INTRODUCTION:

Malala Yousafzai was born on 12^thJuly 1997, in Mingora, Swat District, of Pakistan to a Sunni Muslim household. Her first name, Malala, was given to her in honour of "Malalai of Maiwand," a well-known Pashtun writer and fighter from southern Afghanistan. She was the eldest daughter of her parents. Ziauddin Yousafzai, her biological father, worked as a teacher. He was an education activist who revolt against the Taliban that had challenged the liberty of Pakistani females to get an education. He encouraged Malala to stand up and speak up for the rights of education and stands against everything that threatened Malala’s future.

I Am Malala is an autobiography written by Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani advocate for women's education and the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

This is an actual account of how she and other local girls struggled to get an education during the Taliban rule. She makes an effort to shed light on the most deplorable conditions faced by young women throughout the Muslim world and in Pakistan in particular, where young women are not even permitted to leave their homes without covering their faces with burqa. She audaciously shared her opinions on several regional, social, political, religious, and educational issues in the current autobiography.

Malala was passionate for education, she loved reading books, and enjoyed going to school, but as the Taliban entered the Swat Valley her dreams were shattered and they started to impose shariah laws that took away girls rights. The zest for acquiring the education by Malala can be gauged by her statement in her book wherein she states, ‘‘Education is our right. Islam has given us the right and says that every girl and boy should go to school. The Quran says we should seek knowledge, study hard and learn the mysteries of world” (143). They believed that girls did not have equal rights to an education; these extremists banned watching television, listening to music, and girl’s education. Those who did not obey their orders would face harsh punishments. Most of the girls were stopped from attending to school, which resulted in heavy dropout rates.

Malala Yousafzai started to raise her voice against this exploitation when she was just eleven years. During a speech-writing project at Khushal School, Malala and her classmates protested the Taliban's effort to shut down girls' schools. Malala and other children took a stand and started talking in front of the Pashto TV team about how much they loved education and how some of their friends had left due to the Taliban’s terror. Malala spoke and said, ‘This is not the Stone Age, but it feels like we are going backward. Girls are getting more deprived of our rights. We are afraid of no one, and we will continue our education. This is our dream”. (65)

In the book, Sufi Muhammad, the leader of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammad (TNSM), was among Pakistani lawmakers who supported General Zia Ul-Haq's restrictions on women's access to higher education. He suggested that women may be barred from receiving any kind of learning. He claimed that Islam forbids females from attending school. Women in Islam are expected to stay at home and raise their children, so the religion encourages people to applaud their decision to cease sending their daughters to school. If women keep attending school despite being called goats and buffaloes, then they will be considered to be beasts in the future.

One day Sufi Mohammad proclaimed from jail that there should be no education for women even at girls’ madrasas. If someone can show any example in history where Islam allows a female madrasa, they can come and piss on my beard,’ he said. Then the Radio Mullah turned his attention to schools… Girls like [her] who still went to school he called buffaloes and sheep. (Malala 109)

The disparities that exist between males and females may have their roots in a variety of different places. In Malala's situation, the societal climate in Pakistan has emerged as one of the key elements influencing her challenges. The social environment was not the only barrier to receiving a good education. In Pakistan, challenges may also originate from within one's own family and cultural norms. In the book I Am Malala, males and females have been subjected to unequal treatment ever since they were young children. Women are shown to be less important than men because they are put in a lower social class. Only males are given the opportunity to contribute their thoughts and opinions also in most households, the females remained in their homes while the males went to school.

Malala's primary objective is education, which her religion, naturally assigns her as a duty, and for this reason, the Taliban attempted to have her killed. She is shocked by the Taliban's stand on the importance of education. The Taliban believe that they are the only authentic interpreters and preachers of the Holy Quran. While Malala challenges that, “the Quran teaches us saber-patience but often if feels that we have forgotten the word and think Islam means women sitting at home in purdah or wearing burqa while men do Jiha d”(75).

In 2008, Malala started advocating for children education on all of the local and national television networks, radio stations, and newspapers. She then started to extend her advocacy and decided to start writing for the BBC. Malala started her writing career using a pen name known as "Gul Makai," which is the name of a Pashtun folktale protagonist. In her diary, she discussed her daily worries, how difficult life was under Taliban control, particularly for females who were not permitted to study. She writes and says, “Education is our right, I said. Just as it is our right to sing. Islam has given us this right and says that every girl and boy should go to school. The Quran says we should seek knowledge, study hard and learn the mysteries of our world.” (129)

She disagrees with the Taliban's position that females like her will be westernized and led astray from Islam. She asserts. “Education is education. We should learn everything and then choose which path to follow. Education is neither eastern nor western, it is human.” (136)

As a significance of her advocacy, she was nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize in 2011. During the following year she was honored with Pakistan's first national youth peace prize. When she was 14 years old, Malala and her family found out that she had been targeted by the Taliban. While she was on her way from school in a bus on the evening of October 9, 2012, a stranger boarded the bus and demanded to know about Malala as soon as her companions turned their attention to her. Suddenly he fired bullet towards her which struck in the left side of her skull.

Malala was a target due to the controversial position that she played in Pakistan's political system. Since an early age, Malala has been a champion for the right to education, particularly for the rights of women. She has not given up the fight against the widespread prejudice in her nation, even to this day. At the ceremony where she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, she speaks about the rights of women to acquire an education. She claims, “I don’t want to be thought of as the girl who was shot by the Taliban but the girl who fought for education. This is the cause to which I want to devote my life.” (261)

Malala’s narrative is important due to the fact that she is regarded all over the world as an example of courageous opposition. She willingly put her life at risk so that females in her nation could have access to education. She is a constant source of inspiration for females who have abandoned their schooling due to the Taliban and Islamic laws. She says:

They can be anything they want. But for me it was hard, and for that reason, I wanted to become educated and empower myself with knowledge. Let us pick up our books and our pens, I said. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one Teacher, one book and one pen change the World. (262)

Additionally, Malala's killing sparked a surge of anger around the world. It raised awareness of the human rights violations in Pakistan and encouraged international education organizations to devote more time to the educational situation in Pakistan. People like Malala, who has the courage to speak out against oppressive regimes, are desperately needed around the globe.

Malala was aware that if she did not pursue an education, her only choice would be to settle down with someone to marry and spend the rest of her days in domestic service. It was for this reason that she was encouraged to put up a fight. She explains "I wanted to speak up for my rights", Malala says, “and also I didn’t want my future to be just sitting in a room and being imprisoned in my four walls and just cooking and giving birth to children. I didn’t want to see my life in that way” (BBC)

Malala witnessed the Taliban closing down classrooms across Pakistan. More than 800 girl's schools had been the destroyed by the Taliban, according to reports made by government authorities in 2013. According to the Taliban, "girls education is a symbol of Eastern decadence and government authority" (118).After attacking Malala, the Taliban released a statement and saying:

Malala has been targeted because of her pioneering role in preaching secularism……… she was young, but she was promoting western culture in Pashtun areas. She was pro West; she was speaking against the Taliban; she was calling President Obama her idol. (216)

The Taliban perceived Malala as a danger to Pakistani pride and Islamic doctrine because of her exposure to western ideas. Malala's goal is to make sure that women have the right to an education. As she works toward her goal, she has seen for herself how unfair this political environment is. “The Taliban could take our pens and books, but they couldn’t stop our minds from thinking” (122).

Religious extremism has a significant influence on Pakistan's educational standing, particularly among female students. Islam is often used by antifeminist religious authorities as justification for the oppression of women in various societies. Because of this, people frequently believe that Islam confines women to the four walls of the house. It is common in Pakistan parents are told by the Taliban that sending their daughters to school is against Islam, and they are told to reject education as a way to show their loyalty to Islam. “Girls should not be going to school, he continued. A girl is so sacred she should be in purdah, and so private that there is no lady’s name in the Quran as God doesn’t want her to be named’’(77).

Malala has had the opportunity throughout her childhood to interact with and learn from a wide variety of political thought leaders and role models, many of whom have motivated her to become an outspoken activist. She was inspired by Benazir Bhutto, who offered her optimism for her nation and motivation for her own political career. She said:

It was because of Benazir that girls like me could think of speaking out and becoming politicians. She was our role model. She symbolized the end of dictatorship and the beginning of democracy, as well as sending a message of hope and strength to the rest of the world. (129).

Bhutto is seen as a source of inspiration and direction by a large number of Pakistanis, including Malala. When Benazir was killed, she claimed that ‘‘it felt as if my country was running out of hope” (133). Benazir was one individual who was responsible for shaping the perspectives of a significant number of Pakistanis in a significant way.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, Malala's memoir I Am Malala highlights the numerous barriers that exist in education, particularly for girls, in Pakistan. These barriers include gender discrimination, poverty, lack of access to schools and quality education, and cultural beliefs and societal norms. It is essential to address these barriers to guarantee that all students have the chance to acquire an adequate standard education irrespective of their gender or socioeconomic status. Malala's advocacy for education has brought attention to these issues, and her story has inspired many to work towards making education accessible to all. Malala's work has inspired women all over the world and her story has given others the courage to speak out against discrimination. Through her nonprofit organisation, the Malala Fund, She has taken a significant step towards to help girls all over the world to get a free, safe, and high-quality education. However her devotion to women's empowerment and her passion for learning are both respected.

REFERENCES:

1. Azhari, Y.R. (2017). The Representation of Child Worldview in Emma Donoghue's Room. Research Paper. English Department Pasundan University.

2. Ahmad, S. 2012. The Taliban and Girls' Education in Pakistan and Afghanistan - with a case study of the situation in the Swat District. Lund University.

3. Eva Miftahul Ulum, Malala’s Struggles Against Unfairness in Malala Yousafzai and Cristina LAMB’S i am Malala, State islamic University of Malang.2016.

4. He named me Malala, a documentary

5. Malala Fund: Malala.org.

6. Osler, A. and Starkey, H. (1996). Teacher Education and Human Rights. London: David Fulton.

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8. Yousafzai, Malala and Christina Lamb. 2013. I am Malala. USA: Little, Brown, and Company.

Received on 14.04.2023 Modified on 08.05.2023

Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2023;14(2):97-100.

DOI: 10.52711/2321-5828.2023.00020