The Malala Moment: 6 Pakistani Views on the Girl Shot by the Taliban - ‘I Want My Daughter to Love My Faith, So She Will Not Vis
The shooting of 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai by a Taliban gunman has shocked Pakistan and led to some extraordinary writing in the press on how Islamic radicalism is enabled. On the back foot for years, liberals are getting a new hearing against extremist religious parties, the powerful military, and a populist anti-US politician.
1. ‘I want my daughter to love my faith, so she will not visit Pakistan’
Malala Yousufzai initially gained fame for speaking out against the Pakistani Taliban and their campaigns against girls’ schools in her home region of Swat.
The story of Rashid Ahmed Khan, a Pakistani living in America, highlights how modern education was once encouraged – not violently opposed – by rural religious authorities in Pakistan. Mr. Khan grew up poor in a Pakistani village, but got financial help and encouragement to continue his education from an aalim, or religious scholar, named Shah Sahib.
Fast forward 20 years to today. Rashid holds two tickets to Pakistan, one for himself, and one for his highly-educated daughter who has always wanted to see his home village.