How can Malala, her just fight for education be clubbed with cases of child abuse like the one Ms Versey mentioned?
AMRITSAR, INDIA: This is with reference to Farzana Versey’s article “Our guns, children’s shoulders” (October 12). It is not every day, in fact, very rare to see the likes of Qazi Hussain Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Ms Versey, a blogger from Mumbai, on the same page on any issue. The former represents religious fundamentalists, while the latter seems to be a liberal person, and amazingly, both are sure that Malala Yousufzai was exploited for ulterior motives. This girl’s courage and fight for her right to education has been appreciated by all, except a fringe group, and the attack on her has hurt sensibilities to such a degree that it may ultimately result in a paradigm shift in the Pakistani establishment’s approach towards the fight against terrorism. But Mr Ahmed and Ms Versey would like to see this girl relegated to the role of an obedient and subservient female to medieval male chauvinism in the first case or that of just-a-child-not-to-be-taken-seriously in Ms Versey case, and any deviation from her prescribed roles be termed a case of child exploitation.
While Mr Ahmed is saying what is expected from him, I am perturbed at the line of reasoning Ms Versey has used in her article. Malala, who was denied the right of education and was doomed to confinement to the four walls of her house, decides to stand up against the tyranny of Taliban bullies with the help of her supportive father and hence, becomes a lone fighter, a symbol of resistance and hope for all girls suffering because of Taliban dictates. How can she, and her just fight for the basic rights of education and freedom of choice, be clubbed with cases of child abuse like the one Ms Versey mentioned? Ms Versey also conveniently ignored the difference of basic motives of Malala’s resistance and that of a child soldier or a suicide bomber to drive home her viewpoint. Childhood is the most important period in a person’s life, when he/she imbibes all sorts of influences, good or bad, which ultimately leads to the development of individual characters. Malala’s case is a beautiful example of a girl who imbibes good values from her father and forms principles for herself, which results in her resolute character. Her resolve to fight for her rights and the uncommon courage she had shown in the face of physical threat only inspire confidence among the oppressed in general and girls in particular.
It seems that the motive behind Ms Versey’s article, her convoluted viewpoint to shed light on the Malala issue from a different perspective and her endeavour to become a lone dissenting voice among the general chorus of liberals is an unfair effort to distinguish herself and make a mark. Also she ends up, indirectly and unintentionally (hopefully), discrediting and ridiculing all that Malala has stood for and achieved and lending support to the viewpoint of Taliban apologists by falsely raking up the issue of child exploitation.
In general, I share and endorse Ms Versey’s concern regarding issues of child abuse and exploitation for political or ideological means; however, I strongly object to her choice of case, place and time to bring up these important issues.
Kanwaljit Singh
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2012.
