IMPORTANT NOTE: This was written as though Yousafzai's speech was yesterday, instead of in 2013. This was for a homework assignment in my news writing course at Anderson University.
A teenage victim of a Taliban attack, Malala Yousafzai, spoke yesterday at the United Nations to express the need for world leaders to provide free education to all children, and she boldly raised her voice to announce the need for peace and equality for all.
Yesterday was Yousafzai’s 16th birthday, and it was proclaimed “Malala Day” in her honor by the United Nations. She received thunderous applause by all that were present at the United Nations before, during, and after her speech. The Taliban attack on Yousafzai and her recovery from her wounds was closely followed by millions worldwide. This was the first speech Yousafzai gave since her attack.
The Taliban targeted this young teenage girl because of her outspoken campaign that promoted the importance of young girls going to school to receive an education. Despite this, Yousafzai continues to call for global action to ensure education for children because of the power and impact it can have on a child, especially girls.
“The wise saying, ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ was true,” said Yousafzai. “The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women.”
Yousafzai expressed her concern about how terrorism, wars, and conflicts are stopping children from going to school. She called for the support of the expansion of educational opportunities for girls across the world in order for them to have the same freedom and equality men have.
“We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave – to embrace the strength within themselves and realize their full potential.”
She briefly recalled the day, Oct. 9, 2012, when she received a bullet to the left side of her brain. Instead of focusing on herself, she brought attention to the fact that thousands of people have been killed by the Taliban in addition to the millions that have been injured by these terrorists. In her speech, Yousafzai said that these terrorists failed to silence her and her friends with bullets.
“The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions but nothing changed in my life except this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams are the same,” said Yousafzai.
She expressed her belief to “be peaceful and love everyone” by acknowledging the compassion she learned from religious leaders like Jesus Christ and Buddha, as well as, the legacy of change she inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Yousafzai assured her audience that she had no desire for personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorist group; instead she expressed forgiveness and compassion towards them.
“I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him,” she said.
Throughout her speech she consistently repeated that she was speaking for the education of every child and women’s rights. She said she especially wanted education for the young female children of the Taliban and all terrorists. Yousafzai kept circling back to the need for awareness for women’s rights and the education of young girls.
“Today I am focusing on women’s rights and girls’ education because they are suffering the most. There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But this time we will do it ourselves,” said Yousafzai. “I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women’s rights, rather I am focusing on women to be independent and to fight for themselves.”
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