Malala was born on July 12, 1997 in Mingora in the Swat valley, and has two younger brothers. Malala was only 11 years old when she first came to public attention in 2009. She spoke out through an anonymous diary on BBC Urdu's website under a pen name Gul Makai, and later was featured in two New York Times documentaries. Her blogs described life under Taliban rule from her hometown of Mingora; located in the northwest region of Pakistan she affectionately calls "My Swat". Malala received support and encouragement in her activism from her parents.
So why do the Taliban fear Malala, who is named after a legendary Pashtun warrior? Because the young girl, who belongs to Pakistan's Swat valley, spoke for the right of children, of girls, in a part of the world where many believe that women must neither be seen nor heard. When the Taliban became rulers of Pakistan's Swat region between 2003 and 2009, they ordered schools to close as part of a decree banning girls' education.
No comments:
Post a Comment