Best way to fight war is through dialogue, says Malala

Child activist says she will make education compulsory.


Afp October 07, 2013
Malala Yousafzai. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON: Malala Yousafzai said on Monday that the best way to fight against war was through dialogue.

"But for me the best way to fight against terrorism and extremism is a simple thing - educate the next generation," she added.

She said that issues of terrorism are "not an issue for me, that's the job of the government.. and that's also the job of America".

Malala said she hoped to become a politician to "change the future of my country".

The 16-year-old, whose continued fight for all children to go to school has made her a favourite for the Nobel Peace Prize this week, also backed dialogue with the Taliban, although she said this was an issue for the government.

"I will be a politician in my future. I want to change the future of my country and I want to make education compulsory," Malala said in a BBC interview.

Malala dismissed the continued threats against her life and repeated her desire to return to Pakistan from Britain, where she was flown for treatment after the attack in October and where she now goes to school.

"The bad thing in our society and in our country is that you always wait for someone else to come," Malala said.

"If I'm saying that there is no-one who is doing anything for education, if I say there is no electricity, there is no natural gas, the schools are being blasted, and I'm saying no-one is doing this, why don't I go for it, why don't I do this?

"I believe that I will achieve this goal because Allah is with me, God is with me and he saved my life."

Malala admitted Britain had been a culture shock, "especially for my mother because we had never seen that women would be that much free - they would go to any market, they would be going alone with no men, no brothers and fathers".

She said: "I'm not becoming western, I'm still following my own culture, the Pashtun culture."

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COMMENTS (45)

Melkanie Duh | 10 years ago | Reply

True but she has a chance@hmm:

R. Subramanian | 10 years ago | Reply

I don't think education alone will stop terrorism, it might create high tech terrorist but it won't stop terrorism. Terrorism will stop only when we start to look fellow humans with love and affection, there might be boundaries separating human beings, but that might should not stop us showing our affection and gratitude to fellow human beings. Persons like Malala are need of the hour for Pakistan people, one advice to Pakistan Government by an Indian better make Malala as your foreign minister, she is 1000 times better than your existing ministers..

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