a difference of opinion
A: I don’t contest the fact that she was shot by the Taliban. I also don’t believe that she is an agent of the West, consciously working against us. That being said, I am also not jumping with joy over her Nobel Peace Prize.
S: And why not exactly? A 17-year old girl from Swat, rising in defiance against militant extremists, championing the cause of education, in illiterate, misogynist Pakistan no less, and being acknowledged by the entire world for her courage. But here you are, her fellow Pakistani, unmoved and apparently unimpressed?
A: I am not easily swayed by all the rhetoric surrounding her story. It’s obvious that the West has appropriated her to paint a picture which solely focuses on all that is ugly here and just happens to suit the West’s foreign policy goals perfectly. How come Malala’s story receives all the traction, when she was actually not the only girl attacked? On one side, they glorify Malala and on the other, they kill girls just like her in their drone campaigns.
S: Even if I agreed with all of that, I still don’t understand how any of this is Malala’s fault? Why is politics used as an excuse to diminish her very real and significant achievements? Do you think that she is not worthy of the praise she gets?
A: She is worthy, of course, but maybe not Nobel worthy. What’s the big deal, anyway? Obama got one for doing nothing. It’s all a sham, really.
S: At least, she is able to do some great work because of her fame. The ‘evil’ West and her are contributing to childrens’ education. All over the world, charities are being opened, schools are being made and many see her as a symbol to aspire to, which is not such a bad thing, is it? If she was left at Pakistan’s mercy, she’d be just another victim.
A: She’s just a different kind of victim now. Why can’t you see through that?