In a Pakistani interview long before becoming a household name, Malala shared her dreams of becoming a politician, gave advice on foreign policy (including drones), and thanked the Pakistani Army for their successful operation in Swat. Malala was a force to be reckoned with long before the Taliban shot her in the head. And despite their best efforts to silence her, she is an even greater force to be reckoned with now.
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On October 9, 2012, a Taliban gunman accosted a bus carrying 15 year-old Malala Yousafzai and her schoolmates, and coldly shot them at close range. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan not only claimed responsibility for the blatant assassination attempt of the teenage education activist, but as it emerged that Malala would survive the attack, the movement also reiterated its desire to kill her.
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When Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen simply because she wanted to gain an education it sent shockwaves around the world.
Straight away the Western media took up the issue. Western politicians spoke out and soon she found herself in the UK. The way in which the West reacted did make me question the reasons and motives behind why Malala’s case was taken up and not so many others.
With Malala Yousafzai’s recent turn addressing the UN, some have expressed concern, bordering on disdain, for Western media outlets and politicians who are vociferously amplifying Malala’s celebrity. For example, Assed Baig recently wrote for the UK edition of the Huffington Post an article titled, “Malala Yousafzai and the White Savior Complex.” Baig, giving voice to the feelings of many, remarked, “… Malala has been used as a tool by the West…
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