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Religious freedom heroine shot for empowering girls

11 Oct 2012 | Recent Spiritual News Worldwide

Religious freedom heroine shot by Taliban
Religious freedom heroine shot by Taliban

Religious freedom heroine, Malala Yousafzai, shot by Taliban for trying to improve the lives of girls under strict Islamic law (Photo from NYT article).

On Tuesday 9th October 2012 in a show of total cowardliness, masked Taliban gunmen shot and severely wounded defenceless 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai. They wanted her dead, afraid of her courage and influence in empowering Pakistani girls under Taliban subjugation to attend school and achieve success in life. In that part of the world, along the Afghani border, logic and reason make way for enslavement by clerics brainwashed into thinking their way is the only way.

The fundamental problem with Islamic extremists is their belief a Jihad is a guaranteed path to Heaven. With that sort of thinking the rank-and-file are easily convinced to carry out acts of violence against innocent civilians. Even doing good deeds do not guarantee a path to Allah, not even spiritual practice; they may or may not. But a Jihad is a sure thing!

In this case it only showed how weak the Taliban are, how scared they are and how fragile is their hold on power that they must resort to bullying tactics to keep the community on-side. As by the will of Allah, the failed shooting has back-fired causing the world to condemn the attack and awaking armed forces of the dangers lurking in the foothills. “Pakistani politicians led by the president and prime minister condemned the shooting, which the US state department has called barbaric and cowardly.”
Religious freedom heroine Ms Malala Yousafzai, on the other hand has given true meaning to heroism. For several years she has been a hidden voice striving to promote education for young girls in a region where they are treated as second class compared to men. It was for her secular and anti-Taliban stance that they shot her. Imagine, a group who once claimed 911 now resorts to raids on school buses filled with young children.
Ms Malala Yousafzai has shone like a beacon of light for all to see. She is a prime example of how God works, how all of us are capable to change humanity, how one person can make a difference. One life can impact the whole world. Her mission in life seemed mediocre at first, after all what can a young Muslim girl achieve in some remote outpost. But this is what she has done thus far

  • At age 11 she bravely did what others were too afraid of by telling media of the atrocities the Taliban were causing
  • She acted as a spokesperson for the girls during  a New York Times documentaries, or numerous other media outlets
  • When discovered she fled the area but still continued to spread the message
  • Inspired her classmates and adults alike
  • Nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize and awarded Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize (it was at this time the Taliban identified her)
  • Lived her dream of entering politics and bringing positive changed to Pakistan
  • After the shooting, awakened the compassion residing in people around the world creating sympathy for her plight and anger at the lack of Religious freedom. Indeed, this event has caused more harm for the Taliban than they realize.

With Allah’ s grace her successful surgery will leave her fully healed in body and emotion, so that she may continue to strive and improve the lives of women in her community, Pakistan and indeed the world. We need more religious freedom heroine’s like her, a lot more.

Please join us to pray for her well-being and speedy recovery. It would be too much for expect her to continue, but either may Allah bring her peace, just like the peace she has tried to bring to others.

Good news, since posting this article she has been flown to the UK where she is doing well, but doctors say she may have impaired functionality for a while.

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