I am Malala: The Girl who stood up for education and was shot by Taliban Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb Little, Brown and Company (2008)۔

I am Malala: The Girl who stood up for education and was shot by Taliban

By Mughiza Imtiaz

 Book Title: “I am Malala: The Girl who stood up for education and was shot by Taliban”

Author: Malala Yousafzai, Christina Lamb

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Year of Publication: 2008

Book Review by: Mughiza Imtiaz

Thousands of people get shot by insurgents in the Middle East and throughout parts of the world, the reason Malala is special is that she was shot for defending something she believed was a basic human right. “Today we all know education is our basic right. Not just in the West; Islam too has given us this right. Islam says every girl and every boy should go to school. In the Quran, it is written, God wants us to have knowledge. He wants us to know why the sky is blue and about oceans and stars. The Taliban could take our pens and books, but they couldn't stop our minds from thinking." This took a bullet because she refused to sit down and shut up, period. Malala was not trained to apologize for her sex or her intelligence. She was not taught to deny the emotions and tremendous cognitive abilities we are rewarded as sentient beings! Malala did not assume an irrelevance to her presence as are a never termination field of women no matter where they live or who they worship.

"I was a girl in a land where rifles are fired in celebration of a son, while daughters are hidden away behind a curtain, their role in life simply to prepare food and give birth to children." Malala, who is now 16, is an outspoken advocate for girls to have the same right to go to school as boys. In her native Pakistan, she lost that ability when the Taliban took over: '"The Taliban started bombing schools and decreed that girls couldn't get an education. Malala's father was a school principal and encouraged her to speak out. She was only 15 at the time, but threats were made against her and her family. And in October 2012, when she was riding the school bus with her friends, a man with a gun climbed aboard the vehicle and shot Malala in the head.

I am Malala: The Girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban

Marvelously, Malala lasted the bullet and was able to recover. She and her family currently live in England, but Malala writes about how much she misses her home country and wishes she could return to be with her friends. Her sociability was such that she did not wish revenge on her attacker, and instead prays for peace. Malala’s story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. I admire her courage and her tenacity, and also hope that her country will one day find peace. "Why are we Muslims fighting with each other? We should focus on practical issues. We have so many people in our country who are illiterate, and many women have no education at all. We live in a place where schools are blown up. We have no reliable electricity supply. Not a single day passes without the killing of at least one Pakistani."

I also appreciated her stories about the history of Pakistan and her people, the Pashtuns. While reading the book I realized that I knew more about the history of other countries in the region, such as Afghanistan, Iran, and India, than I did about Pakistan, and it is very informative. I would highly recommend the book to anyone interested in women's rights, current events, history, or inspirational memoirs. As a Muslim, I am indeed captivated and impressed by the courage of this young girl who is brave enough to state out what is wrong with her country and strive for education to be available for all.

This book should be given out to every teen so that they would realize how important an education is and not to think of schooling so lightly. I felt so grateful to be able to live in a country where although the majority are Muslims, the women are not banned from attending schools and told to stay at home to serve the men. Thank you, Malala for bringing attention to your plight.

I don't think anyone can deny the difficulties this girl has faced or the impact she has had on the world. However, the book reads like an odd jumble of Pakistani history, politics, and personal experience that never quite comes together into a cohesive narrative. The new girls had horrible stories. It is certainly inspirational to hear Yousafzai and her father's stories about speaking up in defense of politicians, local mullahs, and the Taliban, but I think many readers might lose interest trying to follow the disjointed narrative. The book feels like it was really rushed, which is a serious shame. Someone this brave and interesting deserves a better book. Malala Yousafzai is a tremendously brave young woman of flawless character. Feasibly you should direct your skepticism elsewhere. By reading this book I get aspirations in everyday life including Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. The freedom to go to the store without needing a male escort. And the ability to get an education, regardless of gender.