Malala Yousafzai: A Normal Yet Powerful Girl PDF
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2013
NPR Staff
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Summary
Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani activist, is a powerful symbol for female education. The document details her inspiring journey and activism against the Taliban. Her story is one of courage and resilience.
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alalaYousafzai: M ANormalYetPowerfulGirl ByNPRStaff2013 alalaYousafzai(born1997)isaPakistaniactivistforfemaleeducationandt...
alalaYousafzai: M ANormalYetPowerfulGirl ByNPRStaff2013 alalaYousafzai(born1997)isaPakistaniactivistforfemaleeducationandthe M youngesteverwinneroftheNobelPeacePrize.MalalaisfromtheSwatValleyin northwestPakistan,wherethelocalTalibanhasbannedgirlsfromattending school.Malala,whosefamilyranachainoflocalschools,publiclystoodagainst theTaliban'sactionsandlaunchedaninternationalmovement.OnOctober9th, 2012,agunmanfromtheTalibanboardedaschoolbusandshotherinthehead. Malalaremainedincriticalconditioninthedaysfollowingtheattack,butsurvived. Sincethen,shehascontinuedtoadvocateinternationallyforwomen'seducation. Asyouread,considerwhatdroveMalalatoovercometremendousadversity. “ IthinkMalalaisanaveragegirl,”ZiauddinYousafzaisaysaboutthe16-year-old Pakistanigirlwhocapturedtheworld’sattentionafterbeingshotbytheTaliban, “butthere’ssomethingextraordinaryabouther.” teacherhimself,Yousafzaiinspiredhisdaughter’sfighttobeeducated.Ata A specialspecialeventwithMalalainWashington,D.C.,hetellsNPR’sMichel Martinthatheisoftenaskedwhattraininghegavetohisdaughter.“Iusuallytell people,‘YoushouldnotaskmewhatIhavedone.Ratheryouaskme,whatIdid notdo,’”hesays.“Ididnotclipherwingstofly.Ididnotstopherfromflying. ” Yousafzaihasthisadviceforparentsofgirlsaroundtheworld:“Trustyour daughters,theyarefaithful.Honoryourdaughters,theyarehonorable.And educateyourdaughters,theyareamazing.” yearafterbeingshot,Malalaisclearabouthergoal.“Ispeakforeducationof A everychild,ineverycorneroftheworld,”Malalasays.“Therehasbeena discriminationinoursociety,”whichshebelievesmustbedefeated.“Wewomen aregoingtobringchange.Wearespeakingupforgirls’rights,butwemustnot behavelikemen,liketheyhavedoneinthepast.” erhapsshehaslearnedfromherfather’sexperience.Whenaskedwhatgave P himapassionforgirls’education,Yousafzaipointsoutthathewas“bornina ocietywheregirlsareignored.”Livingwithfivesisters,hewassensitiveto s discriminationfromanearlyage.“Inthemorning,Iwasusedtomilkandcream, andmysistersweregivenonlytea,”hesays. ousafzaifelttheinjustice3evenmorewhenMalalawasborn.Helateropeneda Y schoolthatMalalaattendedintheSwatValley.Atthetime,theTaliban’s influencewasgainingpowerandbothYousafzaiswerefirmlyontheirradar. “But wethoughtthateventerroristsmighthavesomeethics,”Yousafzaisays. “Becausetheydestroyedsome1,500schoolsbuttheyneverinjuredachild.And shewasachild.” alalasaysthattheshootinghastakenawayherfear.“Ihavealreadyseen M deathandIknowthatdeathissupportingmeinmycauseofeducation.Death doesnotwanttokillme,”shesays.“Beforethisattack,Imighthavebeenalittle bitafraidhowdeathwouldbe.NowI’mnot,becauseIhaveexperiencedit.” henaskedifsheishavinganyfunnowwithallhercampaigning,Malala W laughs,“It’saverynicequestion.Imissthosedays.”Butshealsosaysthatthere isanothersidetoherthanwhatisshowninthemedia.“Outsideofmyhome,I looklikeaveryobedient,veryserious,verygoodkindofgirl,butnobodyknows whathappensinsidethehouse.”There,shesays,she’snotnaughty,butshehas tostanduptoherbrothers.“It’sgoodtofightwithyourbrothersandit’sgoodto teasethemtogivethemadvice.” hesaysherlittlebrotherdoesn’treallyunderstandwhyhissisterhassomuch S attention.“Hesaid,‘Malala...Ican’tunderstandwhypeoplearegivingyou prizes,andeverywhereyougopeoplesay,‘ThisisMalala’andtheygiveyou awards,whathaveyoudone?’”shesays. alalaknowstheTalibanwouldstillliketokillher,butshesaysshehopesto M returntoPakistanoneday.“First,Ineedtoempowermyselfwithknowledge,with education.Ineedtoworkhard,”shesays.“AndwhenI[am]powerful,thenIwill gobacktoPakistan,inshallah[Godwilling].” .TheTalibanisanIslamicmilitantgroupbasedinAfghanistanandwesternPakistan. 1 Theyareknownaroundtheworldfortheircruelpunishmentofcitizens,theirharsh treatmentofwomen,andfortheirinvolvementinactsofterrorism. 2.Discrimination(noun)theunjustorunfairtreatmentofpeoplebaseduponrace, gender,religion,age,etc. 3.Injustice(noun)alackoffairnessorequalityinasituation 4.Tobe"ontheradar"isacommonexpressionmeaningtobenoticedorawareof 5.Campaign(verb)tocarryoutaplannedsetofactivitiesoveraperiodoftimeinorder toachieveaspecificgoal