Malala is right about women’s education. This little girl eloquently says what we all should agree on- that girls need to be educated. She’s even been attacked for saying something that has such strong roots within Islam.
Had it not been that Aisha (RA) was a scholar or that Fatima (RA) was a scholar, we would not have known explanations of many verses in the Qur’an.
Malala deserves to be lauded within our community.
Why the West is so excited about her struggle and her suffering, is an entirely different matter.
The suffering of Malala will be used again and again to kill her fellow citizens and fellow Muslims- her brothers and sisters. Her story will be told every time a bomb is dropped from drones, and more hearts stop beating.
Drone attacks that played a part in creating the TTP.
In every newspaper, every TV channel, whenever Malala comes up, pundits shake their heads at the brutality of the TTP- an organization that their government planted the seeds of in the 80’s.
A very close parallel is the brave Malalai Joya, who’s been touted before as the voice of Afghan women when she condemned the Taliban. As soon as she started demanding West withdraw from her country, Western media started ignoring her.
Malala Yusufzai can make sure she will be heard, loud and clear, if she goes up to that podium and says no thank you.
A country like Pakistan that officially supports and promotes terrorism is essentially at war with the world. Such country should not complain when it is hit with bombs from drones. It is unfortunate that some innocent lives are lost in the drone attacks, but if the Pakistani military-intelligence establishment ever decides to disown the terrorists, and take them on itself, the foreign drones will no longer be needed. True, military does try to stop some terrorists (and has lost men while doing that), but there are many more it supports with training, equipment, logistics as well detailed planning of terrorist activities (ie 11/26). It is for this reason that foreign troops and drones are still needed in Pakistan.