Did you see any TV news on Tuesday, October 9? That was the day two big, so-ugly-that-only-a-mother-could-love cowardly Taliban entered a van in Pakistan and shot 14 year-old Malala Yousufzai.
Why? Why would the Taliban, or any group, attack a 14 year old girl on her way home from school?
Although the Taliban were driven out of the Swat Valley in Pakistan in 2009, small groups of the extremists are still there. These extremists or crazy people demand veils for women, beards for men and, among other foolish things, they ban television and music.
They don’t mind young boys getting an education but an education for young girl is taboo in their insane world.
This is the area of Pakistan that Malala grew up in. However, starting as early as age 11 she started writing a blog using a pseudonym about the rights that all young girls in her country should enjoy. And one of the most basic rights of all that she highlighted in her writings is the right to an education.
Malala knew she was on the Taliban’s wanted list but she was persistent in her writings and her demands for an education.
This is the reason why Malala was shot on October 9. Just because she wants an education, just because she’s a girl who wants to help her fellow country people in the future as she has plans to become a doctor.
There are several very ironic points about the attack on Malala.
The shooting occurred in the same week that the United Nations (UN) declared the first ever-International Day of the Girl on October 11.
Through this special day, the UN is hoping to draw attention to the many serious challenges young girls all over the world face. Hopefully, the first ever International Day of the Girl will help lead to a better world for this group and then for everyone.
It’s ironic and sad too that Malala would be attacked in such a senseless, unnecessary cowardly attack as she won her country’s first National Peace Prize in November 2011. A young girl promoting peace and a better life for all her people is attacked in such a savage and cowardly manner.
Another ironic point is that the Taliban ban music.
A few days before the attack in Pakistan hundreds of young girls of Malala’s generation were out in Liverpool, England celebrating and singing along to the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Beatles single. They were having a great time and many were dressed in their school uniforms.
There are different worlds on this planet. One world is moving forward and is promoting education for all groups while other groups want to go back even past the Dark Ages into an evil, barbaric and insane world where women are treated like animals.
And what can be done to protect girls in Pakistan from future cowardly attacks?
Malala said, “Let’s not hide in our bedrooms.”
The vast, vast majority of people in Pakistan and Muslims are not associated with the crazy Taliban extremists. These people need to rise up as one and root out this evil in their country.
And if they need international help the government should ask every country in the world (yes, every country) to send troops to help clean up this cancer on human society.
It won’t be an easy fight as these Taliban hide in their spider-holes when trouble occurs or they hide in the general population, probably among the women that they scorn.
Like any cancer, the Taliban might be a small group now but if we keep hiding in our bedrooms the cancer will grow and fester and spread to God knows where. Let’s kill it now before it has the opportunity to grow.
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