Malala Yousufzai: "Daughter of the Nation"

By Ryan Eichman

Malala Yousufzai (Photo by Veronique de Viguerie, ABC News)

All the recent talk surrounding the Taliban is of the young girl, Malala Yousufzai, who is recovering from an attempted assassination on the 9th of October. Taliban operatives targeted Malala on her way home from school, because she was an activist for girls' education. According to both the Taliban and al Qaeda groups, Malala was speaking of values that were against Islamic code. The As-Sahab media group put together a pamphlet that asked the public why they were so "perturbed over Malala?" This media outlet has very strong connections with terrorist groups; and attempted to sugarcoat the severity of the assassination attempt on the 14 year old girl because she defied Muslim law. "She has become a symbol of Western culture in the area; she was openly propagating it." This was the statement made by a Taliban spokesman, which was another statement of how Malala was opposing Islamic ways of life. The Taliban wanted to silence her no matter what, that even after being shot in the head and neck, promises were made to kill her. The terrorist group wants this incident to be a lesson to all who wish to revolt against Islamic ways of life. 

The attempted killing of the 14 year old girl has left many Islamic people in fear for their own lives. A tragedy such as this brings about the question: if it can happen to them can it happen to me; which has led to the fear that now fills many Muslims. Islamic people are learning to control that fear however and turn it into hope; instead of thinking could it happen to me, thinking if she can do it, so can we. Malala has definitely shown that no matter how young you are, you can make a difference. According to political leader Altaf Hussain, she has become the "Daughter of the Nation."

News appears to keep getting better for Malala. On top of her inspiration to the people of Islamic beliefs and Pakistan police tracking down the assassins, word has been released that the doctors looking out for young Malala are hopeful. Malala was transferred to England for further treatment and to be under the care of professionals who have dealt with her kind of trauma before. According to Dr. Dave Rosser, Malala has a chance of making a good recovery.

The fact that a 14 year old girl has the courage to stand up to the terrorist group is amazing. She has shown the people of Islamic culture that even a young teenager can make a difference. Many people may say "well what difference can I make?" History has shown that one person can make a huge difference if they are fighting for a good cause. Take for example Gandhi and Dr. King, they protested peacefully and made a huge impact on the way of life for many people. The same can be said about Malala; she spoke up peacefully and has made a huge impact on the lives of Muslims. I think that it is very good to see young people stand up for what they believe, I also think it's good that the Pakistani government found suspects in the assassination, and I think it's even better that Malala stands a good chance to live so that she can hopefully continue to be a symbol of hope for women in the Islamic faith.