Teen Girl Takes on Taliban



Before Her Shooting, Malala Yousafzai Spoke Out Against Taliban

Malala Yousafzai [pictured], a 14-year-old schoolgirl who had become a symbol of resistance against the Taliban, was shot by Taliban gunmen in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. Malala survived the attack but underwent complicated surgery to remove a bullet from her head, and is reported to be in stable condition.

The incident sparked outrage among Pakistanis who held anti-Taliban protests after the attack. A spokesman for the Taliban, Ehsanullah Ehsan, told BBC Urdu that Malala’s life would not be spared if she survived.
[Wall Street Journal]
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UPDATES:

Shot Pakistani girl’s father happy for ‘miracle’ -Cassandra Vinograd

The father of a 15-year-old Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban described his daughter’s survival and ongoing recovery as miraculous Friday, and said her shooting was a turning point for Pakistan.

Malala Yousufzai is recovering at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where she was flown for treatment and protection from Taliban threats after she was shot on Oct. 9 in northwestern Pakistan.

Her father, Ziauddin, along with her mother and two brothers were reunited with her after flying to the U.K. A picture issued by the hospital [see above] showed the wounded teen, her head covered in a light blue scarf, reclining in her hospital bed with her family gathered by her side.

Ziauddin Yousufzai said he initially feared he would need to prepare for his daughter’s funeral and that her status now is “a miracle for us.”

“She is recovering at an encouraging speed and we are very happy,” he told reporters in Birmingham.

He expressed gratitude for prayers and well-wishes that have poured in from all over the world, noting that the attack on his daughter had united left and right-wing forces in Pakistan in condemnation.
[The Washington Times]
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Shooting Exposes Taliban Cowardice -Eric Patterson

Why did the Taliban attempt to assassinate a girl? Why do they see her as a threat?

She represents the kind of woman the Taliban fears: a living, God-fearing alternative to their repressive social order. Indeed, what terrifies the Taliban the most is that Miss Yousafza is a traditional Muslim citizen. This young woman covers her hair; she is modest; she respects the Prophet; she respects Allah; she roots her arguments in common sense, faith and human dignity, and she tells the truth about what she sees.

There is nothing more threatening to the Taliban, because Miss Yousafza is in accord with the values of the majority of Muslims around the world. In short, the Taliban fear her because she represents a vision of the female Muslim citizen that resonates with the Muslim everyman and everywoman — and threatens to dump the Taliban into the ashbin of history.

Malala Yousafza is a modest, pious young Muslim woman who represents tens of millions of Muslim women around the world who want a better life for the women in their families. That is why the Taliban is scared of a girl.
[Washington Times]
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