I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

“I arrived at dawn as the last star blinked out. We Pashtuns see this as an auspicious sign” (13). Malala is born, but no one congratulates her father because the birth of a daughter is not celebratory in Swat. One of Malala’s father’s cousins comes to celebrate the birth. With him, the cousin brings a family tree containing only the men of the family. Her father “took the tree, drew a line like a lollipop from his name and at the end of it he wrote, ‘Malala’” (13). The cousin is in disbelief, but Malala’s father does not care. Malala is named after a great Afghani heroine.

Malala explains that she was born in Swat, a beautiful area full of flowers and trees. Although Swat was a part of Pakistan, it retained autonomy. Before Islam came to Swat in the eleventh century, Swat residents often followed Buddhism. The religious backbone created a region of reverent followers. Malala paints a picture of her father writing poems about temples and mosques side by side.

Malala’s family has humble beginnings. Her father and one of his friends founded a school, and the family was quite poor because of the cost. However, despite the undesirable financial situation, Malala’s parents’ relationship began in an unexpected way. Although most marriages were arranged, Malala describes her parents’ marriage as a “love match” (21). Her mother’s father was not impressed and refused to accept the proposal, at first. However, Malala’s father did not give up, and eventually, the marriage was agreed upon.

Malala further describes her parents’ relationship as unusual. Her father shares his thoughts and fears with her mother, something unheard of: “Most Pashtun men never do this, as sharing problems with women is seen as weak” (22).

Malala finishes a brief history of her people. She tells of her ancestors coming to Swat after helping an emperor win back his throne. Unfortunately, the emperor was persuaded by his friends to remove the Yousafzai (Malala’s ancestors and tribe) because they were too powerful. He agreed and slaughtered hundreds of chiefs. Two escaped and found themselves in Swat, where they decided to rebuild. The Yousafzai built a reputation and cycled through leaders before finally settling on Badshah Sahib, a man who eventually brought peace to their valley.

Malala tells her father’s story, beginning with a frustrating impediment he worked to fix: his voice. “A stutter was a terrible thing for a man who so loved words and poetry” (27). Her grandfather often became frustrated with her father, telling him to get his words out. Rather than let the problem dictate his life, her father entered a public speaking contest as a teenager.

While he attended school, his sisters stayed home. “School wasn’t the only thing my aunts missed out on. In the morning when my father was given a bowl of cream with his tea, his sisters were given only tea. If there were eggs, they would only be for the boys” (29).

As a child, her father witnessed Zia ul-Haq’s rise to power. He took over Pakistan, executed an elected prime minister, and demanded support “because he was pursuing Islamic principles” (30). Further, ul-Haq’s control resulted in severe restrictions for women. After the Russians invaded Afghanistan, boys in her father’s district went off to fight. Jihad became a regular idea, perpetuated, according to her father, by the CIA—textbooks from an American university taught arithmetic through fighting.

When her father became a teenager, he dreamed of becoming a jihadist. “For a while his Muslim identity seemed more important than anything else in his life” (34). However, after Malala’s father met her mother’s family, his leanings shifted. He became interested in going to school. Despite choosing a good option for his future, his father encouraged older students to hold on to old books rather than buying new books. At the public speaking event, her father took the stage and commanded attention. He did not stutter once. Finally, hergrandfather was proud of her father.

Malala begins to tell her mother’s story and continues her father’s story. Her mother’s family encouraged her to go to school. However, after leaving for school several times and seeing her cousins stay at home to play, Malala’s mother decided to stop going. She regretted her decision to quit after she met Malala’s father. Malala’s father believed “there was nothing more important than knowledge” (41). He worked hard to become a teacher despite his father’s dream of him becoming a doctor.

Her grandfather refused to fund her father’s education. Regardless, her father found a way to pay for it himself. He traveled and “It was in Spal Bandit that…[he] came across women who had great freedom and were not hidden away as in his own village” (44). When he arrived at college, Malala’s father lucked out—he was able to attend student organizations, which were once banned under General Zia. He became a good debater and speaker.

When he spoke, Malala’s father went against the grain. While others complained and petitioned against Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses because his supposed anti-Islamic writings, Malala’s father suggested: “First, let’s read the book and then why not respond with our own book” (46). After he graduated, he began working as an English teacher. He soon partnered with a friend and hoped to open his own school. His first school failed, “which perhaps should have made them think twice” (47).

He followed his passion and opened yet another school. He encountered difficulties when he realized government officials expected bribes. In response, Malala’s father founded an organization of school principals. They spoke out against bribes and in favor of making education accessible. Soon after founding a school, Malala’s mother moved in with her father. After that, Malala’s mother became pregnant. The baby was stillborn, and Malala’s father continued to lose money.

A flood destroyed their home and school, but Malala’s father did not despair. Soon, Malala was born on July 12, 1997. Her father’s partner remarked: “Malala was a lucky girl….When she was born our luck changed” (55). Her father opened another school. Malala grew and began spending time in the classrooms. Their life, however, was about to change in another way. Word came in that Muslim terrorists had flown planes into the World Trade Center in New York City.