Central to education is the critical issue of gender and I revisited I Am Malala after reading about Yogita Limaye’s (BBC) coverage from Kabul six days ago.
Malala, the iconoclast, was raised to be fierce and intelligent, knowing her true worth and the power of not just her voice, but every girl’s voice. As the Taliban continues to violate women through denying education, now even the most basic of freedoms is banned: a woman must not be heard outside of her home. The voice of a human being has now been co-opted and weaponized… muted, inconsequential, and disposable.
Like the female mind, the Taliban’s morality police believe that a voice can be owned and regulated in the interest of ‘virtue and prevention of vice.’
“If we can’t speak, why even live? We’re like dead bodies moving around,” Shabana says. “Every moment you feel like you’re in a prison. Even breathing has become difficult here,” said Nausheen, an activist. “The Taliban dragged me into a vehicle saying ‘Why are you acting against us? This is an Islamic system.’ They took me to a dark, frightening place and held me there, using terrible language against me. They also beat me,” she says, breaking down into tears.
“When we were released from detention, we were not the same people as before and that’s why we stopped protesting,” she adds. “I don’t want to be humiliated anymore because I’m a woman. It is better to die than to live like this.”Now Afghan women are showing their dissent by posting videos of themselves online, their faces covered, singing songs about freedom. “Let’s become one voice, let’s walk together holding hands and become free of this cruelty” are the lines of one such song.
Yogita Limaye
BBC News
Malala understood this and more. In her self-titled book, education is the symbolic measure of all things possible and Malala’s magic pencil outlined the horizon line that intersected with her dreams. Fiercely passionate about education despite the unforgiving societal norms of gender-based violence, her family championed education as a fundamental human and moral right. These deep principles informed her magic pencil; it became a conduit to a greater good for everyone in her community. Malala imagined who she could become, as well as how she could bring change to others with this magic pencil. Consequently, as she matured, she came to the realization that this magic pencil was in fact real, it was her pencil, her writing, and her very actions that could unleash impact and change. “Until then, I had believed a magic pencil could change the world. Now I knew that I would have to do something. I didn’t know what that was. But I asked God for the strength and courage to make the world a better place.” She was empowered with the knowledge necessary to determine her own path while understanding that everyone could have Sanju’s magic pencil. “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” All you need is a determined holder and an understanding that power comes from within.
To the human beings of Afghanistan who just happen to be female, we hear your voices loud and clear. We wish to help you access your fundamental human right to be educated and will support with our devices. That is our promise, that is our word, that is our voice.
Collectively our voices are stronger.
Please keep singing in protest.
We will not stop shouting.
