#73: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Published 2013 | 327 pages
I told him (President Obama) that instead of focusing on eradicating terrorism through war, he should focus on eradicating it through education.
Happy Friday!
I am so glad this book made this year’s list. It was well done and inspiring and made me realize how much I take for granted.
What it’s about
In 2012 at the age of 15, Malala was shot by a member of the Taliban. She was on a bus with her classmates returning home from school. It wasn’t an accident. She wasn’t caught in the cross fire. It was attempted murder.
Malala made the Taliban hit list due to her activism for educating girls in Pakistan. She gave interviews and wrote articles all with the same message: Equal rights in education for girls.
How did it impact me?
A large portion of the book is about her upbringing in the beautiful Swat valley in Pakistan and the turbulent history of the nation. The Swat of her youth sounded beautiful and peaceful but with consistent undercurrents of nationwide instability.
Then as the Taliban gained power, I felt her and her father’s frustrations as their valley transformed. New laws oppressed and attempted to regulate all aspects of a woman’s life. The excess toil of Malala, her father, and others as they pushed back against the forces that wanted to control their lives felt so unjust. They risked their lives attempting to achieve basic education for girls.
The shooting and the aftermath, including how fortunate she was to receive the care that saved her life, take place in the last quarter of the book.
How did it make me feel?
I’m impressed with Malala and her family and feel hopeful that there are hundreds/thousands/who knows how many “Malala’s” out there who could do amazing things if given the gift of education. I respect Malala’s father for the role model he is. I am angry at the Taliban and their oppressive, murderous tactics.
I’m also upset that, similar to my experience reading about Christianity and Judaism in A Year of Biblical Womanhood, there are also Muslims that interpret their scripture in a way that hurts women and girls. What. The. Hell. I’m so sick of this theme. Enough already.
Would I recommend?
If you’re familiar with the history of Pakistan and the work Malala and her family are doing, you probably don’t need to read this. I was not. I certainly enjoyed spending time reading/listening to her words.
It’s discouraging that history is now repeating itself in Afghanistan. It’s hard to see regression. To learn more or provide support, check out Malala’s education fund at https://malala.org.
Thanks for reading,
Kyle