“I am Malala: The story of the girl who stood up for Education and was shot by the Taliban”

 

“Book Review”

Book Title:  “I am Malala: The story of the girl who stood up for Education and was shot by the Taliban”

Author: “Malala Yousafzai; ‎

Christina Lamb‎”

Subject: Political Science

Reviewed By:  Mughiza Imtiaz 

Introduction of Book

Book Title: “I am Malala: The story of the girl who stood up for Education and was shot by the Taliban”

Author:  Malala Yousafzai; ‎

Christina Lamb‎

Publisher:  Weidenfeld & Nicolson, United Kingdom) Little, Brown and Company (United States)

Date:  8, October 2013

Pages:  288

Subject:  Autobiography

Explanation:

The book details the early life of Yousafzai, the rise and fall of the Tehrik- e -Taliban Pakistan in Swat Valley, and the assassination attempt made against Yousafzai, when she was aged 15, following her activism for female education. It has received a positive critical reception and won awards, though it has been banned in many schools in Pakistan. Part One covers Malala Yousafzai's life "Before the Taliban". She describes her childhood home Swat Valley. Named for Malalai of Maiwand, Yousafzai lived with her parents and siblings. Also in this chapter, it is described that how Yousafzai defines the changing political regimes in Pakistan, the first drone strikes in Pakistan in 2004 following the September 11 attacks.

Part Two, "The Valley of Death", details the rise of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in Swat. In 2006, Fazlullah began a popular Radio Mullah. The book also describes the continuing War in North-West Pakistan, and the return of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan which closed in her assassination. The Taliban began to commit further murders, Malala begins to write a BBC Urdu blog under the pseudonym, Gul Mukai. Her school is shut down following a Taliban edict in 2009.  Part Three is entitled "Three Bullets, Three Girls" explores that, By August 2009, the army have fought off the Taliban in Swat and Malala’s visit to Islamabad and Major General Athar Abbas. The 2010 Pakistan floods devastate Swat and the CIA agent Raymond Davis murders two men and the Americans kill Bin Laden. In late 2011, Yousafzai begins to receive prizes for her activism and traveled to Karachi to talk to Geo TV and also visited the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Then on 9 October, two men stop her bus and come aboard. One shouts "Who is Malala?" and shoots three bullets.

Part Four is named "Between Life and Death". One bullet traveled from Malala’s left eye to her shoulder, and her friends Shazia and Kainat were also non-fatally injured. Malala was taken by helicopter to the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar and then airlifted to a Military Hospital in Rawalpindi. Yousafzai was taken on 15 October to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, but her rest of the family could not travel without passports. Part Five is called "A Second Life". Yousafzai woke up in Birmingham on 16 October. She received 8000 cards and some presents. . Her family finally arrived on 25 October. Malala had not seen the city she was being kept in for 10 days. She underwent surgery on 11 November to repair her facial nerve. In January 2013, she was discharged, and in February she received surgery to get a cochlear implant. Yousafzai lives in Birmingham, though she misses Swat, and plans to continue her activism so she can be known not as "The girl who was shot by the Taliban" but as "The girl who fought for Education".

Conclusion and Recommendation:

Throughout the globe, thousands of people especially Muslims were shot dead without any reason. Being a Pakistani, Malala made effort for a very basic right to education. “Acquiring education is a religious obligation for both men and women in Islam”. 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. She wrote an effective story on the settings of Pakistan and highlighted the true face of Pashtuns. While reading Malala’s book, I come to know all this not only happened in Pakistan but in the other parts of the Globe too like Afghanistan, India, Iran, Palestine, Kashmir, Syria, and other countries. It was a new thing for me. She added up my information. I recommended everybody read her book at least once.