Conspiracy afoot

It’s all a conspiracy. Malala Yousafzai receiving the Nobel prize. There were more deserving candidates. But because the West wants to embarrass us Pakistanis, it continues to promote Malala.

These are not the views of the uneducated and the under-privileged. These comments come from our educated middle class. Pakistanis who cry themselves hoarse over other issues like what is happening in Gaza, drone attacks or even on the country’s VIP culture.

But they have been strangely silent over Pakistan’s second Nobel laureate. The charge-sheet against Malala is long. The interesting thing is that facts do not come in the way. No matter much of what she is accused of is based on assumptions and misinformation.

Malala highlighted the issue of girls’ education. She stood up to extremists. But that is not good enough. It’s difficult to praise her in the Naya Pakistan.

When Malala visited Nigeria to grieve with the parents of the girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram, our right-minded people went into overdrive. What business did she have to be in Nigeria, asked one indignant young lady.

I answered that possibly the fact that she is seen across the world as a champion for education of girls and that those kidnapped were, in fact, school-girls. What I got instead was a barrage of accusations. How naiive (read: stupid) I was.

One person went on a tangent about how Malala’s father was exploiting her for his own gains. A friend of mine even went on to chide me on how “so-called liberals” were promoting this girl because they didn’t know better. This being an obvious swipe at me.

Another added that we should be talking about drone attack victims and how Malala is treated as a VIP by the Western media while the victims are ignored. It’s all a Western conspiracy, they summarized. End of discussion.

There are people who even suggest that Malala had arranged for herself to be shot so as to gain international fame. This is told as if it’s a fact. I am not imagining this: look at the headlines in the papers and see how many took the story – which should be the news of the decade – as their lead story.

Without trying to stereo-type, many of these morally indignant people are the same who disowned Dr Abdus Salam because of his religious persuasion. No matter that he was possibly one of the greatest minds of the world. But that he was an Ahmadi was enough for these people to discredit him. This mindset continues to grow in Pakistan.

This is a country where we are desperate for any sort of international recognition. The world’s biggest flag, the largest bat, the biggest kurta. None of the records set at the Punjab Youth Festival, however, ever made it to the Guinness Book of World Records. No matter.

We cannot even rejoice in the deserved achievements of our fellow Pakistanis. We disown people whose achievements the world has recognized by attacking them and belittling them. It is strange that in a country where some call Aafia Siddiqui, the “Qaum Ki Beti”, there is no place for the likes of Malala Yousafzai.

Pakistan has been lucky over the past years. We have seen many being recognized for their achievements from abroad. In some instances, people who the country doesn’t even acknowledge. We have seen the Oscar coming to Pakistan, the Emmys, the Ramon Magsaysay award on more than one occasion. It would be instructive to see how we treated the people who got these awards.

As compared to our standing in terms of human development, Pakistanis have done remarkably in the world in their individual capacity.

One should congratulate Malala and her family for their bravery at a time when many had given up. I remember when the TTP established its writ in Swat, people in Islamabad were afraid that it was a matter of days for them too. It was in these trying times that Malala stood up and spoke.

The Nobel doesn’t only recognize Malala. It acknowledges the brave people of Swat, many of whom have died as victims of terrorism and extremism. The Pakistan Army whose surgeons saved Malala when there was little hope of survival. The people of Pakistan, who have suffered innumerable losses and continue to do so. It is an award for us all.

Congratulations Malala. You have done us proud.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2014.

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