Normal teenage stuff. Yet the story of 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai has shown the world that the simple right to go to school can be anything but normal for girls in some parts of the world. She was shot by the Taliban for attending school and speaking out in support of education for women.
Not since Anne Frank, perhaps, has the world been so moved by the courage of a single 15-year-old girl. Some of the most passionate support has come from the people of Pakistan, providing a powerful antidote to Western stereotypes about Pakistan and other Muslim countries. At a candlelight vigil Oct. 11, a Pakistani protester held a candle and a poster proclaiming, “Are you with us or the Taliban? Long live Malala Yousufzai.”
Fizzah Rizvi, a writer from Lahore, Pakistan, observed, “Liberals, conservatives, religious and secular political parties and ordinary citizens all stood behind Malala in 2009 because she just wanted to go to school and be able to complete her education. Even those who are confirmed Taliban supporters could not but admit that the shooting was wrong and extremely cowardly. It was great to see the whole country stand together in supporting her and condemning the mind dead zombies behind this cowardly act.”
While Malala became an instant heroine on the world stage, she has been an important figure in Pakistan for several years. “Malala became an icon a couple of years ago when our army moved in for a military operation in Swat, the beautiful valley Malala belongs to, as the Taliban had taken over that small city and all schools were shut down,” Fizzah recalled. “She sat at home but used the Internet to blog about her experience with the pen name Gul Makai on BBC Urdu’s website. All she wanted was peace in the region so Swat’s children could continue with their education, especially girls. She is the real face of Pakistani youth and women and this horrible attack on her was bound to have such a profound effect on the country.”
Fizzah and her sister, Habibah Rizvi, are the nieces of Zafar Rizvi of Butler Twp. “This is the last limit of brutality and violence,” Habibah said. “Simple schoolgirls who only demanded to study are shot for wanting to have a normal life? This is heinous and barbaric. And their resilience and activism asserts that we cannot succumb to this ideology of a minority of Pakistan.”
The Rizvi sisters said their family has always supported the education of women. “My family sent their women to school in 1920s,” Fizzah said. “Both my grandmothers went to school, though not to college as they both got married at 18. They more than made up for it as both were voracious readers and very opinionated about everything from world politics to feminism.”
She knows that is far from Western stereotypes about her country: “Honestly speaking, Americans and almost all other western countries immediately think and equate the words ‘Muslim’ and ‘Islam’ and being a Muslim country with conservative, cruel, wife- and daughter-beating misogynists who want to lock up their women and not send them to school. Education is considered a basic human right everywhere, but Islam declares it a duty for both men and women, which can not be bypassed.”
Girls face the greatest obstacles to education in poor, remote communities where the feudal system still exists or in some tribal, undeveloped areas that have no schools. “It’s important to understand that there are specific areas of Pakistan which are affected by terrorism, mostly the ones near the Afghan border and some mountainous regions like Swat which provided safe hideouts for the terrorists,” Fizzah said. “Though big cities like Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi have also been attacked several times but these cities and majority of the country is not under their control. Even in the event of an attack, people have always — and I mean ALWAYS — shown incredible resilience and courage and to this day we haven’t seen schools, colleges or businesses shut down after such an incident. It’s always back to school and work the next day and going out for dinner too. Our resilience is our biggest strength and it will take us through this difficult time.”
Fizzah said there are clear lessons from the tragedy: “We should stay strong and determined to fight against these handful of mad people who kill in the name of God and a faith which forbids hurting even a fly intentionally. Malala’s case has also shut up those who portrayed the Taliban as victims of American bombs who’re out to take revenge. It’s no longer easy for them to defend the Taliban and their personal version of Islam and shariat.”
Will young women in Pakistan be more afraid of getting an education as a result of what happened to Malala? “I honestly don’t think so,” Fizzah said. “Swat, the valley where this incident occurred, has its schools open and life is going on normally. People came out in droves to protest without any fear and Malala’s school fellows came to school the day after the attack and condemned and spoke against it fearlessly.”
Added Habibah, an English professor, “I teach girls and women of various ages and I see no fear in them. In the last 20 years or so Pakistani women have exceptionally done well in the field of education. Even in rural areas statistics show that more girls are going to school and colleges and even opting for higher education. There is no fear in the people of Pakistan; rather every such incident now strengthens our belief in standing up against this nonsense and do not let these barbarians dictate us.”
So many lessons from a 15-year-old girl who simply wanted to go to school.
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