So the crackpots are out in full force against young Malala - TopicsExpress



          

So the crackpots are out in full force against young Malala Yousfuzai, and this time the target of their ire is her book I Am Malala. I wont link to it here, but a Pakistani commentator wrote an article in The News voicing his objections to her book on flimsy religious grounds, and followed it up with an appearance on a talk show where he and another commentator shouted down Professor Pervez Hoodhboy and called him a jahil on live television when he point-blank told them that their contentions with the book were all lies. There are those who have been questioning how a sixteen year old girl from Swat could write this book, and the people who are expressing that kind of outrage are, of course, men who sound incredibly jealous that a sixteen year old girl from Swat could be a) more intelligent than them b) more knowledgeable on matters of history, politics, or religion, and c) someone the world is willing to listen to. To this, all I can say is that just as there are accusations of people in the West taking advantage of promoting Malala and making money off that industry, there is a counter-industry in Pakistan of people -- mostly some middle-aged men -- taking advantage of attacking Malalas reputation and making money off that industry, appearing in talk shows, writing newspaper articles, and God knows what else. Attacking Malala is going to be taken as a patriotic duty for some, and they will receive nothing for it, but for certain well-placed individuals, it will actually become a money-spinning opportunity. Ive been reading Malalas book and although Im not finished with it yet, I can say that there is nothing in it that anyone with any common sense would find offensive to Islam. In fact, the whole book is imbued with Malalas love for Islam and her respect for her Pashtun traditions. To the frustration of many in the West, Malala continues to profess her love for her religion and her culture, and some of her supporters think that she should abandon Islam in order to be a true heroine in their eyes. Its safe to say that will probably never happen. Malala is a Muslim, and that isnt going to change. If you find any of this offensive to your sensibilities, all I can tell you is to grow a thicker skin. In the meantime, if you want to criticize a book, try reading it first. You might actually learn something in the process.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 07:39:21 +0000

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