(The Verge) – Malala Yousafzai, now 16, has spent these past months recovering from a shot to the head by the Taliban one year ago, October 9, 2012. She was riding on a bus on her way home from school in Mingora, Pakistan when the militant assault took place. She was targeted because of her staunch opposition to Taliban’s abusive rulings, while supporting education for girls and all children.
The Taliban became aware of Malala’s presence as she posted blogs on her ideals and oppression by the Islamic secular group. Malala sees education as the key to giving the girls in her region a stronger chance at an improved quality of life. She campaigned tirelessly for females to have equal access to school in the northwestern area of Pakistan. According to the Taliban, however, her very actions gave the militia sufficient cause to hurt her, or worse: kill her (or anyone for that matter, who oppose their ideology). These ‘types’ are, not surprisingly, considered “infidels.”
A hopeful teenager, Malala stresses that creating a dialogue with the extremists who attacked her is the proper path to a resolution. She hopes that the government of her native Pakistan, and the United States, are up to the task – a task that is larger than her, but can be traced to the heroism that she and others have displayed.
Malala points out that the atrocities of “killing people (and) torturing people…” are not the way of Islam, and her aggressors are “misusing the name of Islam” (Taliban Vows to Try Again).
Shahidullah Shahid, spokesman for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, responded to Malala’s declarations with stronger vengeance by proclaiming, “We will target her again and attack whenever we have the chance” (Taliban Vows to Try Again).
Despite the violent force of the Taliban, Malala, remains steadfast in her determination to continue advocating for the rights to education for all girls. She expressed to the BBC that “she wants to return to Pakistan and enter politics” stating, “ ‘I hope that a day will come [when] the people of Pakistan will be free, they will have their rights, there will be peace and every girl and every boy will be going to school’” (Taliban Vows to Try Again).
Since Malala’s attack, she has been in Birmingham, England where extensive surgeries have been performed on her, to mend the horrific skull damage. Her family joins her, as well.
Gratefully, she returned to school in March, and subsequently began writing her book, “I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education And Was Shot By The Taliban,” which will be released today (one day prior to the anniversary of her attack). Malala’s bravery and quest for the betterment of lives for women and children has her in the running for the Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced Friday, October 11 (Malala Yousafzai, 2013).
