The Story of Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai is a 15-year old girl from Pakistan. She wants to be educated. Her father runs a small school in the village of Mingora. It is located in Pakistan’s Swat District. Her desire ran counter to the ideologies of the Taliban. She was attacked, causing part of her skull to shatter and her hearing damaged. It is ironic that the word “Taliban” means “students” in Pashto.

Malala is one among the many young women in the Islamic world that embrace change and modernization without abandoning their religion. It is sad that some do not agree with their modern outlook.

Story of Malala Yousafzai

The news about her attack on October 9, 2012 by the Taliban caused many people around the world to sit up and take notice of her situation. It is a situation similar to that of other people belonging to other faiths, which is far from ideal, where fundamentalists seem to still be operating with a medieval mind set. It is a situation that is caused by political instability, by poverty and by poorly managed government systems.

Malala was in critical condition and in need of expert medical help. She was flown to Great Britain in October to have medical treatment to repair her hearing and her skull.

It is incredible what fighting spirit and strength of faith can do to a person. It could be labeled a miracle, but put it down to the strong will of a young girl to survive to tell her story and make changes in the lives of her fellowmen.

Five days after her five-hour double operation to have a specially-made titanium plate to cover the large hole left on her shattered skull, and a cochlear implant to recover her hearing, Malala has regained her strength. She has almost fully recovered from her operation. Five days – that is one mean feat, even for a healthy young person. Doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham said she could be released and continue her treatment and rehabilitation as an outpatient. She will be staying with her family, who were also flown to the U.K. to be with her. They have been placed in a temporary residence in Great Britain.

Malala is already up and about and almost back to her old self. She is still outspoken and vows to do what she can to have young girls like her enjoy their right to be educated, to sing freely and be a contributing member in society. She has wanted to make a difference since she was younger. That was the time when her village was ceded to the insurgents. At that time she was only 11 years old. Even at such a young age she already displayed a great sense of equality among men and women and has already been vocal about it.

An Inspiration

In a country where the literacy rate is only 58%, and less than half of the women population are able to read and write, the story of Malala Yousafzai is an inspiration. The heartening courage she inspired among young people, particularly the young women who also demand access to education, could be a turning point in the history of Pakistan. Parents are becoming more aware of the need for education and want to help and contribute to the cause, greatly because of the story of Malala and her miraculous survival.

A fund in her name, the Malala Fund, has been set up to help all children get an education. Malala Yousafzai has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the youngest nominee for the prestigious award.