I Am Malala Memoir Project
Malala Yousafzai’s autobiography along with co-writer Christina Lamb was published on October 8th, 2013. The “I am Malala” autobiography details the harsh realities of women in Pakistan by delving into the life of Malala. Malala is a well known advocate of women’s rights in her hometown of Mingora and is shot in the head by the Taliban ( Islamic Terrorist Group) after they board her school bus looking for her. Malala’s father is known as Ziauddin and her mother’s name is Tor Pekai. Her father is the owner of a local school and is very forward thinking in terms of his view of women. He pushes his daughter to educate herself and stand up for the issues facing Pakistan of free speech, education and the rights of women. The rise of the Taliban is documented as well, after the events of September 11th, 2001 in the U.S. cause them to rise to power in her area and suppress women further by their use of the Quran to justify the oppression of women. As the Taliban grow stronger they attempt to oppress more and more thing such as western media, haircuts, education of women, history and western dress. Upon their arrival at the capital of Pakistan(Islamabad), the Taliban suicide bomb the democratic female prime minister by the name of Benazir Bhutto which further erases hope for the restoration of Pakistan as a democratic country. Malala begins to come in contact with the BBC to write diaries under the pseudonym of Gul Makai describing the terrors of Taliban ruled life in the Swat Valley. The Pakistan army increases efforts to intervene in Mingora causing all families to have to evacuate the area. Upon returning Malala further becomes a target of Taliban interest along with her father and an acquaintance of her father. The friend of Ziauddin by the name of Zahid Khan is shot for his services to activism against the Taliban. The story then comes full circle, detailing the events of the day in October of 2012 leading up to the shooting of Malala.
The State of Woman’s Rights in Pakistan
The patriarchal customs embedded deep into the culture of early 21st century Pakistan clearly showcase the status of women from Malala’s region. A quote from Malala’s Book substantiates this claim “I was a girl in a land where rifles are fired in celebration of a son, while daughters are hidden away behind a curtain, their role in life simply to prepare food and give birth to children” (Yousafzai 13). The perception of Malala’s status in terms of the culture of Swat Pakistan, is staggering compared to the advancement of the U.S. It also presents how incredibly brave she is to be an activist in a climate of oppressors.
The Taliban In Pakistan
Malauna Fazlullah was leader of the Taliban in Swat Valley. With a hatred for Western culture, Fazlullah ordered women always wear their burka and never obtain educations. The Taliban target anyone and publicly murder any resistance to their ideologies. Here Malala attempts to express her emotions of the Taliban “We felt like the Taliban saw us as little dolls to control, telling us what to do and how to dress. I thought if God wanted us to be like that He wouldn’t have made us all different.” (Yousafzai 124). These raw emotions regarding the oppression of the Taliban further give a more complete understanding of the issue at hand.
Malala Day
The United Nations declared July 12th Malala day due to her extreme actions of bravery against the powerful cause of women’s rights in Pakistan and abroad. The day stands for rights of all women across the globe no matter stature or ethnicity, for the advancement of society and equality of all. One of Malala’s most powerful quotes “Let us pick up our books and our pens,’ I said. ‘They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” (Yousafzai 310). Education is the one prevailing truth of humanity, an education can change lives.
Works Cited
“I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai.” Goodreads, Goodreads, 19 Aug. 2014, www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161872-i-am-malala.
Yousafzai, Malala, et al. I Am Malala. Mindbooks, 2015.
Leive, Cindi. “Malala Yousafzai Is a 2013 Glamour Woman of the Year; Join Us as We Support Her Mission to Make School a Basic Right For Every Girl.” Glamour, Glamour, 20 Jan. 2016, www.glamour.com/story/malala-yousafzai-is-this-year-s-glamour-women-of-the-year-fund-honoree.
