i am malala education essay

I Am Malala

By malala yousafzai.

• I Am Malala Summary

Malala Yousafzai was born in 1997 to a Pashtun family in Swat Valley, Pakistan. She grew up in and around school, as her father's lifelong dream had been to found a school; thus, Malala valued education from an extremely young age. Two brothers followed her: one, Kushal , is two years younger than she is, and the other, Atal , is seven years younger than she is.

Life in Mingora, Swat's largest city, was easy for the first part of Malala's childhood. The family had little money at first, but as her father’s school began to do well, they were better off. In school, Malala was always at the top of the class, contested only by her best friend, Moniba , and her rival, Malka-e-Noor . Pakistan began to change after the 9/11 attacks happened. Power continuously shifted, as did the nation's international reputation. One autumn, an earthquake devastated Swat Valley, leaving its people suffering and vulnerable and eager for some sort of leadership.

When Malala was ten years old, the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group seeking to implement its brutal version of sharia law in the region, came to Swat Valley. It was led by a man named Fazlullah , who at first appealed to many people because of his charisma and rationality. The Taliban began to implement many strict rules: CDs, DVDs, and TVs were not allowed in the home, women must remain in purdah, and girls could not be educated. For Malala, this last rule was unacceptable. She and her father began to speak out strongly and publicly against Talibanization. Malala even began to write a diary about life as a girl under the Taliban, using a pseudonym so it could not be traced to her.

At last the Pakistani army said that they had struck a deal with the Taliban to institute sharia law in Swat in return for peace, but unfortunately this peace did not last. The situation got so bad that scores of people left Swat Valley, fleeing the Taliban—Malala's family tried to stay for as long as they could, but eventually they left as well. They became IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons), living outside of Swat for three months before they were able to return when the army announced that the Taliban had allegedly been driven out of the valley.

Once she returned to Swat, Malala began to gain more national and international fame for being an advocate for girls' education. Similarly, her father continued to speak out loudly. Pakistan was shaken up when the United States Navy SEALS conducted a raid on a compound in Abottabad, where Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted terrorist, had apparently been hiding out for years. Meanwhile, signs showed that the Taliban had never really left Swat Valley, and Malala's father continued to fear that he would be targeted. Then one day when Malala was on the bus home from school, a strange man pulled the bus over, asked for Malala by name, and shot her in the face.

Malala was taken to an army hospital in Peshawar and given an operation that gave her brain space to swell where the bullet hit it. Everyone prayed that she would survive, but they were unsure. A pair of British doctors came from Rawalpindi to assess her and the hospital, and determined that she had to be moved if she was to survive. First they moved her to a high-security army hospital in Rawalpindi, but then she was moved abroad to Birmingham, UK, where she was treated more extensively. Her family followed her ten days later; they did not return to Pakistan, instead settling in an apartment and then a house in Birmingham. In the aftermath of her shooting, Malala became an international sensation, using her newfound fame to speak out on a larger stage for girls' education.

I Am Malala Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for I Am Malala is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Explain the following quote: “Inside the Khushal School, we flew on the wings of knowledge.”

Malala cherishes the memories of her father's school. Many girls were not given the opportunity of an education and even fewer were given the liberal education that Malala received inside Khushal School. To Malala, education was a liberating...

how does starting the story with this prologue help support the memoir

We get a sense of context before the story begins. The prologue acts as an exposition to the narrative.

provided a private jet for Malala’s transport to England

United Arab Emirates

Study Guide for I Am Malala

I Am Malala study guide contains a biography of Malala Yousafzai, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About I Am Malala
• Character List

Lesson Plan for I Am Malala

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to I Am Malala
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• I Am Malala Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for I Am Malala

• Introduction
• Murder attempt
• Continuing activism

I Am Malala

Malala yousafzai, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Women’s Rights

Perhaps the central theme of I Am Malala —even more important than 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 Power of Education

From the first scene—in which Malala is shot by the Taliban for riding a bus to school—to the final chapter—in which Malala lobbies for a UN resolution in favor of universal education— I Am Malala celebrates the importance of education. It could be said that education determines the way Malala comes of age: the more she learns, the more she recognizes the value of learning, and the more mature she becomes.

Education empowers people, not…

Islam and Its Interpretations

Malala makes it clear that she is a devout Muslim—a follower of the faith of Islam. Islam is one of the three Abrahamic religions (the other two are Judaism and Christianity): monotheistic religions that believe that God revealed himself to the prophet Abraham. Islam was founded by Mohammed, a man who lived in the Middle East during the 6th century. Mohammed claimed to have been visited by the angel Gabriel, who dictated to him the…

Since her rise to global fame in 2013, Malala Yousafzai has become almost universally renowned for her selfless devotion to helping the people of her country. She’s the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the world’s most prestigious award for helping other people. There are even those who think of her as a “living saint”—incapable of doing any wrong. In light of Malala’s reputation as a highly, or even perfectly, moral young…

Fame, Power, and the Importance of Role Models

Malala is an icon, renowned for her support for education and women’s rights. As a result, one of the most prominent themes in I Am Malala is the theme of fame itself: how heroes and role models, known by millions of people they’ve never met, can contribute to change or distract from it.

From a young age, Malala is surrounded by good role models. Her paternal grandfather, Rohul Amin , is a famously brilliant speaker…

I Am Malala

Table of contents, introduction, religion, freedom, and religious extremism : islam, the talibanand sharia law, the power of education, girl’s rights, analysis of the character, essay 1 : ’malala demonstrates that there is power in unity and persistence.’ discuss..

• Essay 2 : ’Although Malala is an inspirational example to others, she cannot achieve change on her own.’ Discuss.
• Essay 3 : In the memoir ‘I Am Malala’ religious extremism is to blame for the restrictions that are forced upon Malala’s life. Discuss.
• Essay 4 : Discuss the ways that relationship is shown to have a significant impact on Malala and her fight for justice in I am Malala.
• Essay 5 : How does the author of I am Malala explore the role of sacrifice when campaigning for a cause? Discuss.
• Essay 6 : ’The memoir I Am Malala illustrates that it is our moral responsibility to speak up against injustice, regardless of personal risk.’ Discuss.
• Essay 7 : ’I began to see that the pen and the words that come from it can be much more powerful than machine guns, tanks or helicopters.’ How does the memoir I Am Malala demonstrate that words can be more powerful than any other weapon? Discuss.
• Essay 8 : “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” The memoir I Am Malala demonstrates that education is powerful. Discuss.

Brief Historical background

In her memoir ‘I Am Malala’, Malala Yousafzai relays the story of her experiences as a young girl in Pakistan, which lead to her being targeted and shot by the Taliban. Malala, who describes herself as a devout Muslim, talks at length in her memoir about the disconnection between the Taliban and their activities, and the true meaning of Islam. Malala states that she is “proud that our country was created as the world’s first Muslim homeland.” (75) However, she also observes that the people of Pakistan do not agree on what this actually means. Her sense that the true meaning of Islam has been lost or distorted appears frequently in the text. It is especially prominent when Malala reflects upon the impact of religious extremism on both the outside and inside perceptions of what Islam is. She blames the influence of the extremist views enforced on the people of Pakistan by the Taliban as the cause of this distortion. Malala quotes the speech that the founding father of Pakistan, Muhammed Ali Jinnah, gave when Pakistan was created, using his words to express that Pakistan was not created as a safe haven for religious extremism. “You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed- that has nothing to do with the business of the state.” (75)

ANALYSIS OF THE THEME

Religion and Freedom

Malala is aware early in her life that religion shapes her existence in almost every way. As a Muslim living in an Islamic country, Malala knows that there are religious laws which are imposed upon both men and women. These laws reflect Malala’s Sunni Muslim heritage. As a small child these laws do not seem important, however as she becomes older Malala is more aware of the restrictive and unfair ways in which her religion seeks to control over her as an individual, but also as a female. In Chapter 4 Malala becomes aware that women were obligated to cover their faces whenever they went away from their house, or ‘purdah quarters’. Further, women were not allowed to talk to meet or talk to men who were not their close relatives (54). For Malala this was just another part of her cultural landscape, however, as a young teenager exploring her identity she was determined not to cover her face. She recalls a time when a male relative angrily asked her father “Why isn’t she covered?” Malala’s father’s response was to defend her. “She’s my daughter. Look after your own affairs.” (54) Malala states that “I am very proud to be a Pashtun but sometimes I think our code of conduct has a lot to answer for, particularly where the treatment of women is concerned.” (54) Malala’s growing awareness of the inequality that exists in her society causes her to question her own place in it, and as such she is very privileged to have a father who is determined to protect her freedom. Malala’s father talks to her about the difficulty of life for women in Afghanistan under the Taliban, and of the ways in which the Taliban sought to control and restrict their personal rights and freedoms of women. Malala shudders when her father tells her “…the Taliban had even banned women from laughing out loud or wearing white shoes as white was a ‘colour that belonged to men.’ Women were being locked up and beaten just for wearing nail varnish.” For Malala, freedom is very important, and she has been raised by her father to believe in her own freedom, regardless of their religious traditions. “I read my books…and trusted in my father’s words: ‘Malala is free as a bird.’” (55) Without Malala’s father value of his daughter’s freedom, Malala’s life would have been quite different. He reassures her that “I will protect your freedom, Malala. Carry on with your dreams.” (55) Malala is not forced to confront the idea of a life without her freedom until the Taliban move in to Swat and impose their own brand of Islam upon them. “When I heard the stories of the atrocities in Afghanistan I felt proud to be in Swat. ‘Here a girl can go to school’, I used to say…For me the valley was a sunny place and I couldn’t see the clouds gathering behind the mountains.” (55)

The word Sharia means “a well-trodden path to water,” and therefore represents the path to Allahi. In Islam, Sharia is Islamic law which should not be confused with civil law. This means that it sets out the elements and principles of the Islamic religion based on the teachings in the Quran, dictating what each individual Muslim must perform and abide by in order to reach Allah (God). Sharia law also sets out the patterns that believers must follow in worshipping Allah: prayers, charity, fasting and pilgrimageii. All religions use organising principles to guide and instruct. In this sense Sharia is no different. Within Sharia, there are five tenants that must be preserved: life, learning, family, property and honouriii. There are also five categories to organise the actions of the congregation of Islam: obligatory, recommended, permitted, disliked or forbiddeniv. Malala uses the word haram to describe things that are forbidden by Sharia law. The word halal is used to describe the things that are permitted. Interestingly Sharia law does not state that women should be completely covered from head to toe (including the face). The choice of cover is specific to certain areas in the world and dictated by cultural and political influences rather than stipulated by Sharia law, which requests only modest dress. Sharia law also commands specific punishments for specific crimes.

Unlike the form of Sharia law enforced by the Taliban, women and men are described as equals in original Sharia and are seen as partners in promoting the common goodv. Western politicians and media have interpreted Sharia law as presented by the Taliban to be its true meaning, something that has caused a significant increase in Islamophobia and a general misunderstanding of the principles and intentions of Islam. Many of the extreme reactions to Sharia law around the world stem from a misinterpretation of Islam because of the actions of a

minor few: namely, the Taliban and its supporters.

The Taliban and Religious Extremism

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York, the Taliban eventually comes to Swat Valley. In the memoir I Am Malala, the Taliban arrive in Swat in Chapter 9 when Malala is ten years old, bringing with them their special brand of religious extremism. Malala describes them as “strange-looking men with long straggly hair and beards and camouflage vests over their shalwar kamiz…” (91) The name Taliban describes a movement of religious students (or, talibs ) from the Pashtun areas of Afghanistan. Malala’s father Ziauddin was himself a talib when he was a young man. He received instruction from a senior talib and was only able to eventually see through the religious zeal because of his questioning mind, however this was not the case for many other young men in his situation.

In 1994, five years after the withdrawal of Russia from Afghanistan, the Taliban (which is Pashto for ‘seekers of knowledge’vi) emerged in Afghanistan as a small, clerical movement which sought to provide protection to residents from opportunistic criminals that were capitalizing on the chaos occurring at the timevii. They formed a government in Afghanistan in 1996, ruling as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan until 2001. Over time, the Taliban magnetically attracted other like- minded talibs; generally co-ethnic Pashtuns who had been educated in traditional, Islamic schools or madrassas along the western frontier of Pakistan. The madrassas schooled their students in the tradition of the Deobandi movement, originally created by Indian Muslim scholars who felt that British colonialism in India was corrupting Islamviii. One of the hallmarks of the Taliban was its extreme interpretation and enforcement of Sharia Law, which saw women in Afghanistan and then Pakistan deprived of basic human rights, such as an education. When the Taliban perverts the religious laws of Islam in this way, they do so as a way of exerting power and control over people.

In Chapter Nine the political climate in Pakistan merges with a national disaster in the shape of a severe earthquake to create the perfect entry point for the Taliban to enter the Swat Valley. The earthquake measured 7.6 on the Richter Scale and was felt as far away as Delhi and Kabul. Malala notes that “When the TV news began to show the devastation we saw that entire villages had been turned to dust.” (85) The remote location of the Swat Valley, along with the destruction of the roads around meant that officials were not able to enter to give much needed aid. Although the Pakistan army set up a task force to assist, Malala states that the majority of volunteers that made it through to the valley were from Islamic charities or organisations. In Chapter Eight Malala observes, “Earthquake victims praised the activists who had trudged up and down mountains and through shattered valleys carrying medical help to remote regions no one else had bothered with. They helped clear and rebuild destroyed villages as well as leading prayers and burying bodies.” (87/88) This is how the Taliban comes to the Swat Valley, initially presenting themselves as helpful allies, devout but peaceful.

Disillusioned by the corruption rampant within the Pakistani government, the earthquake of 2005 was a turning point for the people of Swat. Caught in a difficult position, the people of Swat welcomed the Maulana Fazlullah and his people. “People thought he was a good interpreter of the Holy Quran and admired his charisma. They liked his talk of bringing back Islamic law as everyone was frustrated with the Pakistani justice system which had replaced ours when we were merged into the country.” (93) However, these groups used the frustration of the people against them and wasted no time in preaching that the earthquake was “a warning from God…caused by women’s freedom and obscenity.” (88) The people of Swat were warned: “If we did not mend our ways and introduce sharia or Islamic law…more severe punishment would come.” (88) Within six months after the earthquake, Fazlullah was exerting his power over the people of Swat and exploiting their ignorance of the Qur’an (which must be interpreted by a special scholar because it is written in Arabic) with warnings that “if the people didn’t stop, they would again invite the wrath of God.” (92)

Malala and the people of Swat were rapidly engulfed by the regime of the Taliban. In Chapter 10 Malala states “First the Taliban took our music, then our Buddhas, then our history.” (102) Aside from forbidding citizens to listen to foreign music or watch television, the Taliban also destroyed any object or edifice that was not a part of the Islamic culture. This included the precious Buddhist statues and stupas that were over 1000 years old and stemmed from the time of the Kushan kings. The Taliban “believed that any statue or painting was haram , sinful and therefore prohibited.” (102) Malala states “The Taliban became the enemy of fine arts, culture and our history. They destroyed everything old and brought nothing new.” (103) Malala is rightly angry and upset by what she sees as the Taliban’s attempts to control them like “little dolls” (103). What upsets both Malala and her father the most is the fact that nobody speaks out or tries to stop the Taliban. People were either too afraid or in agreement with them. Malala’s father tries to speak against them but is warned not to. “Someone came up to him and whispered, “Don’t speak any more in this way-it’s risky.” (104) Malala is also dejected that the authorities do nothing to intervene. The lives of the people of Swat, already devout Muslims, are negatively changed by the religious extremism enforced by the Taliban.

Another major theme of I Am Malala is her conviction regarding the importance and power of education. Throughout the text Malala makes many references to her love of learning, and also of her father’s passion for education. The two are intertwined as Malala is very influenced by her father and his views. The struggle that they share when Malala is forced to stop going to school and is then shot by the Taliban for being outspoken against them, highlights the way in which father and daughter are connected by their love of learning. Further, the eventual forced closure of Ziauddin’s school, along with the bombing and closure of most of the schools around them, brings into focus the importance of education within society, and what it represents symbolically. Malala and Ziauddin are united in their mission to fight for what is important, not only to them but also for the sake of their country and the other women and girls within it.

From a very early age Malala looked up to her father, Ziauddin, as an example of someone who had worked hard to attain his goals in life. Despite the fact that Ziauddin’s father had wanted him to become a doctor, he desired most to become a teacher. This was a point of conflict in his life because in his early years Ziauddin struggled with a stutter, something that his domineering and brusque father berated him for. “‘Spit it out, son!’ he’d roar whenever my father got stuck in the middle of a sentence.” (21) Despite this, Ziauddin loved words and poetry and was determined to master his stutter and gain his father’s respect. His strength of character is shown in his effort to become a confident orator, something that his father was already well known for. He also demonstrates immense strength of character in the way he overcomes the harshness of his father’s treatment of him and is determined to be a different kind of father to his own children. Regardless of his struggles with his father, as an adult Ziauddin remembers him most for the love of learning that he instilled in him. “ Baba also gave him a deep love of learning and knowledge as well as a keen awareness of people’s rights, which my father has passed on to me.” (30) Although it is Malala’s story, Ziauddin’s character and passionate belief in education is central to the memoir and its message.

Malala directly benefits from her father’s education and beliefs while growing up, as aside from being a well-educated man, Ziauddin also demonstrates a healthy perspective and sense of fairness in his thinking, which is informed by his open- mindedness and belief in the power and importance of knowledge. A good example of this can be found in the chapter where a local mufti tries to close her father’s school. When someone warns Ziauddin that this is happening, he responds with: ‘Just as we say, “Nim hakim khatrai jan” – “Half a doctor is a danger to one’s life,” so, “Nim mullah khatrai iman” – “A mullah who is not fully learned is a danger to faith”,’ he said.” Through his response to the Taliban, and his approach to his own daughter, Ziauddin expresses ideas that are clearly progressive and more balanced than those of the extremists around him. This is interesting as Malala explains that during his teen years, when Russia was stuck in Afghanistan, Ziauddin wanted to become a jihadi. “It was, he says, a kind of brainwashing. He believes he might even have thought of becoming a suicide bomber had there been such a thing in those days.” Despite this, Ziauddin’s natural intelligence and tendency to question things meant that he was able to steer away from this path. Ziauddin’s own views are shaped by the tension he experienced while existing between extremes: secularism and socialism on one side, and militant Islam on the other side. “I guess he ended up somewhere in the middle.”

Malala’s own appreciation and passion for education, while shaped and encouraged by her father, is very much a part of who she innately is. Through her father’s connections and political figures such as Benazir Bhutto, she finds examples of strong and well-educated women who become her role models. Even as a young girl Malala is aware that she must study hard if she wants to fulfil her future dreams of becoming a politician like Benazir Bhutto and help the people of Pakistan. She is competitive with her friends at school and works hard to remain the top student in her class. Her anecdotes about school and her rivalry with Malka e-Noor and her best friend, Moniba for top marks are entertaining as well as revealing of the happiness and joy she felt in this environment. “It was school that kept me going in those dark days.” (112) School is a haven for Malala, somewhere that she is able to dream about her bright future despite the violent attempts of the Taliban to take that away from her and all the other girls in Pakistan. “Our school was a haven from the horrors outside.” (114) Malala’s love of learning and love of her school life forms a large aspect of her belief in the power of her education to make a difference in her life, and Ziauddin uses the example of Nazi Germany to encourage her to use her knowledge of history to speak out against what was happening. “I knew he was right. If people were silent nothing would change.” (117)

Malala’s self-worth as an individual is innately connected to her worth as a young, intelligent woman who, among many other things, wants to fulfil her academic potential. This is something that cannot be split up or compartmentalised and is also something that makes her outspokenness so threatening to the Taliban. At the end of her memoir, Malala again asserts that in her culture, education is the basic right of every girl and boy. “Islam says every girl and every boy should go to school. In the Quran it is written, God wants us to have knowledge.” (263) Although Malala’s passion for education was ignited by her father, by the end of her memoir it is clear that she has found her own voice, along with her life-long vocation. “I don’t want to be thought of as ‘the girl who was shot by the Taliban’ but ‘the girl who fought for education.’ This is the cause to which I want to devote my life.” (261) By the end of her story it is clear that despite the trauma of her near-death experience, or maybe even because of it, Malala’s belief in the power of education and a child’s right to receive it grows stronger and extends further than her own country to encompass the whole world. When Malala deliver’s her speech to the United Nations in New York on her sixteenth birthday, her message powerfully reflects the strength of this belief. “I wore one of Benazir Bhutto’s white shawls…and I called on the world leaders to provide free education ‘Let us pick 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.’” (262)

Girl’s rights, or the rights of girls and women within a society, is a central theme of the text. It overlaps with the theme ‘The Power of Education’ because Malala as a girl cannot separate the two issues, and because the Taliban tries to stop her and all other girls in Pakistan from attending school. Consequently, it also intersects with the theme ‘Religion, Freedom, and Religious Extremism: Islam, the Taliban and Sharia Law’ because of the Taliban’s extreme religious agenda. Malala’s story represents one of the most discussed human rights issues of the 21st Century: that of a girl’s and a woman’s right to be treated as equal to a boy or a man. While many would say that girls and boys or men and women around the world in the 21st Century enjoy equal rights the truth is that this is not the case.

Women and girls in the 21st Century are still fighting for their basic human rights in many countries around the globe. In Pakistan alone, women and girls still face alarming conditions. Aside from the Taliban’s attempts in Swat, Pakistan, to ban girls like Malala from getting an education, women and girls in Pakistan also suffered and still suffer from the injustice of honour killings, arranged child marriages, illiteracy and confinement to the family home under the Sharia law of purdah (conduct and seclusion from the world for the purpose of modesty). Malala was very fortunate to have a father like Ziauddin. He treated her with balance, respect and equality, encouraging her to reach her full intellectual potential through her education. Sadly, this is not the case with most women in Pakistan, as under Sharia law a female’s entire life is controlled by her male relatives. Examples of this can be found in the

text where Malala’s friends are pulled out of school by their fathers or brothers once they reach puberty (the age girls enter the state of purdah ), and under direct

pressure from the Taliban. Malala’s own mother never went to school. “My mother started school when she was six and stopped the same term.” (32) She is illiterate, having considered education as something she would not need as a wife and mother. She later tries to learn to read and write and is at her first lesson when Malala is shot. Malala reflects upon how her mother felt that there was no point in getting an education. “There seemed no point in going to school just to end up cooking, cleaning and bringing up children.” (32) Unfortunately, Malala’s mother is one of many in this position in Pakistan, and in many under developed countries around the world today.

Malala’s own story of being shot because she believed she had the right to receive an education is not only generally tied to the issue of women’s and girl’s rights, it is specifically tied to the rights of women and girls in Islamic countries ruled by Sharia law. Ziauddin talks to her about the women in Afghanistan, and of how their rights under the Taliban are affected. “He said that the Taliban had even banned women from laughing out loud or wearing white shoes as white was ‘a colour that belonged to men.’ Women were being locked up and beaten just for wearing nail varnish. I shivered when he told me such things.” (55) Malala is aware that when the Taliban took over Afghanistan a year before she was born, they burnt down girl’s schools. Their sinister agenda was aimed at restricting women in their everyday life to the point where they no longer had the ability to make any choices for themselves. Malala is blunt in her assessment of this. “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.” (103) When the girls of the Red Mosque madrasa begin terrorising the streets of Islamabad, Malala makes note of the Taliban’s hypocrisy. “When it suits the Taliban, women can be vocal and visible.” (105)

For Malala, a young girl brimming with ambition and potential, the opportunity to broadcast the struggles of girls in Pakistan under the Taliban to the rest of the world is something that very quickly becomes her mission. She becomes aware when she gives an interview on television with a group of girls in her school that she has the ability to speak out where so many girls in Pakistan did not. “Afterwards I thought, ‘The media needs interviews. They want to interview a small girl, but the girls are scared, and even if they’re not, their parents won’t allow it. I have a father who isn’t scared, who stands by me. He said, ‘You are a child and it’s your right to speak.’ ” (117) Malala refuses to be defined by the Taliban and has the courage and the ability to speak out. Her story is as much about her rights as a girl as it is a story about the power of education, the impact of religious extremism, and of her courage

as an individual.

Both Malala and her father Ziauddin show incredible courage in the way they are prepared to speak out against the Taliban regardless of the danger. Ziauddin is Malala’s role model for many things, but he is especially inspiring in the way he encourages her to find the courage she needs to defend her right to go to school. In the memoir, the majority of did as they were told by the Taliban out of fear for their own safety. “It seemed that people had decided the Taliban were here to stay and they had better get along with them. ‘When you are in the Taliban you have 100 percent life security,’ people would say.” (125) Ziauddin, however, refuses to be intimidated. Despite the fact that he receives threats for speaking out against the Taliban, he does not waiver in his courage. He uses the example of Nazi Germany to illustrate to Malala the grievous outcome when people are too afraid to speak out against what is wrong. “He hated the fact that most people would not speak up. In his pocket he kept a poem written by Martin Niemoller, who had lived in Nazi Germany…I knew he was right. If people were silent nothing would change.” (116/117) Ziauddin demonstrates the kind of moral courage that is rarely seen in difficult and life-threatening situations, and Malala is inspired by him. “My father said we common people were like chaff caught between the two stones of a water mill. But he still wasn’t afraid. He said we should continue to speak out.” (128)

Malala is determined to do what she can to protect her right to an education. Following her father’s lead, she uses an opportunity to give a group interview on television about girls dropping out of school due to militancy to speak out against what was happening in Swat. She is aware that as she gets older, the friends that she once did group interviews with are no longer permitted to do so by their fathers and brothers because they had reached the age where they were required to observe purdah. Malala is able to see that she is in the position to use her voice where her friends are not, and she leans on her devout faith in order to find the strength to be courageous. “In my heart was the belief that God would protect me. If I am speaking for my rights, for the rights of girls, I am not doing anything wrong. It’s my duty to do so. God wants to see how we behave in such situations. There is a

saying in the Quran, ‘The falsehood has to go and the truth will prevail.’” (117)

Both Malala and Ziauddin did everything they could to speak out against the increasingly violence tactics embarked upon by the Taliban in order to stop girls from going to school. As schools were targeted with more frequency, Ziauddin gave media interviews to renounce what was happening, all the while speaking out about the value and importance of girls. “Once he spoke at a big gathering and held up an audience member’s baby girl and said, ‘This girl is our future. Do we want her to be ignorant?’ The crowd agreed that they would sacrifice themselves before giving up their daughters’ education.” (119) At the end of 2008 the Taliban decreed that girls must stop going to school in January 2009, and Malala comes to realise the true value of education. “We hadn’t realised how important education was until the Taliban tried to stop us. Going to school, reading and doing our homework wasn’t just a way of passing time. It was our future.” (121/122)

Although those around her lose heart, Malala shows that she is determined to fight through her fear just as her father would. As the situation in Swat grows worse, Malala finds new ways to bring her story to the world. One of these opportunities is given to her through a friend of Ziauddin’s. Abdul Hai Kakur, a BBC correspondent comes to Ziauddin looking for a female teacher or schoolgirl to write a diary about life under the Taliban. Malala overhears them talking and offers herself as the writer. “Why not me? I wanted people to know what was happening.” (129) The parallels are drawn between Malala’s life and the life of Anne Frank, the 13-year-old Jewish girl who had hidden from the Nazi’s in World War Two and who kept a diary which survived and was published years after her death in a concentration camp. The sense of secrecy, danger and authentic experience, present in both, is expressed in their youthful words, and in the impact of their stories. The popularity of Malala’s diary entries demonstrates to her the power she holds in her own hands. “The BBC even made a recording of it using another girl’s voice, and I began to see that the pen and the words that come from it can be much more powerful than machine guns, tanks or helicopters. We were learning how to struggle. And we were learning how powerful we are when we speak.” (131) The violence inflicted upon the people of Swat during the Taliban occupation was brutal, and Malala regularly speaks about how this affected her. When a suicide bombing occurs in a nearby high school in Mingora, killing more than 55 people, 10 of whom were relatives of Malala’s friend Moniba, Malala asks her father if he is finally scared. “‘At night our fear is strong, Jani,’ he told me, ‘but in the morning, in the light, we find our courage again.’ And this is true for my family. We were scared, but our fear was not as strong as our courage.” This courage, which enables Malala and her family to confront the danger of speaking out against the tyranny of the Taliban, stemmed from their strong belief in the idea that it was their responsibility to do so. Regardless of the danger, Ziauddin and Malala both feel passionately about standing up not only for their own rights, but also for the rights of those around them. Ziauddin receives many death threats, but it is not until later when Malala’s life is also threatened that her father responds with fear, taking the threat seriously. Even when he is suggests to Malala that they should stop campaigning she displays courage, reminding him of the reasons why they must continue. “‘How can we do that?’ I replied. ‘You were the one who said if we believe in something greater than our lives, then our voices will only multiply even if we are dead. We can’t disown our campaign!’” Regardless of the threat to her own life, Malala shows the strength and courage to continue campaigning against the Taliban.

Malala Yousafzai Malala is the central figure of the memoir. She is named after a Pashtun poet named Malalai of Maiwand, a great heroine of the Pashtun culture who Malala describes as being their very own Joan of Arc. However, Malala’s grandfather tells her that her name means ‘grief-stricken’ and is considered unlucky. The memoir is told through Malala’s eyes, using her voice, and spans across her childhood and into her teenage years. Malala grows up in Pakistan, surrounded by her family and friends. As a member of the tribal Pashtun culture, Malala’s heritage is one of great pride and close kinship as well as poverty and archaic customs. As a Muslim, Malala is raised with a strong sense of religious and spiritual purpose. However, she is also very influenced by her educated father who teaches her to think for herself and to believe in her right to be educated. This is in strong contrast to the general population where girls are controlled and restricted by their male relatives and must observe the rule of purdah at the age of puberty. Malala was only 10 when the Taliban comes to Swat Valley and was 15 when an assassination attempt was made on her life for being outspoken against them. Malala survived the shooting, but was airlifted to Birmingham, England, where she remained with her family. In October 2017 she became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17 for her efforts in standing up to the Taliban and for and raising awareness of girl’s rights in Pakistan.

Ziauddin Yousafzai Ziauddin is Malala’s father, and one of the most positive influences in her life. Ziauddin’s father wanted him to become a doctor, which is the most respected profession in Pakistan. However, Ziauddin had a passion for education and wanted to become a teacher and one day open his own school. He realises his dream, although he is not the greatest business man, and things are not always financially easy for his family. Ziauddin had a stutter as a child and is bullied by his own father who was a respected teacher and orator. Ziauddin learns to give speeches in public in order to impress his father and overcome his speech impediment. Unlike many men in Pakistan and the Pashtun culture, Ziauddin values the opinions of his wife, Tor Pekai and is thrilled to have a daughter. He raises Malala to be courageous and to speak out when things are not right, and he supports her fight against the Taliban and their ban on girl’s education. Ziauddin’s values and ideals are a beacon of light in her memoir, and illustrate the importance of having positive role models to look up to.

Tor Pekai Yousafzai Tor Pekai is Malala’s mother. She is described by Malala as a devoutly religious, practical and hard-working woman who loves her family and community. As a Pashtun Muslim woman, Tor Pekai strictly observes the religious law of purdah, or modesty. This means remaining secluded in the home unless accompanied outside by a male relative and staying covered from head to foot. Tor Pekai did not receive a formal education, although Malala states that she was unusal for her village as her father and brothers encouraged her to go to school. Tor Pekai was illiterate for most of Malala’s childhood, however Malala describes her as a strong and intelligent person. Tor Pekai has a very close relationship with her husband, Ziauddin who seeks her opinion on most matters, another thing that Malala describes as unusual in the Pashtun culture. At the time that Malala was shot by the Taliban, Tor Pekai was taking her first literacy class.

Khushal Yousafzai Khushal, named after a famous Afghan poet, is Malala’s younger brother. Khushal and Malala fight like all siblings, and Malala makes frequent, dryly humorous references to their sibling rivalry. When they are both older, Khushal goes away to boarding school in another town. He complains about having to go to school when Malala is faced with not being able to go because of the ban the Taliban place on girl’s education, causing Malala to become angry with him. • Atal Yousafzai Atal is the youngest of the three children, and another brother for Malala. He is also called Atal the Squirrel, because of his agility in jumping and climbing. As the youngest child he is 7 years younger than Malala, the eldest child. Atal is seen to be more interested in games than anything else.

Rohul Amin Rohul Amin is Malala’s Grandfather and Ziauddin’s father. He is described as a brilliant orater, teacher and scholar, but also a difficult and impatient father. He bullies his son Ziauddin for having a stutter when he is a child and makes Ziauddin determined not to be like him when he has children of his own. Despite this, Ziauddin appreciates the fact that Rohul has given him a love of learning and sees that his influence has not been all bad.

Moniba Moniba is Malala’s best friend in Mingora, and they go to school together. Moniba traditionally comes second to Malala in their exam standing, and she regularly quarrels with Malala about her friendships with other girls. Moniba shares a passion for learning and politics with Moniba.

Malka e-Noor When Malka e-Noor comes to Malala’s school, she quickly overtakes Malala as the top student. Because Malala has held the number one position for so long she is shocked and becomes very competitive, striving to win back her position as the best student in the school. Eventually, Malala and Malka also become friends.

Hidayatullah Hidayatullah is the college friend with whom Ziauddin sets up his school. After much stress the friends part ways and Ziauddin keeps the school. • Malauna Fazlullah Malauna Fazlullah is the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan. He married Maulana Sufi Mohammad’s daughter and became his successor when the latter was imprisoned after a round up of militant leaders. Fazlullah sets up an illegal radio station to begin transmitting the ideas of the Taliban, initially prefaced as the ideas of Islamic reform. HE is initially considered by the people of Swat to be wise and devout, however his mask soon slips, and his true agenda is revealed. They gain a foothold in Swat during the aftermath of a terrible earthquake as they are among the only organisations who come to deliver aid and assistance. One of the ways they put pressure on the people to support them was by telling them that natural disasters were punishment from God for not adhering to their strict interpretation of Sharia law. Fazlullah is responsible for ordering the assassination attempt on Malala, as well as the many violent deaths via suicide bombings and beheadings that occurred leading up to it.

Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto was born into a wealthy family, and her father was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1973. She became the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan, as well as the first democratically elected female leader in a Muslim country in 1988, and her political career endured many dramas and scandals. She was assassinated in 2007. Benazir Bhutto is one of Malala’s role models.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah Mohammed Ali Jinnah was the first Prime Minister of the newly created Islamic state of Pakistan, which split off from India in 1947. Jinnah is one of Malala’s role models, and she talks about his original hope for Pakistan that it be a place where people of all religions could be free. Jinnah’s ideological example has a strong influence for Malala, and she reflects on it frequently when talking about Pakistan and its corruption and strife.

Madam Maryam Madam Maryam is the principal of the Khushal school and another role model for Malala. She is the person who goes with Malala to hospital because her mother cannot go. She is very kind and caring and Malala describes her as a second

Dr Fiona Reynolds Dr Fiona Reynolds is a British doctor specialising in intensive care for children. She was in Pakistan advising the army on how to set up the first liver transplant program when Malala is shot. She and fellow doctor Javid Kayani travel to Peshawar to report back to General Kayani before they leave Pakistan, who then asks them to see Malala. She is instrumental in saving Malala’s life from a post- surgery infection, and Malala is eventually transferred to Birmingham Childrens Hospital where Dr. Reynolds is a staff member.

Dr Javid Kayani Dr Kayani is travelling in Pakistan with Dr Reynolds. He is an emergency care consultant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the UK. He is asked by General Kayani to consult on Malala’s case, however as Dr Reynolds was a specialist in children’s intensive care he recommends that he talk to her first.

Colonel Junaid Colonel Junaid is the young army surgeon who performs life-saving surgery on Malala.

Ataullah Khan The Taliban soldier who claims responsibility on behalf of the Taliban for shooting Malala.

Usman Bai Jan Usman Bai Jan is the driver of the school bus that Malala is on when she is shot.

Kainat Riaz and Shazia The other girls shot and injured in the attack. Both girls survive.

P6. “I was the only girl with my face not covered.”

P9.’When I was born, people in our village commiserated with my mother and nobody congratulated my father.’ (start of chapter 1)

P11. “my father told the story of malalai to anyone who came to our house.”

P17. ‘My mother is very pious and prays five times a day’ … ‘she disproves of dancing because she says God would not like it’

P20. ‘Malala will be free as a bird.’

P24. ‘No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men.’

P33. ’Ziauddin believed schooling should be available for all, rich and poor, boys and girls’.

P57. “I felt a terrible sinking feeling in my stomach.” P58. “since that day I have never lied or stolen.”

P66. ’Though my mother was not educated, she was the practical one in the family, the doer while my father was the talker. She was always helping people.’

P72. “Rubbish-dump children” “we should help” & “God, give me strength and courage and make me perfect because I want to make this world perfect”

P91. “The Quran teaches us sabar—patience—but often it feels that we have forgotten the word and think Islam means women sitting at home in purdah or wearing burqas while men do jihad.”

P92. “[Fazlullah] warned people to stop listening to music, watching movies and dancing. Sinful acts like these had caused the earthquake, Fazlullah thundered, and if people didn’t stop they would again invite the wrath of God.”

P95. “Pashtun women are very powerful and strong”. Malala

P100. “Ziauddin, you have charisma, you can speak up and organise against them. Hidayatullah.”

P103. “My father said people had been seduced by Fazlullah.” Malala P117. “I have a father who isn’t scared, who stands by me.” Malala.

P117. “If one man, Fazlullah can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it? I wondered.” Malala.

P117. “If people were silent nothing would change.” Ziauddin.

P117. “In My hearts was the belief that God would protect me…” Malala

P122. (Malala) “We don’t have any option. We are dependent on these mullahs to learn the Quran,” he said. “But you just use him to learn the literal meanings of the words; don’t follow his explanations and interpretations. Only learn what God says. His words are divine messages, which you are free to interpret.”

P128. “Sometimes I was very afraid but I said nothing, and it didn’t mean I would stop going to school.” Malala.

P131. “ I began to see that the pen and words that come from it can be much more powerful than machine guns, tanks or helicopters.” Malala

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Pakistani Students’ Education in “I am Malala” by Yousafzai Essay

Introduction, passion for education among pakistani students compared to the americans, instilling passion for education in children, developing passion for education among ourselves and others, why passion for education is important, works cited.

The book I am Malala is a captivating masterpiece that features a dedicated young girl, namely, Malala who accepts to be shot instead of letting her passion for the girl child education die under her watch. Malala’s father considered education incredibly important for the progressive development of all people in Pakistan and beyond. He viewed education as an important tool and an avenue for eliminating the prevailing oppressive regime in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He insisted on the necessity of educating girls as the pillar for enhancing the position of women in social, political, and economic development. Such positions are held in a nation that considers girl child education a luxury. This paper argues that although Malala and many of her fellow Pakistani students have a passion for education, the situation for the American counterparts seems different. To develop this theme, it suggests ways of instilling such passion for education in the American children.

The paper discusses ways in which individuals can develop this passion in themselves and others. It finally discusses why passion for education is imperative in the contemporary world.

Extremists such as Taliban groups assert that girl child education reinforces traditional stereotypes, which the society should not tolerate (Fazl-E-Haider 73). Malala informs that women’s and girls’ roles in Pakistan are constrained to domestic chores such as cooking. As a result, driven by her passion for education, she finally suffers a near-death experience at the hands of the Taliban group due to her emphasis on the need to educate girls, a campaign that she developed a passion for through her father’s efforts and open support against the stereotyped roles of girls in the society.

However, Malala emerges the victor in the book I am Malala as she is flown out of Pakistan in search of treatment for injuries sustained from bullets. In Birmingham, England, her passion for education, especially for girls remains succinct.

The brave Malala representing other Pakistani girls with a high passion for education became the epicenter for the 2012 UNESCO convention that sought to deliberate on girls’ education rights in Pakistani. This passion for education is outstanding to the extent that girls in Pakistan are ready to meet their death in search of education. Indeed, the conference was held to pay tribute to Malala due to her determination to defend the right for Pakistani girls’ education following the Taliban decision to outlaw girls’ schools in Swat Valley (Zahoor and Janjua 201).

Malala demonstrated her passion and that of other girls in Pakistan. She thinks through what she would do in case a terrorist stepped to shoot her for her commitment to the rights of girls’ education. Instead of removing her shoe to hit such a terrorist, Malala says she would plead with the terrorist to listen to her before she is finally shot. She would tell the terrorist, “shoot me but first listen to me. What you are doing is wrong. I am not against you personally; I just want every girl to go to school” (Yousafzai 9).

The above passion is incomparable to the passion for education among Americans. Americans are culturally diverse in many aspects. This diversity has influenced US students’ passion for education. For example, Piña-Watson et al. regard cognitive aspects such as educational skepticism, the perception of hope, and grit as important predictors of passion for education among Mexican-Americans (109). Cultural variables, for instance, bicultural stress, ethnic identity, and generational status lowered the passion for education among the studied sample of 181 Mexican-Americans.

Rojas-LeBouef and Slate argue that Latinos have an important educational achievement gap that has an immense implication on practitioners and educators (113). Indeed, from the 1990s, Latinos have reported a high rate of dropping out of school in the US compared to other population segments such as Whites, Asians, and African-Americans. This finding suggests that diversity differences, including cultural disparities, influence American students’ passion for education compared to Malala and many of her fellow Pakistani apprentices.

The passion for education showcased by Malala raises the question of how Americans can instill similar enthusiasm in their children. Through all chapters of I am Malala , the young girl’s father drives her passion for education. For example, her father saw a chance for girls in Pakistan to alter the country’s status quo. He believed that education could ensure that Pakistan was split from patriarchal factions (Yousafzai 128). Such a move would unite the nation.

Driven by this motivation, Malala took advantage of her father’s attitude to further her dream of securing education for all girls in Pakistan. This experience suggests that parents can instill the passion for education in their children by laying out clear foundations and setting anticipated goals that they (children) can achieve through education. Communicating these goals to the children and/or ensuring that children appreciate the fact that they have a noble role to shape and resolve the current problem in America through education can guarantee an undying passion for education.

Malala clearly sets out the strategy that people can deploy in developing a passion for education in themselves and others. Firstly, they must identify what they would want to achieve through education. This step should be followed by reading and criticizing those materials that would enable them and others to achieve the set goals. Even in the face of death, Malala had a clear decision to fulfilling the desires of education among the Pakistani girls, including ensuring that they went to school (Yousafzai 9).

She knew too well that without education, the girls would not change their status in society. Girls were accustomed to domestic chores and if anything else. In Chapter 4, she writes, “The women spent their days looking after the children and preparing food to serve to the men in their hujra upstairs” (Yousafzai 35). Through education, Malala and many of her friends were sure they would break this traditional trend.

To develop goals and objectives that people wish to achieve through education, they should become accustomed to reading. Malala incredibly loved to read. Books were within her vicinity. At an early age of 11 years, she had already read “A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking….., The Alchemist” by Brazilian author Paul Coelho, and “Anna Karenina” by Russian author Leo Tolstoy” (Yousafzai 79). The Wizard of OZ , a literary work by Austen was also important favorite reading for Malala (Yousafzai 146). Hence, the development of the passion for education is a function of one’s internal drive to become pre-occupied with reading widely, especially literature that educates and complies with his or her educational goals.

Passion for education is important since it changes the learners’ approach to learning and perception of academic assessment. Some students with a low passion for education may regard assessments as threats (Broadfoot 91). However, through her passion for education, Malala demonstrates that learning assessments have a positive impact on pupils’ educational achievement, especially when various principles of learning assessment are deployed. For example, she states that she loved exams since they helped her to understand her level of learning. They also assisted her to identify areas that she needed to emphasize (Yousafzai 8).

From the case of Malala, passion for education is important since it enables pupils to develop an incredible perception of being a learner. Such passion enabled Malala to appreciate the fact that assessments could help her to develop a deeper understanding of the learning process, especially when opportunities for the pupils to discuss various learning methodologies with their peers and teachers were deployed. Hence, passionate pupils can succeed in education when they are fully cognizant of the direction their learning is headed. Indeed, passion for education made Malala read widely. She could share her criticism with teachers (Malala 71). Therefore, passion for education is important since it enables learners to contribute positively to the learning process.

Malala, a Pakistani girl, demonstrates her undying passion for education, especially for girls. She proved the Taliban group wrong when it created an atmosphere that did not favor the girl child education in Pakistan. However, the situation is different in America where students are not passionate about education, and hence the emphasized need to develop mechanisms for instilling interest in education among the US learners.

Broadfoot, Peterson. An Introduction to Assessment. Routledge, 2007.

Fazl-E-Haider, Syed. “Malala versus Extremism.” Harvard International Review, v ol. 34, no. 4, 2013, pp. 73-76.

Piña-Watson, Brandy, et al. “Cultural and Cognitive Predictors of Academic Motivation among Mexican American Adolescents: Caution against Discounting the Impact of Cultural Processes.” Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development , vol. 43, no. 2, 2015, pp. 109-121.

Rojas-LeBouef, Arthur, and Richard Slate. “The Achievement Gap between White and Non-White Students.” International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, vol. 7, no. 2, 2012, pp. 1-54.

Yousafzai, Malala. I am Malala: The Girl who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban . Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2013.

Zahoor, Mehwish, and Fauzia Janjua. “Character Construction in Tributive Songs: Transitivity Analysis of the Song I Am Malala”. TRAMES: A Journal of the Humanities & Social Sciences, v ol. 20, no. 2, pp. 201-213.

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IvyPanda . (2024) 'Pakistani Students’ Education in "I am Malala" by Yousafzai'. 25 January.

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Bibliography

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• Essay Prompts

I am Malala

A central theme throughout I Am Malala is education and its ability to empower people and effect positive change. Malala first learns the manifold value of pursuing education through her father, whose experiences shape his character and work ethic, and instill in him principles of perseverance and commitment which he transfers to Malala. Malala’s fortunate exposure to an environment in which education is celebrated is a determining factor in both her own development and is influential to her campaign that education be the right of all children.

In addition to the power that education has to increase one’s knowledge base, events in the book show that education has the ability to increase confidence. Ziauddin overcomes the hardships of a childhood stutter and the high expectations of his scholar father to become an eloquent and articulate public speaker, and independent of his father’s financial support, tenaciously pursues his further education which ultimately lead him to becoming a teacher and founder of schools, and a successful political activist. While Malala respects the power of education, as a young girl this is initially seen in her academic competitiveness with her friends and the new girl, Malka-e-Noor. However, when she comes in second place, Malala learns that education does not necessarily amount to academic excellence.

An important moment that extends the meaningfulness of education for Malala is when she starts to become socially aware, witnessing the street children fishing for food at the local rubbish dump and visiting Islamabad where she sees strong, progressive women enjoying professional careers. From the strong women, Malala sees that women can be independent, as the Quran also teaches, and thus learns to be resolute in pursuing her own education, while from the street children, she learns the hard truth that there are children even less fortunate than herself, from whom education is withheld and who need an advocate. These experiences of oppression and denial of universal education, which are further perpetuated by the Taliban, further shape Malala’s construction of education as being powerful in enabling change, leading Malala to increasingly believe in the value of education and to speak out about the education rights of women and children.

Education Quotes

My father came from a backward village yet through education and force of personality he made a good living for us and a name for himself. Chapter 1

When my father tells me stories of his childhood, he always says that though Baba was a difficult man he gave him the most important gift – the gift of education. Chapter 2

He believed that lack of education was the root of all Pakistan’s problems. (Malala, on her father) Chapter 3

I came second. It didn’t matter. Lincoln also wrote in the letter to his son’s teacher, ‘Teach him how to gracefully lose.’ Chapter 5

My father used to say the people of Swat and the teachers would continue to educate our children until the last room, the last teacher and the last student was alive. Chapter 11

I began to see that the pen and the words that come from it can be much more powerful than machine guns, tanks or helicopters. Chapter 13

Education is education. We should learn everything and then choose which path to follow. Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human. Chapter 13

‘I know the importance of education because my pens and books were taken from me by force.’ (excerpt from speech at Pakistani education gala) Chapter 17

‘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.’ (Malala to the UN) Epilogue

Rights and Gender

Another central theme in I am Malala is that of rights, and in particular, women’s rights. Malala is raised in a progressive Pashtun Pakistani family, a rather unique and complex environment, which frames her point of reference from a young age and underpins the development of her worldview on rights and gender.

Women have had a conflicting role in the both the Pashtun culture and in Pakistan as a nation. On the one hand, the Pashtun tribe highly esteems its courageous folk hero for whom Malala is named, on the other hand, it devalues the role of girls and women in the family, and even considers women to be a man’s personal property. Malala shares the story of a woman who was sold into marriage at age 10 and alludes to honour killings, where a male family member takes it upon themselves to kill a female relative whom they feel has brought shame, whether literal or perceived, upon the family. While Malala’s mother married for love and is included in her husband’s discussions, her situation does not appear to be the norm; the ‘weddings’ game Malala plays with her cousins still appears predicated on the concept of arranged marriages, while including wives in discussion is considered a weakness by Ziauddin’s friends.

As a nation, Pakistan was founded on gender equality, seen through the speeches of founder Jinnah whom Malala frequently references. It was even the first Muslim nation to have a female prime minister. However, in practice, women are still treated as inferior to men as demonstrated through their diminished rights at court and through their education not being seen as a priority. The successful women whom Malala observes in Islamabad pursuing professional roles are a beacon for Malala and keep the dream alive for her that women can achieve equal status to men.

With the Taliban takeover of Pakistan, Malala lives through a particularly chaotic period of women’s rights. The Taliban use violence and intimidation to enforce their ideology, which amongst other things makes women cover their faces in public and prohibits girls from attending school. Malala is a devout follower of Islam and recognises the Taliban’s misinterpretation of the Quran teachings; nowhere in the Quran does it state that women should be dependent on men. Fortunately for Malala, despite the escalating crisis and Taliban’s attempts to devalue women, she grows up with the knowledge that women can be strong, witnessing such exemplar models as her own mother, who remains a continual source of courage and strength within the family and Madam Maryam, who remains committed to educating the girls despite the Taliban’s directives to close female schools.

Malala’s passion for gender equality only strengthens as she matures, and she is fortified by other like-minded advocates who become significant role models in her activism. Her father, Ziauddin, having recognised his privilege over his own sisters, works towards reversing the inequality by providing affordable education to girls as well as boys, writing about women’s rights, naming his daughter after a powerful female hero, and teaching his sons to respect women. When female prime minister Benazir Bhutto, whose gender reforms were praised, is assassinated, in a metaphoric passing of the baton, Malala’s hears her own internal voice compelling her to pick up the fight for women’s rights. Malala’s speaking engagements on women’s rights and education take her to Islamabad, where she experiences a city thriving with successful women and where she mourns that Pakistan has become a country which would sadden the founder, Jinnah, who envisaged a much greater role in the country for women.

Ultimately, multiple events and experiences shaped Malala’s calling to campaign for women’s rights, and lead to her courageous efforts and single-minded focus in improving the situation for herself and for others. Despite her near death, Malala continues her campaign for gender equality and universal education, and with the added support of a global community thanks to her story being told, has founded the Malala Fund which invests in education so that all girls can be educated and reach their full potential.

Rights and Gender Quotes

Yet, outside the door to the school lay not only the noise and craziness of Mingora, the main city of Swat, but also those like the Taliban who think girls should not go to school. Prologue

For most Pashtuns it’s a gloomy day when a daughter is born. Chapter 1

Though she cannot read or write, my father shares everything with her, telling her about his day, the good and the bad. Chapter 1 (on Malala’s mother)

While boys and men could roam freely about town, my mother and I could not go out without a male relative to accompany us, even if it was a five-year-old boy! This was the tradition. Chapter 1

‘From early on I could feel I was different from my sisters,’ my father says. (Ziauddin) Chapter 2

‘No struggle can ever 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. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.’ (Jinnah) Chapter 2

‘I will protect your freedom, Malala. Carry on with your dreams.’ (Ziauddin) Chapter 4

From an early age I was interested in politics and sat on my father’s knee listening to everything he and his friends discussed. Chapter 6

But I was more concerned with matters closer to home – our own street to be exact. I told my friends at school about the rubbish-dump children and that we should help. Chapter 6

‘We can sit by and hope the government will help but they won’t. If I can help support one or two children and another family supports one or two then between us we can help them all.’ (Malala) Chapter 6

When it suits the Taliban, women can be vocal and visible. Chapter 10

When you’re very young, you love the burqa because it’s great for dressing up. But when you are made to wear it, that’s a different matter. Chapter 13

‘The secret school is our silent protest,’ she told us. (Madam Maryam) Chapter 14

I always knew my mother was a strong woman but I looked at her with new respect. (when Malala’s mother defends herself against a man’s advances) Chapter 15

She herself would never appear in public. She refused even to be photographed. She is a very traditional woman… Were she to break that tradition, men and women would talk against her, particularly those in our own family. (Tor Pekai) Chapter 17

My headmistress Maryam was a strong, educated woman but in our society she could not live on her own and come to work. She had to be living with a husband, brother or parents. Chapter 18

Nowhere is it written in the Quran that a woman should be dependent on a man. Chapter 18

The theme of identity is explored in I am Malala through the manner in which Malala is shaped by social factors including her family, history, beliefs, and customs as well as individual forces.

Malala proudly professes to be, like all Swatis, first a Swat, then a Pashtun, then a Pakistani. Swatis perceive themselves as distinct from other people through their shared and unique experience of living the same geographical region and through their further connection of historical enculturation as Pashtun people, separate from any national identity imposed on them when Pakistan was formed in 1947. Malala identifies with the Islamic faith, which plays an important role in her worldview, and is confused when the Taliban misinterpret Islamic teachings for their own purposes. Malala is not only a product of her family’s lineage, but by valuing and assimilating the beliefs and customs to which they subscribe, she incorporates into her own self-image a shared historical and cultural heritage.

While Malala strongly identifies as Swati Pashtun, she is in many ways unique, which demonstrates the complex nature of identity. Compared to her cousins in the village, Malala is considered ‘modern’ and her upbringing in a rather liberal household, with a progressive father and a traditional mother, is not the social norm. From a young age, Malala seems to have a sense of who she is, being freely outspoken on the issues that are of importance to her and single-minded in her campaign for education equality. She is determined not to be defined by external factors and has dreams for to become a professional woman in a field of her own choosing. Because of the opposition Malala encounters in the form of Taliban bans and the lack of government will, her work regarding education equality naturally becomes political, which in turn increases her visibility as a target of the Taliban. When the story of her shooting becomes global, Malala is inadvertently catapulted onto the world stage and confronted with a new public perception of herself, an international figure of courage and commitment and a voice for millions of girls unable to attend school, a weighty responsibility Malala could not have anticipated as a young girl in Swat.

Malala’s bravery in penning her story, I am Malala , a retrospective response to the question posed to her by the Taliban fighter who shot her, and in graciously accepting the public profile that has been thrust upon her, demonstrates how identity is shaped by individual experience and the manner in which those experiences are assimilated into an individual’s sense of self.

Identity Quotes

To be torn from the country that you love is not something to wish on anyone. Prologue

I close my eyes and for a moment I am back in my valley – the high snow-topped mountains, green waving fields and fresh blue rivers – and my heart smiles when it looks at the people of Swat. Prologue

‘Who is Malala?’ he demanded. No one said anything, but several of the girls looked at me. I was the only girl with my face not covered. Prologue

Our home was always full of people visiting from the village. Hospitality is an important part of Pashtun culture. Chapter 1

So I was born a proud daughter of Pakistan, though like all Swatis I thought of myself first as Swati and then Pashtun, before Pakistani. Chapter 1

He described what was happening in Afghanistan as a ‘war between two elephants’ – the US and the Soviet Union – not our war, and said that we Pashtuns were ‘like the grass crushed by the hooves of two fierce beasts’. (Rahmat Shah Sayel, a Peshawar poet) Chapter 2

We Pashtuns cannot turn away relatives or friends, however inconvenient. We don’t respect privacy and there is no such thing as making an appointment to see someone. Visitors can turn up whenever they wish and can stay as long as they want. Chapter 3

You could see the White Mountain from everywhere, and my father told me he used to think of it as a symbol of peace for our land, a white flag at the end of our valley. Chapter 4

I knew that any of the girls in my class could have achieved what I had achieved if they had had their parents’ support. Chapter 17

‘If anything had happened to her it would have been blamed on the white woman,’ she said afterwards. ‘If she’d died I would have killed Pakistan’s Mother Teresa.’ (Dr Fiona) Chapter 22

I used to be known as his daughter; now he’s known as my father. Epilogue

Tolerance and Prejudice

The theme of tolerance in I am Malala is introduced through Malala’s referencing of the speech of Pakistan’s founder, Jinnah, and in her certainty that Islam is peaceful and tolerant. Jinnah envisaged a land of tolerance, where its people would be independent and free to choose their own beliefs while respecting the choice of others to hold beliefs that differ from one’s own, an ideal Malala hopes her nation will one day achieve. Instead of such freedoms, what occurred over time was that the Taliban were able to exploit people’s lack of knowledge of Arabic (Pakistan’s official langue is Urdu) to gradually spread ignorance and fear through destroying ancient Buddhist relics and through its misinterpretation of the Quran which indoctrinated people to their extremist views and created a mentality of prejudice toward those unwilling to accept their teachings.

The Taliban’s teachings resulted in divisions between people, increased discrimination and violence towards those who held less extreme views, and in the most severe cases, threats of death, such as when Malala’s father, Ziauddin, receives an anonymous letter denouncing a girls’ school picnic as obscene and vulgar, and against Islam. Ziauddin could not comprehend how nobody did anything to counter the spread of ignorance, and how the government failed in its leadership, demonstrating how the slippery slope of quickly formed ill-judgments of others can lead to prejudice. Ziauddin’s commitment to educating people to be independent thinkers, particularly given the fact he himself had been indoctrinated into becoming a jihadi as a young man, exemplifies how prejudice may be identified and rejected.

Malala’s faith in Islam, which she knows to be peaceful and tolerant, is a great source of strength to her throughout her life. This contrasts the view of Islam that is presented through the Taliban’s teachings and those of other likeminded extremists who attempt to propagandise Islamic teachings in order to incite violence against non-Muslims they consider infidels. Malala candidly invites the reader unfamiliar with the tenets of Islam into her personal faith relationship, thereby providing an alternative perspective compared to that which is often portrayed by the media, whose frequent portrayals of Islamic associations with terrorist aims demonstrates the ease with which prejudice may be perpetuated by governments and the media.

Tolerance and Prejudice Quotes

He wanted to encourage independent thought and hated the way the school he was at rewarded obedience above openmindedness and creativity. Chapter 3

‘You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the state.’ (Jinnah) Chapter 7

Mullahs often misinterpret the Quran and Hadith when they teach them in our country as few people understand the original Arabic. Fazlullah exploited this ignorance. Chapter 9

‘This is how these militants work. They … first see what the local problems are and target those responsible, and that way they get the support of the silent majority. … After, when they get power, they behave like the criminals they once hunted down.’ (Hidayatullah, to Ziauddin) Chapter 9

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. Chapter 10

All this happened and no one did a thing. Chapter 10

‘But you just use him to learn the literal meaning of the words; don’t follow his explanations and interpretation. Only learn what God says. His words are divine messages, which you are free and independent to interpret.’ (Ziauddin to Malala) Chapter 10

We were scared, but our fear was not as strong as our courage. Chapter 11

My father said the Taliban presence in Swat was not possible without the support of some in the army and the bureaucracy. Chapter 11

He hated the fact that most people would not speak up. (Malala, on her father) Chapter 11

They are abusing our religion,’ I said in interviews. ‘How will you accept Islam if I put a gun to your head and say Islam is the true religion? If they want every person in the world to be Muslim why don’t they show themselves to be good Muslims first?’ (Malala) Chapter 12

The Taliban bulldozed both our Pashtun values and the values of Islam. Chapter 12

Our country had so many crises and no real leaders to tackle them. Chapter 16

‘My only ambition,’ he said, ‘is to educate my children and my nation as much as I am able. But when half of your leaders tell lies and the other half is negotiating with the Taliban, there is nowhere to go. One has to speak out.’ (Ziauddin) Chapter 17

It was hard to visit that place and read those speeches without thinking that Jinnah would be very disappointed in Pakistan. … He wished us to be independent, to be tolerant, to be kind to each other. He wanted everyone to be free whatever their beliefs. Chapter 18

… I didn’t even think a single bad thought about the man who shot me – I had no thoughts of revenge – I just wanted to go back to Swat. I wanted to go home. Chapter 23

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I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition)

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I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Part 1, Chapter 5

Part 2, Chapters 6-10

Part 3, Chapters 11-15

Part 3, Chapters 16-19

Part 4, Chapters 20-23

Part 5, Chapters 24-29

Part 5, Chapter 30-Epilogue

Key Figures

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Consider Malala’s relationship with her parents. How does her father inspire Malala to become a champion of girls’ educational rights? In what ways is Malala similar to her father? What character traits do they share? Characterize Malala’s relationship with her mother. In what ways does her mother influence Malala? Does Malala have a closer bond to one parent over the other? Discuss.

Malala believes she—and everyone—has a basic right to education. Why is girls’ education so important to Malala? What are some of the benefits of education? In contrast, the Taliban believe that girls’ education is un-Islamic. Why do you think the Taliban want to suppress girls’ education?

Although Malala wins the Nobel Prize and receives international support and recognition for her advocacy work, she is still a teenager when she begins writing her memoir . In what ways does Malala show she is a regular teenager? What does Malala have in common with young adult readers, even those from other cultures? What narrative strategies does Malala use to connect to other teens?

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Malala Rhetorical Analysis

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Guest Essay

Malala: I Survived the Taliban. I Fear for My Afghan Sisters.

By Malala Yousafzai

Ms. Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt, is an activist for girls’ education and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

In the past two decades, millions of Afghan women and girls received an education. Now the future they were promised is dangerously close to slipping away. The Taliban — who until losing power 20 years ago barred nearly all girls and women from attending school and doled out harsh punishment to those who defied them — are back in control. Like many women, I fear for my Afghan sisters.

I cannot help but think of my own childhood. When the Taliban took over my hometown in Pakistan’s Swat Valley in 2007 and shortly thereafter barred girls from getting an education, I hid my books under my long, hefty shawl and walked to school in fear. Five years later, when I was 15, the Taliban tried to kill me for speaking out about my right to go to school.

I cannot help but be grateful for my life now. After graduating from college last year and starting to carve out my own career path, I cannot imagine losing it all — going back to a life defined for me by men with guns.

Afghan girls and young women are once again where I have been — in despair over the thought that they might never be allowed to see a classroom or hold a book again. Some members of the Taliban say they will not deny women and girls education or the right to work. But given the Taliban’s history of violently suppressing women’s rights , Afghan women’s fears are real. Already, we are hearing reports of female students being turned away from their universities, female workers from their offices.

Class Dismissed: Malala’s Story

A 2009 documentary by adam b. ellick profiled malala yousafzai, a pakistani girl whose school was shut down by the taliban. ms. yousafzai was shot by a gunman on oct. 9, 2012..

None of this is new for the people of Afghanistan, who have been trapped for generations in proxy wars of global and regional powers. Children have been born into battle. Families have been living for years in refugee camps; thousands more have fled their homes in recent days.

The Kalashnikovs carried by the Taliban are a heavy burden on the shoulders of all Afghan people. The countries that have used Afghans as pawns in their wars of ideology and greed have left them to bear the weight on their own.

But it is not too late to help the Afghan people — particularly women and children.

Over the past two weeks, I spoke with several education advocates in Afghanistan about their current situation and what they hope will happen next. (I am not naming them here because of security concerns.) One woman who runs schools for rural children told me she has lost contact with her teachers and students.

“Normally we work on education, but right now we are focusing on tents,” she said. “People are fleeing by the thousands, and we need immediate humanitarian aid so that families are not dying from starvation or lack of clean water.” She echoed a plea I heard from others: Regional powers should be actively assisting in the protection of women and children. Neighboring countries — China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan — must open their doors to fleeing civilians. That will save lives and help stabilize the region. They must also allow refugee children to enroll in local schools and humanitarian organizations to set up temporary learning centers in camps and settlements.

Looking to Afghanistan’s future, another activist wants the Taliban to be specific about what they will allow: “It is not enough to vaguely say, ‘Girls can go to school.’ We need specific agreements that girls can complete their education, can study science and math, can go to university and be allowed to join the work force and do jobs they choose.” The activists I spoke with feared a return to religious-only education, which would leave children without the skills they need to achieve their dreams and their country without doctors, engineers and scientists in the future.

We will have time to debate what went wrong in the war in Afghanistan, but in this critical moment we must listen to the voices of Afghan women and girls. They are asking for protection, for education, for the freedom and the future they were promised. We cannot continue to fail them. We have no time to spare.

Malala Yousafzai ( @malala ) is a global activist for girls’ education and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is also a co-founder of the Malala Fund.

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