Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Rejoice! There is something to celebrate this Friday! Pakistan’s army has reported that it’s arrested 10 militants suspected of having viciously attacked Malala Yousafzai in 2012. Army spokesman General Asim Saleem Bajwa claims: "The entire gang involved in the murder attempt . . . has been busted." The gang he is referring to is the group of despicable men who, by order of the Pakistani Taliban, boarded a school bus and shot then 16-year-old Malala in the face—all for her heinous actions of having spoken out about women and girls’ right to education. Which, as horrifying as this attack of course was, has done nothing to slow her down.
A Recap Of What Makes Malala The Most Inspiring Teen In The World
For those who’ve been missing out on the glorious rays of Malala’s inspiring wonder, her story is nothing short of astonishing. She began down the road of global stardom at the tender age of 10, when she gave the speech “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?” By 11, she was penning an anonymous blog for the BBC—all about her life under the Taliban and how girls who wanted to go to school were being specifically targeted.
By seventh grade, her diary for the BBC had gone viral and this starlet advocate for the rights of girls shed her anonymity. She even scored a documentary with the New York Times.
The Taliban? Not down with this equal-rights-for-girls outspokenness; they issued a death threat against her when she was just 14. Soon after, gunmen boarded her school bus and shot her in the head. Blessedly for her, her family, her country and the world, the courageous teen survived.
And post-recovery, Malala has continued with her work absolutely undeterred, giving a speech in front of the UN at age 16, founding her own global fund, and celebrating her birthday (an official UN holiday) by speaking out for the 200 Chibok girls captured in Nigeria in April.
Now About That Justice . . .
Malala's father Ziauddin Yousafzai had this to say in a statement released from Britain, where the family now lives:
"This is good news for our family and most importantly, for the people of Pakistan and the civilized world. This first step of apprehending Malala's attackers signifies the beginning of real hope for the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been affected by terrorism.”
Fist pumps all around on this fine Friday.
