Friday, June 20, 2014

I Am Malala





Malala Yousafzai lived in Swat Valley in Pakistan. When the Taliban took over, they began to limit education for girls. Malala refused to quit school, and spoke out against such acts. She demanded the right for women to be educated. In 2012 she was shot on the school bus for voicing her opinions on the education of women. It seemed unlikely she would survive, and she was flown out of country for specialized care. She has since recovered and become a symbol for peace and women's rights.

There was a lot of background information about Pakistan and political situation there for people not as familiar with it. Although I thought it was a good idea to add the background information to help readers understand how a fifteen year old girl can get shot for saying women should be able to go to school, it was not always well integrated into Malala's personal story. Still, this should not prevent you from reading this book.

I have heard some criticism that Malala is simply parroting her father's thoughts on education, but I did not find that to be the case when I read this book. It is true her father is passionate about education, but it is a cause that she also feels strongly about. She began giving her own speeches on the topic of education, and when her own education was threatened by the Taliban, she became determined to preserve her right to learn.

I find it inspirational that despite being shot by the Taliban, Malala remains a positive person and is still willing to fight for rights for women, particularly the right to education.

I recommend reading Malala's book.

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