Discussion Topic
Overview of Malala Yousafzai’s Identity, Namesake, and Ambitions
Summary:
Malala Yousafzai, named after a Pashtun heroine, is a Pakistani activist for girls' education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. She gained global attention after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban. Malala continues to advocate for education and women's rights, aiming to ensure every girl has access to twelve years of free, quality education.
Who is Malala named after?
In her critically acclaimed autobiography I Am Malala (full title: I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban), Malala Yousafzai uncovers that she was named after Malalai of Maiwand—a female warrior and national Afghani heroine. Malalai is celebrated in Afghani history and folklore because she managed to gather and organize the Afghani fighting troops against the British Army at the Battle of Maiwand, in July 1800, which was one of the most important battles of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Because of her bravery, her fearlessness, and her courage, Malalai is commonly regarded as “The Afghan Joan of Arc.” The name Malala is of Pashto origin (Eastern Iranian language) and literally means someone who is sad or grieving.
Who is Malala and what is her ambition?
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani girl, of Pashtun ethnicity, who lived in the Swat Valley region. She is the daughter of Ziauddin...
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Yousafzai, who was a vocal women's rights activist. Malala herself was a proponent of women's rights in Taliban-controlled Pakistan, and she attended the progressive Khushal School. When mullahs implemented Sharia law in the Swat Valley, the school and the Yousafzai family were considered targets because of their progressive social and political stance. Malala's father received death threats from the Taliban, but it was Malala who was injured in an assassination attempt by terrorists.
Fortunately for Malala, the then-teenage girl survived the violent assault and became even more active in promoting women's rights and anti-Taliban rhetoric. Malala received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, and her memoir, I Am Malala, became a critically-acclaimed bestseller. Malala has stated that she wanted to become an education advocate, especially for girls and women.