THE MALALA DEBATE
THE MALALA DEBATE: A VIEW FROM PAKISTAN
Meraj Hamayun Khan, MPA is a
Memberof the Legislature and Chairperson of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus in the Khyber PakhtunkhwaAssembly in Pakistan. Starting her political careerin 1996 byjoining the newly createdTehrik i Insaf as the provincial president of its women’s wing, she later joined the Qaumi Watan Partyand was elected on reserved seats forwomen. Elected as the Chairperson of the Women’s ParliamentaryCaucus in May2016, since then she has worked tirelesslyto make it an effective forum. Known forherinnovative social projects forwomen and children, she is the founderof the NGO, De Laas Gul.
Let it be clear from the outset that I do not want to get into the controversy of what, why and how of the Malala saga. I write about her because for me she is a symbol of innocence, grit and determination, love and sacrifice. A happy, innocent child, with wishes and hopes, spending her days with family and friends in pursuit of knowledge to learn and become a better human being in service of Allah and humanity for that is what education is all about. It is a process of deepening the senses and polishing a person’s talents. It is the path leading to the understanding of Allah’s creations in every form and our own place in this complex universe, and the tool of learning is the Book which commences with the order, “Read in the name of Allah!” Malala Yousafzai had set out on this journey in search of knowledge and mental training to prepare herself to navigate the world around her, a world which was getting more and more complex and violent with each passing day. This was not to be. Instead of enlightenment
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she was violently thrown into a deep abyss of physical pain and emotional breakdown. After her ordeal, though, Malala did not break down and go into a depression, nor did she hide herself in her home as a recluse bewailing her deep facial scars and disfigurement and the distortion of her personality. No one heard her grumble, complain and curse the perpetrators of the crime. She recovered gradually and steadfastly she pursued her goal of learning. Her new surroundings with an unfamiliar culture, language and people did not scare her. With typical young Pakhtun valour and optimism she rebounded with renewed vigour to understand and integrate into her new environment but preserving her own identity at the same time. It was her simplicity that caught the attention of the international media and human rights organisations and their united efforts swept her up into a whirlpool of good wishes and universal acclaim. Her message to all the youth is to be ready for all eventualities and not be
“It was her simplicity that caught the attention of the international media and human rights organisations and their united efforts swept her up into a whirlpool of good wishes and universal acclaim. Her message to all the youth is to be ready for all eventualities and not be defeated by adversity and unpredictable challenges even giving up one’s home and all that is familiar.”