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The number cruncher with writing about Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old global icon of every child’s right to education, is that you run out of superlatives. |
Such is the mettle the girl from Swat, the scenic northern valley of Pakistan, is made of.
However, any praise for ‘The Bravest Girl in The World’ according to Newsweek is welcome if only because it works like fog lamps to underline the critical nature of the pressing issue: there are 57mn children, who are out of school globally - with gender disparities legion.
Last Friday, there she was, on a stage that doesn’t get any better and bigger: the United Nations General Assembly in the august presence of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former British prime minister Gordon Brown, the UN’s special envoy for global education.
To highlight the importance of the global initiative, it was declared The International Malala Day. It coincided with her 16th birthday - and as birthdays go, it was unusual in that instead of blowing out candles on a cake as anyone her age would do, Malala was lighting up a few whilst sitting in one of the UN’s main council chambers in the central seat usually reserved for world leaders.
Her aura was inescapable well before the epoch-making speech. Pictures emerging from the UN headquarters showed Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon affectionately, if indulgently, clasping Malala’s hand.
As symbolisms go, the sight of a secretary-general wearing a contented smile - bordering almost on pride - drew profuse attention. When was the last time we got to see a UN boss at ease with himself and the world, usually hemmed in as he/she is by the nature of the job: always having to rush and mediate between/amongst warring parties when not trying to wheedle out an agreement which makes eminent sense except to the ego-bloated powers?
In such a clime, if a teenager walks in with a natural “secretary-general” mien and a universal appeal, why wouldn’t he be happy.
Perhaps, it’s that positive energy she radiates or just the strong paternal instinct she evokes with her legend. It’s hard not to imagine the world not feeling the same way as Ban Ki-moon - even his spouse was wiping a tear every now and then as she would applaud the finer points of that Malala speech.
Few before the Pakistani girl activist have delivered a universal message as emphatically as she did and at her age - drawing inspiration from iconic figures across faiths, nationalities and cultures. It is likely to go down in history as one of the most all-embracing and powerful addresses.
To do justice to the import, perhaps, we can look at the 10 quotes from a speech that has reverberated across the world, not in the least because of her stunning forgiveness for the man who shot her nearly fatally.
l“We realise the importance of our voice when we are silenced.”
l“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.”
l“This is what my soul is telling me: Be peaceful and love everyone.”
l“There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights, but this time we will do it by ourselves.”
l“So, today we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic policies in favour of peace and prosperity.”
l“Let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.”
l“We realised the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns. The extremists are afraid of books and pens.”
l“We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”
l“(Extremists) are afraid of women, change and equality.”
l“Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights.”
The Malala Day culminated four years of an extraordinary life that is now the subject of an international documentary, an autobiography and perhaps, even a decent chance of claiming the coveted Nobel Peace Prize.
Her war-time blog for BBC at 11 and personal push with illustrious negotiator Richard Holbrooke, the-then US special envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, to use his influence in combating Taliban’s drive against education for girls, her nomination for International Peace Prize by Archbishop Desmond Tutu (which she narrowly missed as runner-up), and becoming the youngest nominee for Nobel Peace Prize at 15 would easily be a cause de célèbre anywhere, but unfortunately, not everyone in Pakistan is impressed.
After the shocking attempt by Taliban to kill her last October, which she survived miraculously through a series of medical procedures including a daunting reconstruction surgery in Britain, conservatives in Pakistan continue to express suspicions about the motive of her celebrity status, suggesting wildly that it is a “Western” conspiracy to malign the country!
Even though moderates have expressed pride in Malala showing the soft, if resilient side of Pakistan, there is no dearth of her compatriots, who habitually contrast it with how victims of US drone strikes are discriminated against.
That her life story and the use of drones are separate issues does not seem to matter. Similar unease was evident when Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy became the first Pakistani to win an Oscar for her work on acid victims last year.
Regardless, it is unlikely Malala will allow obscurantism to rule her judgment. Even though she has become a living legend and an iconic citizen of the world, she continues to symbolise the quintessential spirit of the brave Pakistani woman and is proud of owning it.
In openly telling the world at the UN podium that she was wearing the shawl of Benazir Bhutto, the slain former prime minister and the Muslim world’s first female chief executive (whom she called a martyr), Malala was personifying a strong sense of belonging to her faith, roots and culture; unafraid that it would be perceived as a political statement by some; unafraid that it would jeopardise the possibility of returning home; and above all, unafraid to call a spade a spade - which is better than what can be said of some political ‘leaders’ back home.
