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alala ousafzai earless Malala Yousafzai: A Fearless Voice of Freedom By Reena Shah
By Reena Shah
Voice of Freedom
Reena is the section editor of the Inspiration section of Jain Digest. She has a Ph. D. in English literature and a USC grad. She currently teaches English to high school students. Teaching has always been a passion and she loves to read and write. She is dedicated to lifelong learning and continuing education. Her industry experience includes Market Research, Non-Profit, and educational institutions. She practices deeper aspects of spirituality and is a follower of the Late Param Pujya Pappaji at Shrimad Rajchandra Aatma Tatva Research Centre, Parli, Near Mumbai.
“I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not. It is the story of so many girls.” - Malala As an activist, advocate for girls’ education, champion of human rights and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala’s words and actions offer inspiration and hope to people all over the world. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with Kailash Satyarthi, for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education. Her message has been that children’s right to education is the foundation for peace, and an important measure in the fight against extremism. She is a supporter of nonviolence, even in the face of threats and attacks by her opponents.
that young Malala would be different. As a girl living in Pakistan, though she had limited choices, her parents supported her education, against the cultural norms. While the world around Malala had spun completely out of control and was torn by war and chaos, she continued to write and promote education fearlessly. After moving to England in October 2012, from March 2013 to July 2017, Yousafzai was a student at the allgirls Edgbaston High School in Birmingham. She studied Geography, History, Mathematics and Religious Studies here. Also applying to Durham University, the University of Warwick, and the London School of Economics (LSE), Yousafzai was interviewed at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford in December 2016 and given conditional admission and in August 2017, she was accepted to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics. On 19 June 2020, Yousafzai said after passing her final examinations that she had completed her PPE degree at Oxford; she graduated with honors.
Courage – Using the Power of Words Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, an outspoken social activist, and educator, had established and administered Khushal Girls High School and College in the city of Mingora. He encouraged Malala to follow in his path. On September 1, 2008, when Malala was 11 years old, her father took her to a local press club in Peshawar to protest the school closings, and she gave her first speech— “How Dare the Taliban Take Away My Basic Right to Education?” Her speech was publicized throughout Pakistan.
Education Born on July 12, 1997, Malala was naturally intelligent and curious as a young child and had an innate respect for education. She was an excellent student. Not only her parents, but other adults in her life all seemed to know 44
In early 2009, Malala started to blog anonymously on the Urdu language site of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). She wrote about life in the Swat Valley under Taliban rule, and about her desire to go to school. Using the name “Gul Makai,” she described being forced to stay at home, and she questioned the motives of the Taliban. Malala was 11 years old when she wrote her first BBC diary entry. Under the blog heading “I am afraid,” she described her fear of a fullblown war in her beautiful Swat Valley, and her
