Taliban is in the news again. Just like every other time, they have committed something heinous, inhuman and barbaric. This time, they have shot a teenage girl in the head. The reason: she protested against Taliban’s ban on female education.
The incident happened in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, a place where even Google Maps cannot reach. Apparently, the place is filled with Islamist extremists and Taliban militants who fled from Afghanistan during the U.S invasion. Afghanistan is slowly limping back to normality, occasionally jolted by militant attacks when the U.S forces are on the way to packing bags. When history has proved again that the Afghan people cannot be invaded, U.S has successfully driven the most terrible of them into Pakistan. Pakistan as a nation survives on Dollars. Infrequently, some Chinese Yen too. When they cannot keep order in Islamabad, how can someone expect them to keep a check on distant Swat Valley? Numerous clans and war lords have supreme control and territorial fights there every day and more people die of bomb blasts and pagan punishments than the famed U.S drone attacks.
After the repulsing and barbaric action that they undertook, the Tehrik-i-Taliban, Pakistan’s homegrown militancy claimed responsibility and said that if the girl survived the attack, they would return to attack her again. Apparently, the girl was promoting western culture by advocating for female education! They intended this incident to serve as a warning to other youngsters.
The Pakistan military claims that they have cleared the Swat Valley of Taliban in 2009. But, anyone interested in world affairs know what Pakistani claims are like. The U.S is worried about Iran obtaining nuclear capabilities. They don’t seem to be understanding the condition where Taliban militants possibly sleeping peacefully in Pakistan’s nuclear silos. Earlier this year, we have read reports of Pakistani Army fighting off militants who stormed their army base not so far away from their capital.
Malala, the girl who was shot, came to the world’s attention when her diary, written under a pseudonym, was the basis for a series of reports by the local Urdu language service of the BBC. In it she described what was happening in Swat, which was then under Taliban control. Then, with the Taliban menace still present, in early 2009 Malala spoke out on television, always sticking carefully to her demand only for schooling.
In a Pakistani television appearance in Swat, with Taliban sympathizers in the audience, the then-preteen Malala had said, “I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is education. And I am afraid of no one.”
Malala said then that her ambition was to become a politician. “This country is in crisis, and our governments are lazy,” she said.
When Cricket star-turned politicians try to make deals with terrorist forces what they fail to understand is that they by negotiating they are silently approving the opponents power… power to take decisions against a state. Why is Pakistan such a failed nation? Is it because nobody knows who is in control there? The rather painfully elected Civilian government or the ‘mighty’ Army that rolls Tanks outside the President’s house to scare the cat out of him… which one of them is in control?
Despite all their illness, Pakistanis seems to realizing the terror of keeping a growing Dinosaur in their backyard. Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said: “Malala is my daughter, too. She is Pakistan’s daughter. If this (extremist) mindset persists, which girl in Pakistan will be safe?” But, is the Prime Minister safe from these barbaric forces of Islamic fundamentalists?
This Video can be of assistance to those who doesn’t know Malala Yousafzai.
P.S:- My prayers are with Malala. I hope she’ll be taken out of that damned country from the clutches of these bastards to someplace where she could get a good schooling and better future. My dear child, they don’t deserve you. Only if half of their politicians and soldiers had your courage, it would have been a better place long back.
Related articles
- The Lede Blog: Pakistani Activist, 14, Is Shot by Taliban (thelede.blogs.nytimes.com)
- Malala Yousufzai: Young activist attacked in Pakistan’s Swat – BBC News (bbc.co.uk)
- Pakistani schoolgirl campaigner, 14, shot in Swat Valley (telegraph.co.uk)
- Taliban attack teenage peace campaigner Malala Yousufzai (dawn.com)
- Taliban shoot 14-year-old activist, officials say (foxnews.com)
- Taliban gunman shoots Pakistani teen activist (cbsnews.com)
- Pakistani girl shot over activism in Swat valley, claims Taliban (guardian.co.uk)
- Fury over attack on Pakistan girl (bbc.co.uk)
- Malala Yousafzai: The Latest Victim in Pakistan’s War on Children (world.time.com)
- Taliban gunmen shoot 14-year-old girl over activism for education in volatile Pakistan region (vancouverdesi.com)
I like your post but don’t like it if you know whta mean. At least she is safe right now.
It’s all heart-rending.
Indeed, Jamie. It is painful.
When will all this madness end?
Until we get them all… I guess this will continue.
This is really shocking Manu! I too read about it in the morning! and the worse part is the girl had been conferred upon a peace prize from Pakistan government and also has received the iNternational peace prize for child. She was targetted deliberately and to infuse more terror in theminds of the people who dare to speak against such inhumans.
True, Soumya. I had read the news yesterday but only today morning I got time to sit and read it fully. It shocked me completely and couldn’t help thinking about it. In fact, I’m still thinking about it. It is not just targeting them I guess, these kinds of news affects us also in certain ways.