordable education for women as well as men, and also uses his literary training to pen popular articles arguing for the importance of women’s rights.

            As Malala grows up, her passion for women’s rights strengthens, she begins making radio broadcasts and writing articles on her own, in which she argues for equal rights and universal education. Women’s rights, she realizes, are important as Jinnah said, they are valuable: they contribute to the good of the city and to the good of the country.

            Malala’s enthusiasm for women’s rights proves too powerful for the Taliban to fight. Though they send a soldier to assassinate Malala, the assassination attempt fails. Moreover, Malala continues to denounce the Taliban and support feminism even after she nearly dies and her near martyrdom gives her a global platform for her views. After the Taliban in 2009 enacted a ban on the schooling of girls, four hundred private schools enrolling forty thousand girls were closed, including the private school run by Malala’s father. During this period, Malala became an internationally recognized spokesperson for education, which resulted in her shooting by the Taliban. Malala thought by attacking her, Taliban are not only voicing their opposition to women’s rights, but also to freedom.

            Islam has been very important to Malala’s life, but there have not been any true representative of the religion itself. Ghulamullah, scholar of Islam did not approve of the notion of a school for women. But Malala rejects the notion that Islam involves women being submissive to men. Slowly Ziauddin calmly argued that the Quran encouraged women to improve their minds and souls. The leader of the Taliban continued to inspire the people in Swat. He called for increasingly severe change in Swat society. Amazingly millions of women joined the Taliban in attacking the Western stores and restaurants.

            The Talibans have, in some ways, been successful in their goals: they have used terrorism to inspire fear and anxiety in millions of people, showing them that they are in danger of losing their lives if they persist in attending school. At the same time Malala refuses to give up her education. Fazlullah the Taliban leader, made a sudden announcement that the schools should be closed and he warned women going to school after January 15. Malala did not take this threat seriously. Ziauddin had no choice but to give into the Taliban’s threats to protect his children’s lives. Thus Malala comments: “The Taliban could take our pens and books, but could not stop our minds from thinking” (122). She argues that education cannot be dismissed as a cultural thing and it is a universal human right, a fundamental part of being human. The attack on women in Pakistan grew even more brutal, and Malala’s feelings on the matter are very telling: people realize that she regards the right to education as every bit as important as the right to life and freedom. In Islamabad Malala discovers that it is possible to have a thriving Pakistani community in which women are empowered and have careers.

            It is an important sign that Malala’s first major award is given to her by the Pakistani government itself.  2010 ends on a sad note for Malala. Her Aunt Babo, the eldest sister of her mother, dies. Babo had tried to treat her diabetes by visiting a doctor who promised to cure it overnight. In the end, the doctor injected Babo with lethal chemicals, killing her. Ziauddin insists that Babo’s story proves that women need to learn to educate themselves and take care of themselves.

            The Taliban threatens to assassinate Malala and their anonymous notes prevent Malala’s friends from attending the school. But Malala is not disturbed by the activities of the Taliban. When she was 14, the Taliban issued death threat against her. On October 9, 2012, a gunman fired at her, hitting her in the left side of her head; the bullet then travelled down her neck. Two other girls were also injured. The shooting left her in critical condition, so she flew to a military hospital in Peshwar. A portion of her skull was removed to treat her swelling brain. She was then transferred to England. In March 2013, she was able to begin attending school in Birmingham. The shooting resulted in a massive outpouring of support for Malala, which continued during her recovery.

Malala gave a speech at the United Nations on her 16^th birthday, in 2013. She wanted to reach all people living in poverty, those children forced to work and those who suffer from terrorism or lack of education. Deep in her heart she hoped to reach every child who could take courage from her words and stand up for his or her rights.

            Despite the Taiban’s threats, Malala remains a staunch advocate for the power of education. On October10, 2013 in acknowledgement of her work, the European Parliament awarded Malala the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought. That same year, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. She did not win the prize, but was named a nominee again in March 2014. In August of the same year, Leanin.Org held a live chat on face book with Sheryl Sandberg and Malala about the importance of education for girls around the world. Malala had supported education for all human beings in Pakistan, but now she is moved forward to support education for all human being on the planet. She talked about her story, her inspiration and family, her plans for the future and advocacy, and she answered a variety of inquiries from the social network’s users.

Malala’s world has changed so much. On the shelves of her living room are awards from around the world – America, India, France, Spain, Italy and Austria and many other places. She has been nominated for the Nobel Prize, the youngest person ever. When she received prizes for her work at school she was happy as she had worked hard for them, but these prizes are different. She is grateful for them, but they only remind her how much work still she needs to be done to achieve the goal of education for every boy and girl. She does not want to be thought of as “The girl who was shot by Taliban but the girl who fought for education” (261). This is the cause to which she wants to devote her life.

WORK CITED:

Yousafzai, Malala. I am Malala. London: Orient Books Ltd, 2014. Print.