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Handout / Reuters
Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai reads a book as she recuperates at the The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
For Malala Yousufzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban for her activism, thousands of well-wishers have helped her heal.
“She wants me to tell everyone how grateful she is and is amazed that men, women and children from across the world are interested in her well-being,” her father, Ziauddin Yousufzai, said in a statement released by Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in the U.K. Malala is being treated by team that includes staff from Queen Elizabeth and Birmingham Children’s hospitals.
“We deeply feel the heart-touching good wishes of the people across the world of all cast, color and creed. They have helped my daughter survive and stay strong,” he said.
Malala has received money “for sweets,” CDs, school books, clothing and jewellery, according to the hospital’s statement.
She has also been flooded with thousands letters and messages, including one from a 6-year-old who wrote, “I have heard about you being hurt by baddies. I think you are very brave and I am sad that you are not allowed to go to school and I don’t think it’s fair. I think girls should go to school because otherwise they would be stupid and would not know anything and it’s fun to learn things.”
Wrote another: “You have inspired me to have fun and do well at school because, like you said, not all girls get to go to school. I hope your dreams come true.”
One month ago, on Oct. 9, a Taliban gunman shot Malala in the neck for her outspoken belief that girls should receive an education. That activism started in 2008, when she was about 11 years old. In 2009, she was approached to write a blog for the BBC about her life under Taliban rule. She wrote under a pseudonym.
“I was afraid of going to school because the Taleban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending schools. Only 11 students attended the class out of 27.
“On my way home from school I heard a man saying, ‘I will kill you.’ I hastened my pace and after a while I looked back if the man was still coming behind me. But to my utter relief, he was talking on his mobile and must have been threatening someone else over the phone.”
Malala later gave television interviews and went on to win Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize.
For a week after being shot, Malala remained in Pakistan. On Oct. 15, stabilized, she was flown to the U.K. for further treatment.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the United Special Envoy for global education, has dubbed Saturday, Nov. 10, “Malala Day” in Britain and he will deliver a petition with 1 million signatures to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, urging him to improve access to education for both girls and boys.
(Messages or donations may be left for Malala here.)
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They had a Pakistani villager who said that if each male in Pakistan took it on himself to kill one Taliban, the problem would soon be over. A little NRA for my taste, but not a bad idea.
But which are Taliban because they are crazy nut cases who shoot at children, and which are Taliban because showing up at the meetings is how their families get food, and which are Taliban because the nut cases are using them as body shields?
Many of these are small communities, they would tend to know who is what.
A great idea. These cockroaches need to be wiped out, for the good of humankind. there is no talking, discussing, bargaining, reasoning with these people. It's us, or them. They need to go. Pure and simple.
These Taliban sub humans are cowards to the core; their so afraid of the words of a fifteen year old girl that they feel they must kill her. I'm sure there are many good people in Pakistan they should all get together and hunt down every one of these Taliban cowards and do what you would do with any pack of rabid dogs.......... kill them all.
So much hate and people ready to kill when they don't know all the facts. You know there are chicken schit groups that set other groups up to take the fall for crap like this. You never really know who is doing what. Probably not in this case, but just saying, question what you read and reserve some paranoia for reality checks.
On a previous post, I stated that the Taliban would put some sort of "spin" on the attempted murder of this child. They did. They have now said that two young boys did the crime. What do little boys know? They must surely have just made a mistake.
Yeah right. Blame it on the kids playing cowboys and Indians. They didn't know any better, so say the Taliban.
The Taliban's feeble attempt at spin should be given the respect it deserves--NONE. If a couple of kids did this horrible act, then who told them to do it? Who supplied their weapons? Who offered them up as excuses to be sacrificed for the evil tenets of the Taliban? The Taliban probably has already taken them out and hanged them, just to prove they can mete out justice (also known to shut them up.) The Taliban has no problem murdering children, it does it all the time. (The Taliban has killed far more people than any of the drones or armed services members, that are always in the news, too.)
Malala deserves all the respect and reward she has earned. She has stood up to be educated. She has taken on the cloak of leadership. I'm very happy that she is recovering in a relatively safe place. However, she will always need to look over her shoulder, as the corrupt and putrid ideals of her enemies will always find their ways into the minds and souls of the ignorant and easily led.
Has anyone else thought about the reason for the hatred and denial of education by these wolves in sheeps' clothing? It is so that they can continue to manipulate their puppets to do their destruction; and thus, keep control and power over their minions. If one would start thinking for himself, (like Malala), then the reins of power would slip way. Civilization would gain a foothold. The barbarian Taliban would fade away like the Neanderthals.
Best wishes to Malala and all who respect, provide and desire education.
And so the Taliban and its members fear one little girl so much....
The choice they made to kill her, showed their people what they were made of in true form....
And I do hope that tomarrow the people of Pakistan show their support for Malala by celabrating "Malala Day" too....
""We deeply feel the heart-touching good wishes of the people across the world of all cast, color and creed. They have helped my daughter survive and stay strong,”" Malala's father told.
First I have to appreciate Malala's courage. I wish her and her family best of luck!
Taliban formed a team to attack her. More than three with weapons were involved.
What a brave Pakis pure Islamic warriors are!
All I have to say to the one that did this to this little girl. You better hope to your God that President Obama never finds out who you are because he will either Send a drown to rain Hell down on you from above, or he will send a seal team into kill you and feed you to the dogs.
More likely, he'll apologize to you.
Sadly, the drone won't know innocent from guilty.
Hey Robbie, the campaign's over - put a sock in it!
I think it's fairly certain those fools are not long for this world.
A "drown"? Dude, c'mon.
Obama isn't going to do anything.
Above is my image for my avatar which I got from search for Pakistani drone attacks....
I just had to share that with you....
America's Obama style "droning" with its toll of thousands of innocents is itself an international war crime. Wholesale massacres in crusading invasions, bombings, gestapo style midnight raids, using death squads under puppet governments, is a terrorist act. America/NATO's operations on sovereign countries are an attack on humanity and democracy and themselves create extreme groups and a radical backlash in the countries they illegally attack. The whole propaganda structure of the West is modeled after the Nazi regime, and remember the Nazi leaders responsible for the same acts were hanged at Nuremburg.
What I can never understand about these people. I guess I seen it in Vietnam with the VietCong. They were just allowed to run wild. No one could stand up to them. I guess we see it in Africa also. Anywhere where there are no laws, its always young girls and woman that pay the price. This should be the whole worlds Task to right these wrongs. I tell you one thing, as soon as we are out on Afghanistan, The USA should stop all aid to Pakistan, until they do 2 things. Let the Dr that helped us get OBL. And until they Crush the Taliban. And I mean stomp them out completely. Then and only then should we give them aid.
Sorry but that will never happen as the Pakistan government is pro taliban. I don't care what press you read or hear, what games they play, they are. We can't pull our investment of keeping tabs on a nuclear power who is our enemy. Keep your enemies closer..as the saying goes.
Gotta keep pumping this crap out so we can justify the bomb droppin' and money printin' binge.
Way to go MSM!
Another idiot with an agenda - FAIL!
When I first had a quick glimpse of the picture I thought to myself..."My God! What happened to her legs?!" Then I realized it was the Teddy Bear.
In all seriousness I have to say, I have a lot of admiration for this braze young girl and only wish her happiness in whatever she pursues. Whatever it will be...I know it will be something to take pride in.
Now then...time to setup an appointment with my Optometrist.
LOL - I thought the same thing Stackdat. I thought "has there been another girl hurt by the taliban?' remembering the girl who was shot in the neck.
That has to be one brave little girl to have started criticizing the taliban when she was only 11. I hope she manages to get her education, sounds like a future leader to me.
I have 4 daughters. When I first heard of this happening, I was taken a back, I thought of what I would do if anyone ever hurt one of my girls. Thank God I never had to address that. But I know one thing, and its not that I am a bad ass or anything. But I can say one to be true. If I found out who hurt my girl, I would be the last thing he ever seen in his life, as I would end his or them. If I had to die to do it, I would kill that bastard. I would old testament his ass. An eye for a eye. He would die the say way she was hurt or killed. That's what I would do to him. If it were a group I would take them out one by one.
So you'd be like one of those fathers or brothers of drone bomb victims; those guys are terrorists.
I would say that is true, Who is the Man? but there are FAR MORE people in the Taliban for the power trip. Mans dominate Females, where they can killl for minor things, beatings and abuse. That is what the Taliban represents. During the Afgan war it represented a different thing but now it is power via religion. When you can justify shooting a girl for going to school...no amount of bombings can really justify that. She didn't bomb their relatives, she attended school and thought all girls should go to school. Don't justify this, there is no justification.
None. At. All.
Perhaps the winds of change are starting in Pakistan with a small breeze of a teenage girl who just wanted to be educated and to forward her country to a better tomorrow. The grumblings have started there. Let's hope they continue.
Now we know who isn't the man.
What the family of this girl cannot comprehend is that the rest of the civilized world cannot grasp the Muslim lack of compassion and ability to act like they belong in the world of intelligence and civility. So far they have shown no ability to ever be welcomed into the world of the advanced and intelligent. They will forever be destined to wander in the hinterlands of civilization due to their inability to separate government, progress and religion. They are the lost people.
True, let's hope they don't represent the true feelings of all muslims, or the civilized world is in trouble !!
What happened to that girl was horrible, but you are completely full of malarkey. The vast assumptions you make about humans and cultures, William, only displays your own primitive relationship with systems thinking and complexity in general.
Yes. Let us completely forget that this girl and her father are also Muslim. Otherwise it won't fit into the narrative of all Muslims being monsters.
An example of Islam and what it represents .
Hardly. You have so, so much poetry to read before we can even begin. Taliban is a criminal faction of religion empowered by adverse economic conditions, and propped up by the West for many years (by our own criminal factions of religion, as it turns out) in order to enforce those economic conditions for maximum profit. Ignorant fool.
They are a proud people William - very different cultures - I lived with them and taught them and ate with them and laughed with them for 3 months and it was amazing - they are an amazing people - they love to talk about god - they think we are a godless nation - (well we are becoming one anyway) MAKE NO MISTAKE they BELIEVE they are doing the right thing. What happened was deplorable - to us - in the West - not to them. Women don't have rights there. It is a delicate situation right now for them because there are too many things that are immoral the the West brought to their homes - i mean my nine year old cousin dresses like a hooker! that is why they started calling us the great Satan - we break down their girls desire for high morals with the images of Paris Hilton etc., mixed with they do not even know their god. Imagine dedicating your whole life to a god who does not know you personally. Once they know that Jesus loves them, only then can they know that true love. The religion they had before Islam was a fire god. It was better than Christianity because we were killing each other over divided traditions. So they chose Islam. It doesn't mean that they don't still want that same thing we all want. To be known and to know love eternal. So if you have any heart, if you meet a Muslim, invite them over to your house and into your world before you call them a lost people. If they could see that we were not lost, we would have better relations. All they see is us rejecting them and then Obama apologizing for us. They are confused about us. You can change that William - we all can - one cup of tea at a time. If you know Jesus, share Him with them and tell them how much they are loved. It is really simple to be nice. These villagers do not wander the hinterlands, they are part of a tight family tribe who protects their own - those who wander are bedouins and they are highly respected for it!!! So knock off the bully talk ok? They are a very proud and resilient and respected people - you would know that if you spent any time in the Middle East. They are just like us. People are people. We all just need to stop saying so many cruel things and stop being bullies ya know? If they saw someone from the West living a life they wanted to mimic, they would - if they saw it was better to live like us, they would - but what reason have we given them hmm? We just need to understand all people from all cultures and from all religions are still at the end of the day, made in the image of God. He has better for us. We don't have to believe the same in order to have more love for our fellow man.
They might like the Mennonites and Amish then.
Hazelgal I don't buy your crap for one minute. Who is the apologist here? You are, not our President. Change them one cup of tea at a time? Are you retarded? The only change they deserve is the business end of a barrel. The only good Taliban is a dead Taliban period.
Hazelgal are these the same wonderful people that are suicide bombers? The same wonderful people who allow their females to be treated worse than rabid dogs? I'm sure your time spent with them was all ponies and rainbows but...oh, I just can't go on. You will never convince me that the taliban is out for the good of mankind. Well, MANkind maybe but certainly not for WOMANkind. Just because they think they are doing the right thing (as you state) doesn't mean they are.
Your nine year old dresses like a hooker, that's your problem, isn't it ? So whatcha gonna do about it, big guy ? Douse her in acid, or decapitate her ? Why don't you phone your taliban buddies and ask for advice ? You're pathetic, making apologies for these @!$%#ing scumbags. You need to move back there. You will never convince me that these people deserve understanding and pity. So we are godless ? No, we have freedom of religion, we are not being dictated to by mullahs who @!$%# little boys while accusing the west of all sins. I have more honor in my little finger than a whole tribe of @!$%#ing talibans.
To be fair, if Paris Hilton breaks down your morals, they weren't worth much to begin with.
I have a major problem with anyone who claims to know God's will and who believes that knowledge gives them the moral obligation to kill anyone who does not agree with them.
@hazelgal... Your statement is all over the place. So... because the culture isn't believing in Jesus it's okay for them to abuse women? To clarify what I mean by abuse... by not permitting women to go to school, forcing them to marry at young ages, throwing acid on their faces for going to school, shooting them in the neck for speaking out against the daily atrocities, forcing them to cover ther faces and bodies with cloth, trading them like cattle... Yep thems good people you been breaking bread with over there.
Oh, and I almost forgot, this one happened here in this country.... the family first beat and then tied their daughter to a bed because she was talking to a boy on the way home from school.
This girl is a hero to all, and especially to women. Imagine if women in this country were fighting for the right to a basic education like Malala is? It is almost impossible to even imagine. I understand cultures that have more defined roles for the sexes in them, but excluding any of them from even a basic childhood education is incredibly oppressive.
This girl is truly "fighting the good fight", was willing to, and almost lost her life because of it. She deserves the utmost respect in this forum, and anywhere else in this world. If there were a lot more like Malala, the world would certainly be a better place. Peace.............
Nothing like education to cure a bad case of religiosity.
Get themselves educated and their biggest problems will solve themselves.
The kids are clearly not going to wait for our tired old selves to eke out some fair-to-middling, half-measures, same old story liberation and change. We need to learn from them, or relearn about ourselves from them, as much as empower them. Malala!
The biggest case that people are forgetting is that the Muslim communities suddenly attacked the Taliban. They were ENRAGED over the attack, the Taliban stepped over the line (in their views) big time. In Pakistan, the political and social shifts rapidly lean away from the Taliban and the Muslim extremists quickly found themselves more and more isolated and exterminated.
The younger population and the social boom (with internet) are turning extremists and thoughts away, this situation can be seen in Libya when the Libyans were upset with the killing of the ambassador (he was very popular there) and kicked the extermists out of the city.
I promise that sooner or later, you'll see a rapid change toward democracy and fair rights in the Middle East/Northern Africa.
Gee, it's even happening in America.
I hope she never goes back to that backwards country. Unfortunately she will and sooner or later one of those lunatics will stand outside her house ( made of clay mixed with dog crap no doubt) with a bomb on their chest thinking they are about to have sex with 40 virgins.
To me this is proof positive there is a god, he/she want's women to have equality and an education, this is a miracle. I'm very happy this young lady is alive.
I recommend olpc one laptop per child XO tablets be given to Malala and all of her classmates to decentralize their education until the security situation become stable & safe. Who wants help me make this a reality? ! One.laptop.org We aim to provide each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop. To this end, we have designed hardware, content and software for collaborative, joyful, and self-empowered learning. With access to this type of tool, children are engaged in their own education, and learn, share, and create together. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.
The Sand Man is a different believing kind of fella.
Hope we can help him to understand his wrongs.
its funny how god can be hate and tell idiots to kill in the name of ahla
if this were true dont you think god would be down here in fatiges packing a pistol? or maybe putting this girl to death with her taliban wounds? but wait she recovers at the speed of light? lol human terrorist idiots, always pushing useless agendas, killing and maming in the name of god, one really wonders whats on gods mind well we will never know, but im pretty sure its not killing the humans god created, im pretty sure god gave us mouths to cooperate with each other so we can be human and enjoy what god has given us to date
ya pretty much god has nothing to do with murder
this is a human only idiocy
prayers to you girl get back on your feet and become a leader of gods true wishes i know you will
love one another as you would be loved
there is a reason i suppose for idiots to exist [al quida taliban] so true god fearing people can prove themselves as real humans
thank god for the love of others
Glad to hear Malala is doing so well. I hope she goes back home soon and expels the evil Taliban from her country once and for all some day!
She will need help though. But that's the enemy, one who would openly target young girls.
Mr Johnbarker
do you know the facts? all the Taliban and relating forces were firstly empowered by the USA in Pakistan to fight against Russia during Russia - Afghanistan war
Here's the problem with religion: your religion isn't my problem, unless you make it my problem. These people, and to a far lesser degree some of the "Christian" hicks in this country, make their religion EVERYONE'S problem. You have a right to think whatever you want, but I don't care what you think.....it's inconsequential. Unfortunately, people like this can't help but force what they believe on everyone else.....just not happy unless they have someone to look down on and condemn....or in the case of these "Muslim" nutbags, stone to death, or shoot. We need to move forward as a planet, and the first thing that makes that happen is understanding that we all believe something....as long as it doesn't directly physically affect someone else, it shouldn't be an issue.
why Malala is becoming so important? there are so many school girls who were killed in drone attacks in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan by the USA and NATO forces. these students also desired for the school to learn and be educated... then why all the media and international powers are paying attention towards Malala?
Malala is nothing but important for USA because she once said that OBAMA IS MY ROLE MODEL and she requested to American ambassadors TO ATTACK ON SWAT VALLEY IN PAKISTAN and she also requested TO TAKE HER WITH WHOLE THE FAMILY FROM PAKISTAN TO USA OR EUROPE.
The drones did not intentionally kill civilians. The Taliban intentionally kill and maim little girls. Swat Valley needed to be relieved of the choke-hold of the Taliban. The majority of Muslims see the Taliban and al-Qaeda for the garbage they are.
My deepest fear for this brave and valiant young lady is that when she and her family return home none of them will be safe. I wish so much that they would stay safe in the UK or here in the US. She could do so much without such deep fear of retaliation. She is a symbol of what is right with young people and I wish her all the best in her pursuit of an education. God keep her whole family safe.
Yes, Jenny Watt, the winds of change are blowing throughout the world. There once was a time and place for brutal men, such as the Taliban, to rule over small communities living in fear and unable to protect themselves against from such cruelty, but as people learn to unite, they realize they have the power to overcome such oppressors and take back their own lives and communities. Sometimes it takes a young person, like Malala, with courage enough to stand up to such ruthless men to inspire others to do likewise. Hopefully, they will continue to stand up against their oppressors until they are all driven away.
And William 360414, it is not wise to judge an entire group of people by the ruthless acts of a few in their group. Muslims have compassion and want to live in safe communities free from the pains and ravages of war, but in every society there are restless groups of impoverished individuals who embrace violence as a means to gain control and power and do so at every chance they get. It is unfortunate that the havoc they inflict upon others are what we normally hear about in the news and not the good deeds of regular individuals which are rarely reported. If this were not true, thousands of Muslims wouldn't be demonstrating and protesting in the streets demanding change and freedoms
If most Muslims, of 1.6+- billion, are so wonderful and peace loving and "radicals" are so few, why have have they not put an end to the "radicals"? And, if radicals are so few, why do we hear 24/7/365 Muslims screeching for blood and death from every corner of the Earth? And, if radicals are so few, why have there been 19,899 deadly terror attacks by Muslims since 9/11?
"Impoverished groups"? I see you fallen for this worn out and deluded argument. Were the Muslims who flew the planes into the WTC towers "impoverished"? No, they weren't. In fact, most terrorist acts are not done by "impoverished" Muslims.
It's one thing to have a positive attitude, another to be deluded about Islam.
Muslims ... Because acid can't throw itself on little school girls.
Islam is poison.