MALALA YOUSAFZAI- The Girl Beacon

   For 4years, the world has been awed by the writings, acts and advocacy of Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan.

Born 12^th July 1997 in the swat district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhunkhura province, 14year old Malala Yousafzai is a school student and education activist from the town of Mingora who has the world spell-bound by her education and women’s rights activism at the swat valley where the Taliban has at times banned girls from attending school and the whole of Pakistan.

From September 2008 when she spoke on “How Dare the Taliban Take Away My Basic Right to Education?” to 2009 while writing a blog for BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule and their attempts to take control of the valley and her views on promoting education for girls to continuous advocacy till present time even till the time of the attempted assassination, Malala Yousafzai has proven herself to be a BEACON.

The simplest definition of a beacon is “A fire lit on a hill as a signal or Lights acting as a signal for ships and aircrafts.” Malala Yousafzai is a bright beacon, but her light shines forth, illuminating, enlightening and beckoning to girls, systems and the world at large instead of ships and aircrafts.

             On the 9^th Of October 2012, Just 2days before the International Day of the Girl Child, a cruel and unwarranted assassination attempt was made on the life of Malala on her way back from school with bullets in her head and neck and two other girls in her proximity being injured.

Even as I write this, I keep asking myself some questions,

·        Why did those men think they needed to kill Malala?

·        For What? Advocacy on Education and Women Rights? Or just because she is a girl?

·        How dare they attempt to put out her light? Even in public glare? Such Effrontery!

·        Is she wrong to speak out?

·        Why do we still have issues with girl education in all regions of the world even in this present age?

On the 12^th of October 2012, a group of 50 Islamic Clerics in Pakistan issued a fatwa (A legal pronouncement issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue) against those who tried to kill Malala but the Taliban reiterated its intent to kill Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin if she eventually survives.

Malala means ‘grief stricken’ and she was named after Malalai of maiwand, a pashtun poetess and warrior woman BUT Malala Yousafzai is nowhere near grief stricken-She is a heroine, supergirl, lighthouse, beacon, am running out of words here but I’d add Inspiration to the list.

Malala once said “Her purpose is to serve humanity” and she is carrying out that service dutifully at a very young age and even on her hospital bed despite the seeming threats being posed to her life and that of her family.

Malala shines so brightly, I wera shades to look at her shine.

Malala Yousafzai dared to stand for herself and other girls and used national and international media to let the world know that girls should ALSO have the right to go to school. For this and many other reasons, She is a shining light, ad MY Person of the year and century.

What are you doing in your space?

Participation is YOU....

Just like Malala, do you believe that every girl has the right to an education?

Save the girl child.

Give Girls Power and eliminate all the NOs the world poses at girl-children.