The writer is an independent journalist and has written for The New York Times, the Daily Telegraph and the Christian Science Monitor. He tweets @TahaSSiddiqui
It was exactly a year ago today when Malala was shot by the Taliban. Pakistan and the world were shocked that day to see that the Taliban could shoot a 14-year-old girl. This was unacceptable to everyone. The country came out on the roads, protesting and demanding action against the Taliban. We started hearing of a major operation being planned to go after the dreaded Taliban. Finally, the country was waking up. As Malala struggled between life and death in those early days, we were seeing a united Pakistan — one that wanted to punish those responsible.
Fast forward to the present day, nothing has happened on that front. How did we get here? Well, it all started with a narrative that told of this being an incursion from Afghanistan. It wasn’t our good old Taliban ‘brothers’, you see. These were enemies from the other side of the border. And don’t we love conspiracies about the ‘foreign hand’? Suddenly, the news machinery started churning out articles and talks-shows, which pointed fingers towards the Afghan government for giving refuge to the Taliban. Nato and the US were questioned as to why they weren’t taking action against these horrible terrorists operating from the region on the other side of the Durand Line. And very strategically, the debate to take action against the Taliban started to fade away.
But there were still a few out there who were pointing to the fact that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) took responsibility for the attack. Not only that, these voices kept reminding everyone that the TTP went to the extent of saying that they would target her again, if she survived. These few sane voices had to be silenced too. So, another front was opened by the deep state — Malala had to be declared a foreign agent working for the CIA. Different religious lobbies came out on talk shows, questioning Malala, her family and the West for aiding her. And it started to work. Slowly, everyone started to question the way she was ‘used’. Nobody seemed to care about how she was doing. Her health became secondary as the nation started to ‘investigate’ her ties with the West. And even when her photographs were released to the media, in which we could see her in a hospital bed, with frightened eyes, holding a stuffed toy, religious leaders were calling it all a drama.
And how could the anti-drone campaigners stay behind. This lot started to share fake photos of drone victims on the internet. Questions were asked as to why ‘thousands’ of Malalas were being killed by drone attacks and all that the West cared about was a 14-year-old girl, who allegedly did not even write her diary and maybe was not even shot, and was photographed multiple times ‘hanging out with the CIA’.
Today, while Malala is a global icon, in Pakistan, her struggle is seen as a conspiracy, which needs to be investigated as we prepare for talks with the Taliban, who shot her and who continue to bomb schools, kill minorities and spread their terror. Malala is among the favourites to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded this week, and from the look of things, the world will once again celebrate and learn from those who are worthy of receiving the Nobel Prize, like Dr Abdus Salam, while Pakistan continues to shun them and live in a different world, where the only narrative that prevails is of those who are protecting the twisted ideology of the Taliban.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (41)
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@TahaSSiddiqui Apologies but you're mixing her struggle and the last one year. Her struggle was before when she get shot. Getting shot was NOT her achievement. As you rightly said people protested on roads for her that day but it was the aftermath and the western focus that was not well absorbed by the Pakistanis. Some of us worship the west, others get agitated by it. Should be clear that the west picks and chooses matters to focus on WITHOUT any bit of humanity or morality.
reminds me of anne marie... propaganda... if u compare it to other cases of victimizations it has gained disprportionate fame!
@rome: She has become the Icon for the world! It matters not what She thinks or those from her tribe or even those from Pakistan. Every political and non politial organisation want to associate itsr entity with her. Ths is an hysteria which no one wishes but when it comes is not stoppable. People are already betting that on Friday the Noweigen Noble Prize committee will most probably award her the peace award, which she is publicly claiming that she does not deserve it!!
Rex Minor.
like it or not, its a fact. Nobody cares abt her or her life in pakistan. We have more important issues to think abt. Daily people is getting killed in this country and here we have someone WHO is highlighted, as she is the only one. What abt her friends, other peoples daughters,sisters, mothers, fathers etc. And here u have someone telling that she is respected in UK and other Places. WHO cares and why do they highlight her all the time?. they dont show any concern of others in this country. Sick and tired abt hearing of this malala.
Malala is a yousafzai Pashtun girl, the daughter of a school teacher father who has brought her up to fear no one, submit to no one but her own conscious. A real will power training at a young age. It is too bad that the Taliban leadership got on her wrong side. Those who stopped the Bus and fired at her after they saw the only uncovered teenager face in the Bus, made a mistake and did not realize that SHE was under the protection of the angels. The Yosafzais are very resilient and assertive people and do not buckle down against force. They proved it in history when they refused to pay any taxes to the Emperor Aurngzeb! The Talibans who wanted to subdue her family are most probably also Yousafzais and should better back down. Yes, mistakes have been made and perhaps some foreigners in early days did stirr up and made the innocent Malala for their anti Taliban campaign purpose, but she is now beyond the reach of any human soul. She has experienced a painful trauma and though not fully recovered can dedstroy any mortal who wishes to harm her.
Rex Minor
@Zubia: Good one Zubia! I second you 1,000 %!
@faizan javaid: It's delusional sheeple like you he talked about in the article.
Malala remains an embarrassment to many Pakistani's. A constant reminder that your govt is incapable of providing protection to it's citizens and a reminder that you didn't even bother to pursue or capture the thugs who tried to assassinate her. Equally important her message of women's equality and education tends to grate on conservative Muslims who believe think they have a god given right to discriminate against women.
The whole premise of the article being because the girl was shot so the west can't be behind it is illogical. For the writer: bad reputation is at least also reputation
I agree 100% with @Shakeel (7 hours ago). Most Pakistanis are petty minded people who cannot recognize or give credit to someone else's achievements, since doing so reminds them of their own inadequacies and inferiority complexes. Giving due credit to a 16 year old girl for her bravery and courage in supporting girls education, before and after she was shot in cold blood by the savages which the TTP happen to be, is too hard for many Pakistanis to accept due to wide-spread unconscious feelings of self-loathing and inadequacy which they try to hide with jingoism and by spreading and believing in non-sensical conspiracy theories.
When the article is about Malala, read comments. #Malalarule
@Fahad Zaki: Do something recognizable ,and you will be recognized. Suicide-bombs won't do it.Nor hating an icon.
No one forgot Malala in Pakistan. She is an inspiration to us all. All the newspapers, the TV channels, the radio stations and people in the government and the opposition support her stance. Malala was given the peace prize by Pakistan govt. and the peace prize was named after her in 2011. (And that was before she was wounder in Oct, 2012)
Is it fair to blame all Pakistanis because of a few fanatics who support a conspiracy theory?
Also to all of those international community people who now 'remember' Malala and other inspirational people from Pakistan, I would really appreciate if they 'recognize' them before they get shot and not after.
What's the conclusion? simply narrated the events as they happened. Nothing new or informative or even up for a debate. Yes, one new twist to it, Taha has brought the deep-state into it somehow, which rightly so should be blamed for alotttt of things wrong in Pakistan, but to mention it in a story which concerns Malala is totally uncalled for, and would only please a particular lobby of a particular party which the writer may have been trying to impress. (read a former self-exiled ex-diplomat). But doing so made the already repetitive, article, more dull.
@Nadir: what about the little students killed in dozens in US drones??? they have not been given publicity because they were slaughtered by Americans
Dozens of little girl and boy students have been killed by US drones in Pakistan but amazing that our "libera;" "Broad minded" "writers cum intellectuals" etc. would not write about them
while Malala is a symbol of fight against illiteracy it is also true that she is being used bu the West...no doubt avout oit.
@Asim Husain Khan,
Like it or not, Malala has become a global and Pakistani icon. She is the embodiment of the struggle for Pakistan's future. And she will succeed. And by the way, Shakeel above explained very well why one person can and does become a symbol of a civil rights movement. About time people like you let Malala be instead of being envious of her or spinning conspiracy theories to malign her.
I just wana know one service Malala has done for promotion of women education in Pakistan, except for making speeches from abroad. She was shot in the head, yes! Godforbid it should not happened to anyone, even to Malala. I condemn it. But she was shot while going to school. In Pakistan so many children have died by terrorists when they were sleeping, shoping or going to school. She is alive, its a miracle alright but she is being promoted as only voice of women education in Pakistan, is absurd. Can a 16 year old write speeches for UN gathering, can a 16 year think of writing a auto biography. She is too good to be true that whats bothering me.
Twitter: @AHK_75
@S:
So much ignorance in one post.
FYI, the other two girls have been in the news, have given interviews to BBC and other news organizations, and have been given asylum by the UK government as well. If you failed to keep abreast with what's happening in the world, then better update yourself rather than spreading disinformation.
The activism of others are highlighted as well so again please don't feign unwarranted indignation. And Malala is not promoting any "peace talks." That's just a propaganda used by PTI trolls, who when not berating her are busy spreading rumors about her and, in this case, likening her stance with their Dear Leader, Imran Khan's. The fact of the matter is Malala is not a politician, and the only thing she is vocal about is advocating universal education. She is just a young girl. Please leave her alone.
Malala and the rest of us civilized people know that Islamists have no place in any country because they are cancer that destroy it and take away the basic rights like education of girls that we cherish. That's why Malala Yousufzai has been vocal for the rights of girls in the first place. And that's why she is global icon because she reminds us how important it is to stand up to people like Islamists with stone age mentality. So long as there are people like Malala, there's still hope.
Please don't be jealous of Malala. She is in the UK because she was nearly killed in Pakistan. She has gone through enough. Again I beg you and other haters to stop using Malala as a virtual punching bag. Let her be. Please.
70% of Pakistanis are envious petty minded morons. They cannot accept one person especially a girl from among them to rise up on the world stage. The common complain is what about the other girls. For God sake through history of the world there is always one person who stands out. Why is Nelson Mendela recognized as symbol of South African freedom against apartheid ? There were other leaders too, like Steve Biko, like Desmond Tutu, many many died too, but there is always one that stands out more and that person becomes a rallying point. I am so disgusted that our own people have turned their backs on a girl who deserves the accolade she is getting. For once after a long time the name Pakistani is attached to something good yet we want to trash it completely. No hope anytime soon.
Mohni, Well said. I dont get what did Malala do to deserve these kind of ignorant attacks. She is morally superior to Church and Mosque bombers. She survived from a near death like situation out of pure luck. She is after all a child only. She is a natural born courageous leader and Pakistan should nurture such brave and enlightened souls. I hope she will get Nobel prize and inspire millions of other Malalas.
There is only one reason why Pakistan couldn't own Malala and her quest for universal education.
And that is the 'self loathing' or 'self hatred' of Pakistani people. They love folks who torture them, not the ones who want better things for them.
@faizan javaid: The world care about Malala and some of us Pakistanis celebrate Malala because she had the courage to stand up for her right to education. The right which is given to all the Muslims by Allah. Rather Allah has ordained it as our duty. Malala has the kind of courage, which is lacking in our leaders and even armed forces. People who are killed by drone attacks are not targeted for their beliefs. Whenever there is a conflict there will be collateral damage and drones target militants and though some innocent people get killed but they are not target of drones. Rather drones causes the least of collateral damage. Just think about bombing by jets or shelling which causes indiscriminate killings. As regards people who are killed by TTP butchers in bombing campaign around the world. There are two things: One they are targeted randomly to spread terror or because of their official position. They are not targeted because they have the courage to speak up for their inalienable right given by Allah.Second: If you have a chance to read into the history of great leaders, apart from their leadership qualities, there is an element of luck. sometimes, things work in perfect combination to make anyone a leader. Quaid-i-Azam if born 50 years ago would have died as a small local leader etc. Attack on a little girl Malala because she wanted to go to school was so abhorrent that it not only galvanized the Pakistani nation but also the world. However, we always mired in conspiracy theories have no belief in the courage of our own people. We started doubting that innocent child and her motives. Shame on us all. Have a heart and feel proud that our children are more courageous than us, they are not scared of TTP butchers. Let's save and protect our children and Malala by standing with them and fighting these forces of obscurantism and fascism.
@Zubia: You are right. When moderate Muslims keep quiet the the fanatics surface and rule. All of moderate Pakistan has to rise against these murderers. TTP has already said that if Malala returns she will be targeted again. It is for all Pakistan to protect her. If she falls victim then the future of women is bleak.
Pakistan is in the grip of Islamist ideology. It sees in Malala a conspiracy, not itself. It sees in her what it doesn't want to be. Pakistan has made a choice to reject Jinnah and everything good it can be.
Pakistan has not forgotten about Malala. But what about her two friends who also got shot with her? Why was there no news about them, why were they not in the spot light?
And why is only her activism being highlighted, there are so many other people in Pakistan for these causes why her? Because she is promoting peace talks with the Taliban? Does she even know what that means, really? That means we'll be living in the dark ages with no freedom at all, the so called freedom that we do have will be taken away from us as well. But why would Malala care, after all, she's in the UK, completely safe and sound.
The Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Malala will be the BIGGEST EVER "conspiracy" hatched by the CIA and the RAW and the Mossad against the poor old Pakistan State... and will leave it at the hands of the "Infidels" -- so sayeth the TTP (and its associated "True Believers") ... and a good many of the latter are even NOW running the various national and provincial governments...!!!
@faizaan: And what have you, so called 'men', done to protect other Pakistani girls? Have you protected them from the crazy thugs called Taliban. Its not the wests job to look after your women, its yours and you , my friend, have failed miserably. in fact people like you are responsible for Pakistani women's suffering
She can be a "global icon",but Taliban are the genuine "Pakistani icons".At least they are working on the population control!!!
I can see where the author is coming from, he is absolutely right but sadly so called educated people will still defend taliban blindly. For them Malala is a foreign agent, and the best part is for them taliban don't conduct attacks on Pakistanis, there is a foreign hand in that as well. So everything bad happening in pakistan is due to involvement of foreign hands and we are sitting here not trying to identify and then rectify our mistakes. No wonder we as a nation are in this state.
You just narrated the summary of events without answering the question?
Here in the UK Malala is held in great respect by all - in fact she is held in great regard throughout the world - yet nearly every post I see there are comments by some Pakistanis based in Pakistan who abuse, insult/defame her... why? The only thing I see why she is defamed is because pakistanis don't like positive role models they rather have negative role models like their precious TTP clowns who are destroying Pakistan from within yet they don't say anything to them because they have beards
Mentally Pakistan is a failed state. Anything good for rest of the world becomes a conspiracy for Pakistanis. Anyway, who cares. Malala is winning Nobel Peace Prize 100%, whether people in Pakistan like it or not. Like Dr Salam, she too will never return to Pakistan. Pakistan is only for extremists.
Why did Pakistan forget Malala?
Well the Islamists and Imran Khan's conspiracy theories' lovers blind followers poisoned the well. How could those misogynists and extremists tolerate a girl who spoke for education and the rights of girls? So because they couldn't treat Malala like the chattel that most lower-class Pakistani women get treated as, they resorted to slander and mud-slinging against a defenseless teenager, not sparing her even when she fled the doomed "Land of the Pure."
Mark my works: if Pakistan fails completely, history will apportion blame equally on Imran Khan/PTI and their Islamic extremist buddies for the fall and demise of the country.
Hope Malala wins the Nobel Prize. She is truly a beacon of hope in the otherwise wretched country known as Pakistan.
@FaizanJavaid: What do you mean "so called Malala", she is not a figment of our imagination, she is a real person and does exist.
where is the answer???
Now this is what Huffunton Post has to say about Malala- 'She is the perfect candidate for the white man to relieve his burden and save the native' (13/7/2013)
what about our others daughters and sisters, killed by drone attacks or TTP? how many time u write for them? why u have a soft corner about soo call malala??