Prayers go out for Malala

Our heartfelt prayers go up for the family of young Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old Pakistani who was shot in the head two weeks ago by the Taliban, who accused her of “promoting secularism”.

Official reports this week indicated that Malala, after being flown to the UK’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for medical treatment – a hospital which has a specialist major trauma centre – is now alert and responding to treatment. She has stood with assistance and is writing to communicate with others since she is unable to talk with a breathing tube inserted. However, Malala remains in serious condition and is awaiting reconstructive surgery on the part of her skull that was hit by a bullet. Her care is being funded by the Pakistani government.

Malala recovery has been remarkable to date, but this should come as no surprise. She is no ordinary girl. At 11 years old she began writing a diary for the BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban after militants there in Pakistan ordered schools to close as part of an edict banning girl’s education. Her work is amazing. That someone of her age has managed to invite readers into a world of fear, threats to peace, hope for progress and the intimate familial engagements which take place inside her home makes one living in the West almost ashamed of the things about which we complain.

In one account she says, “My father prepared breakfast today because my mum is not feeling well. She complained to my father, asking why did he tell her about the journalist’s death? I told my brothers that we will not talk of war but peace from now on. We received the information from our school headmistress that examinations will be held in the first week of March. I have stepped up my studies.” In another, she reports, “At night my father updated us on the situation of Swat. These days we frequently use words like ‘army’, ‘Taliban’, ‘rocket’, ‘artillery shelling’, ‘Maulana Fazlullah’, ‘Muslim Khan’ (a militant leader), ‘police’, ‘helicopter’, ‘dead’ and ‘injured’.”

It is hard to believe that this is one world we are living in when many of us will go through lives never experiencing such threats to our freedom – freedom to exercise our right to education, to religion, to speech, to good health and well-being, to safety. In thinking of Malala as she fights for her life, we think of our own children in this nation, none of who live in this type of fear, thanks to the political and civil stability of the country. Oh, that our children would not take for granted the things that their contemporaries in other parts of the world dream to have! (In the case of Malala, a chance at ongoing education.)

Our students should take pride in their schools, from dress code to deportment, as well as in the way they relate to teachers and each other. We hear of too many instances where teachers complain of students turned gangsters, who are insolent and at times abusive. Once upon a time, to be a teacher was to be an extension of the parents at home, instilling morals and values that could not be taught merely from lines in a textbook. But with the changing cultures in society, including the obnoxious behaviour of some parents, sadly, numerous of educators have resolved themselves to executing the basic requirements of the job.

Malala Yousafzai, her life, her work, her passion to see things changed for her people, puts things in a different perspective. She is a symbol of hope in the midst of chaos and a war hero in her own right, willing to stand up for what she believes.

The Taliban have said they will target her again.