Malala Yousafzai by Alyssa Harding

aharding6 — 2017-04-02 03:12:02 UTC

Malala Yousafzai was born on the 12th of July, 1997. She was raised in Mingora, a town in North-West Pakistan.

aharding6 — 2017-04-02 03:24:46 UTC

Malala's father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, was an advocate for education which has inspired Malala to stand up for her own beliefs about education for children.
Pakistan has the second highest number of out of school children in the world. Majority of these children do not get the opportunity to go to school because their families rely on them for labor and earning money or because the walk to school is too long or too dangerous.

aharding6 — 2017-04-02 03:26:18 UTC

Malala is seen as a 'Truly Radical Change Agent' because...
She has a passion for learning and enjoys going to school very much. Malala was inspired by her father, who also had a passion for teaching. hey both spoke out for the right of education despite death threats that they were receiving from the Taliban.
On the 9th of October in 2012, as Malala and several school friends were on their way home from school, a gunman entered their school bus and requested for her to come forward. She was shot with a single bullet that went through her head, neck and shoulder. She survived the attack but was left in critical condition. Despite all of the death threats, Malala continues to fight for what she believes in and she was definitely deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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WHY IS MALALA SEEN AS A 'TRULY RADICAL CHANGE AGENT'?

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HOW HAS MALALA'S WORK ENCOURAGED A MORE OPEN-MINDED VIEW ON SITUATIONS RATHER THAN A CLOSE-MINDED AND CONTROLLED VIEW?

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Malala's work has encouraged a more open-minded view by;
- advocating for gender equality peacefully and with love, rather than with hatred. If she protested with hatred and anger it would result in hatred and anger being returned, which should never be the aim of someone wishing for equality.
- letting the women of the world know that we have to fight for our own independence. In her United Nations speech from 2013 (find attached below), Malala stated, "There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But, this time, we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women's rights rather I am focusing on women to be independent to fight for themselves." (Bianco, Marcie. Oct. 10 2014)
- finally, more important than anything, Malala proves to everyone that fear and violence will not stop women from fighting for equal rights. Malala was shot in the head by the Taliban for standing up for her beliefs, but that didn't stop her at all! She continues to show women all around the world that we should not be intimidated by the violence from terrorist groups like the Taliban, and instead should stand up for our own beliefs with endless amounts of passion.

HOW DID MALALA CHALLENGE WHAT WAS GOING ON IN HER WORLD?

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In this video, Malala gives a speech for the United Nations about equality and teaches us how young people can impact the world by fighting peacefully and standing up for our beliefs and our rights without using anger and hatred to get what we want.
Malala's speech writing skills prove to be extraordinary in this video.

aharding6 — 2017-04-10 08:37:48 UTC

Malala has challenged the happenings of this world in many ways, but one crucial way was simply not accepting it. She has not just accepted that in countries like Pakistan many girls are not allowed education, and has instead decided to fight for that simple right despite the negative impacts that has had on her health and safety.
The Taliban have lashed out at this by trying to kill her in front of her school friends, but she survived and is not showing any signs of backing down. Her parents have supported her in this greatly. Her father is a teacher and is knowledgable on the power of education, while her mother was not allowed education so Malala has seen firsthand what result having minimal education can have on someones life.

HOW DID MALALA TAKE PERSONAL RISKS FOR THE WELLBEING OF OTHERS RATHER THAN RISKING THEIR LIVES?

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aharding6 — 2017-04-10 09:16:24 UTC

On the 9th of October 2012, Malala was shot by a gunman from the Taliban while on her way home from school. The bullet hit her head, neck and shoulder and she was left unconscious and in critical condition.
The attempt at murder of such a smart young girl sparked a national and international out-roar of anger, disbelief and support for Malala and her fight has been largely publicised ever since.

Pictured to the right is an image of Malala and her family bedside at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK where she was taken once her condition became stable again.

HOW HAS MALALA WORKED FOR TRANSFORMATION OF A SITUATION?

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Following the attack by the Taliban, Malala has become one of the most famous activists for education and equal gender rights.
She founded The Malala Fund, (found at: https://www.malala.org) with the purpose of advocating for resources and policies to change to ensure that all girls can complete 12 years of safe, quality schooling.
In 2013, Malala co-wrote a biography with Christina Lamb about her life so far titled I Am Malala. This novel has become an international bestseller. (Pictured to the left)
In 2014, Malala was announced as co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. This was awarded for her dedication to the struggle against the suppression of children as well as the right for education. She was aged 17 at the time, meaning she is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient of all time.

Examples of The Malala Fund's impact (via: The Malala Fund found at https://www.malala.org)
1. EDUCATING GIRLS IN PAKISTAN; The Malala Fund works with local education organisations to support them in expanding their capacity to enrol more girls in secondary school. Also, to provide quality education to the country's remote areas.
2. EDUCATING GIRLS IN LEBANON & JORDAN; The Malala Fund invests in schools for Syrian refugees girls who are risking early marriage. Without receiving quality education, these young girls will grow up with minimal life skills and will be sold to older men for marriage.

aharding6 — 2017-04-10 09:33:01 UTC

WHO MIGHT MALALA HAVE OFFENDED ALONG THE WAY? HOW MIGHT THIS HAVE IMPACTED HER?

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Malala evidently offended the Taliban, which translates to "Students (of Islamic Knowledge Movement)" (Hayes, Laura, Brunner, Borgna & Rowen, Beth. 2011), as they attempted to murder her. The Taliban have policies on the treatment of women that would be considered highly illegal in majority of the worlds countries. With someone like Malala fighting against their force so publicly, they knew they had to get rid of her. The bullet affected her health but increased her level of determination to have equal rights approved by everyone in her country and impact the beliefs of the rest of the world.

Pictured below; members of the Taliban, fully armed.

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MALALA'S WORLDVIEW VS TALIBAN WORLDVIEW

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TALIBAN'S WORLDVIEW:
The Taliban is known for their sexist and misogynistic policies. Their stated aim is to create a "secure environment where the chastity and dignity of women can be restored." (Hayes, Laura, Brunner, Borgna & Rowen, Beth. 2011)
A woman who was terribly beaten because she walked the streets on her own stated "my father was killed in battle... I have no husband, no brother, no son. How am I to live if I can't go out alone?" (Unknown, Oct. 2013)
- Afghan women are forced to wear burqas in public because "the face of a woman is a source of corruption" for men not related to them.
- Women are not permitted to work. The men in the households are required to provide for their families. If a woman has no men in her household she will be left for dead.
- Girls are not allowed to attend school after they turn 8 years old, and until then are only permitted to study the Holy Qur'an. Women that seek further education are forced to attend underground schools. If caught they risk public execution.
- The Taliban allowed and encouraged marriage for girls below age 16. A massive 80% of those marriages would be forced.
- Women should not wear high-heeled shoes as no man should hear a woman's footsteps, lest it excite him.
- Women must not speak loudly when out in public as no stranger should hear a women's voice.
- Women are banned from being on radio and television programmes and banned from attending public gatherings.
- In countries like Afghanistan they have segregated bus services for men and women to travel separately.
- No male doctor is allowed to touch the body of any woman, meaning medical services are limited as women are frowned upon when they have their own jobs.
- Simple enjoyments such as nail varnish and make-up are prohibited. An example of a punishment for being caught wearing nail varnish is having the tip of the thumb sliced off.

Pictured below: women in Afghanistan wearing burqas.

aharding6 — 2017-04-10 10:46:46 UTC

MALALA'S WORLDVIEW:
Malala is best known for her belief that all children should be able to have free, quality education no matter where they are in the world. In her United Nations speech she says, "One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world," (Malala Yousafzai, 12th July, 2013) which shows that she believes so little can change the world.

With her forthright bravery, Malala has become a famous symbol for the United Nations campaign for all children to attend school. Majority of the children that are deprived of the basic human right of education are females, meaning it is a fight for equal rights all over the world. She has used a statement in several speeches stating that religion and culture are no excuse for denying children of education, noting that the Taliban are misusing the name of Islam. Nowhere in Islam is there any mention of prohibition against allowing girls quality education.
When Malala speaks she inspires the entire world and makes everyone feel valid and free. She tends to remind people what their basic human rights are, especially the right to education and limited discrimination of their gender.

Pictured below: famous quotes by Malala Yousafzai.

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THE IMPACT OF RELIGION

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Malala and members of the Taliban both follow the Muslim religion, also commonly known as Islam. Islam's main belief is that there is only one God, Allah, and that Muhammad is the last messenger. They believe that the Holy Qur'an was spoken to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel, and that it is the word of Allah.
Malala states that, "religion and culture are no excuse for denying young girls quality education," and she fights for womens rights despite the Taliban fighting against her.
Pakistan, Malala's home country, has been greatly influenced by the United States Legal System, which has resulted in Pakistan adopting a very American style of law.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan is still following Sharia Law, which is famously sexist and misogynistic, similar to the Taliban. Sharia Law was adapted from the Holy Qur'an and follows the ideal Islamic lifestyle.

WHAT HAVE I FOUND MOST INSPIRING ABOUT MALALA, AND HOW HAS SHE ALTERED MY WORLDVIEW?

aharding6 — 2017-04-10 11:36:32 UTC

aharding6 — 2017-04-10 11:37:31 UTC

I think that Malala is just the most inspiring young woman in the world and is such an inspiration to our generation and generations of the future. I find it so amazing that she has continued to courageously fight for what she believes in despite almost being murdered by people that disagreed with her. She is so brave and her speeches are so inspiring to watch. Every sentence that leaves her mouth deserves the utmost respect and praise.
She has not altered my worldview much apart from making me more passionate about them. I believe in very similar things to Malala, such as equality between the genders and quality education for everyone around the world. Researching all of Malala's achievements and the policies and goals on her webpage inspires me to help her fight for others rights.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Kettler, Sara. "Malala Yousafzai." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 5 Apr. 2017. .

Fund, The Malala. The Malala Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2017. .

"Out-of-school Children." Global Partnership for Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2017. .

Shamsie, Kamila. "Malala Yousafzai: 'It's Hard to Kill. Maybe That's Why His Hand Was Shaking'." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 07 Oct. 2013. Web. 5 Apr. 2017. .

Mic. "8 Ways Malala Has Made the World Better for Women." Mic. Mic Network Inc., 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 5 Apr. 2017. .

Mic. "10 Ways Malala Yousafzai Has Changed the World." Mic. Mic Network Inc., 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 5 Apr. 2017. .

Hayes, Laura, Borga Brunner, and Beth Rowen. Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2017. .

"Women in Afghanistan: The Back Story." Amnesty International. N.p., 25 Oct. 2013. Web. 5 Apr. 2017. .

Rubin, Trudy. "Worldview: Malala's Message." Philly.com. N.p., 18 July 2013. Web. 5 Apr. 2017. .

aharding6 — 2017-04-10 11:54:28 UTC