My first piece for Al Jazeera America on why Malalas message for education and tolerance is necessary for #Pakistan. Tomorrow Malala will be accompanied by Shazia and Kainat as she becomes the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace prize. Congratulations to Pakistanis everywhere for showing the world what courage means...! #Malala is but the latest symbol of the fight against right-wing Pakistanis’ attempts to control Pakistan’s narrative. The battle over Pakistani identity and freedom of expression is eclipsed by the suppression of minorities while those with liberal views have repeatedly been chastised as puppets of foreign powers. Malala’s struggle is inspired by national heroes and stems from her religion and culture. #Islam teaches tolerance and the pursuit of knowledge. Labeling her courageous struggle as part of a wild conspiracy undermines the country’s steady progress. The real conspiracy is that extremism and the subjugation of others have been allowed to ferment in Pakistan. “Critical thinking has the power to defuse terrorism,” Pakistani journalist Sherbano Taseer wrote shortly after Malala was attacked. Sherbano Taseer’s father, Salman Taseer, was assassinated by an extremist for what the killer considered blasphemy. Last month, a Christian married couple, five-months pregnant Shama Bibi and Shehzad Masih, were burned alive by a mob of 1,200 in a village near Lahore. The countrys federal and provincial governments must enforce laws that demand education for all children and protect freedom of expression. In light of the dismal affairs of education in Pakistan, voices such as Malalas need to be encouraged, not restrained -- and certainly not further polarized. Pakistan cannot afford to patronize or undermine Malalas remarkable fight for the future of millions of Pakistani children. #MalalaYousafzai Khadim Hussain Gulalai IsmailYousafzai ZiauddinWaseem Zeb Khan Jahan Zeb Khan Yasser Latif Hamdani Malik Achakzai Rafiullah KakarMohammad Jibran Nasir Aqeel Yousafzai Asad Ali Toor Raza Rumi Munir Pervaiz Ijaz KhanMalala Fund
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 21:39:45 +0000
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