The Life of Malala Yousafzai

The book I am reading is I am Malala. I have learned a lot about her culture from reading this book. Malala is a very inspirational person and I have chosen to write about her journey and what she has done to overcome hardship.

Malala Yousafzai is a well known symbol for women’s right and girls education in Pakistan. Malala was named after Malalai of Maiwand, who was the greatest heroine of Afghanistan. She was born on July 12, 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan, which is located in Swat valley. Swat was a peaceful place which was a popular getaway for tourists to visit during the summer. Malala described it as, “a heavenly kingdom of mountains, gushing waterfalls and crystal-clear lakes.”(I am Malala, 15). After the taliban invaded, the village and areas around it took a hard hit and people started to see what was happening and changed their outlook on Pakistan. Malala includes a lot of information about the invasion of the taliban in her book and how it changed her life and others around her. Malala’s biggest influence was her father. He had a lot of trust in her and she followed in his footsteps of being an avid speaker and had a strong belief to stand up for what she thought was right.

The people of Swat knew the Taliban was close, but now it had come for them. The taliban started to lure in young boys to come and join them. Many of the boys were used as suicide bombers and brainwashed into believing what they were doing was right. In 2003, the people of Swat started to see much more violence in their village. Many girls school around Swat were being blown up because the Taliban believed that it was wrong for girls to go to school and get an education. They also enforced more rules for women including their clothing, where they could go and who they could be with. Many political figures were getting death threats from the Taliban and others were ambushed and killed. In 2007, the leader of the Taliban, Maulana Fazlullah, setup 30 illegal FM radio stations to preach Islamic law to the people of Pakistan, and he actually became very popular. Taliban engraved fear into the people of Mingora by putting their victims dead bodies in the streets where the people could see them on their way to work. It got so bad that the Army had to come in and clear out the Taliban. At this time, the whole city had to evacuate and go and find somewhere else to live until the situation was taken care of. Three months later. the governor of Pakistan announced that it was safe to come back, through many were reluctant. The Army had lied and signs of the Taliban started to reappear, starting with more girls schools.

Malala’s father worked very hard to open up his own school with one of his friends Faiz Mohammad. It was there that Malala spent most of her time and when she grew up and could go to school, she drowned herself in her books. Her father always encouraged her to speak freely and be openminded and learn as much as she could. She then got interested in politics when she saw what was happening to other girls schools in Pakistan. She could not believe that the Taliban would take away the rights of girls to get an education and she wanted to do something about it. The she made her first speech called , "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?" which she made in Peshawar, Pakistan in 2008 when she was only 11 years old. Malala was determined to make a difference. In 2009, a BBC reporter asked Malala's father if he knew anyone who could write anonymously about living under Taliban rule. Malala took the opportunity to talk about her school and the fears she had of the school being shut down or attacked. She spoke to the hearts of many people around the world as many people saw her blog. It was also in 2009 that the Taliban started closing girls schools and then reassessed and said they could go to school if they wear burqas. As Malala started to protest more and more and get more involved, she had then become a target for the Taliban.

It was October 9, 2012, Malala and her friends were riding the bus home after school. Everyday they go past the army checkpoint and then up a busy street to get to the main road. But that day, it was different. Malala asked her friend Moniba, “Where are all the people?” (Malala, 241). All the girls were talking and signing when suddenly two men stopped the bus. They came rushing on. “Who is Malala?” they asked. No one said a word but everyone turned to look at Malala. She was the only one whose face wasn’t covered. The man lifted his pistol and fired three shots, one right after the other. The first bullet went through Malala’s left eye socket and came out under her left shoulder. Malala then leaned over on her friend, Moniba, blood coming out of her left ear. The other two bullets hit the girls next to her. One bullet went into a girl named Shiza’s left hand. Then the third went through the same girls left shoulder and into the upper right arm of another girl, Kainat Riaz.  The last thing Malala remembers was the revision of her paper she was going to have to do the next day. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and came out with a statement saying, " Malala has been targeted because of her pioneer role in preaching secularism...She was young but she was promoting Western culture in Pashtun areas." (Malala, 256). The Taliban knew that Malala was such an important figure in the lives of many girls and she was creating a problem for them.

Malala’s life has changed drastically since being shot by the Taliban. After leaving the hospital in in January 2013, her family moved to Birmingham, England because Malala needed more treatment. The Taliban threatened Malala that if she ever went back to Pakistan that she would be found and killed. In March that same year, she begin to start going to school at Edgbaston High School in Birmingham. In 2013, she was also named, " one of TIME magazine's most influential people, put forward for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, won the European Parliament's Sakharov prize for freedom of thought, and her autobiography, "I am Malala." (BBC, 1). She continues to speak about women's rights and is trying to make it possible for girls to go to school. She set up a fund in her name for children around the world be able to go to school.  "Among other trips, she has travelled to Nigeria, meeting President Goodluck Jonathan to press for action to free the 200 girls held by Boko Haram Islamist militants." ( BBC, 1). Malala's wish is to return to Pakistan and become a politician so she can make the difference in girls lives that has always been needed. To be able to get an education.


Two years before the shooting, Malala was unknown to the rest of the world. Most people only knew about her from her blog which didn’t even use her actual name. Now she is known worldwide and continues to make a difference even after her almost life ending shooting. On her 16th birthday, Malala went to the United Nations to deliver her first speech since recovering. She talked about the shooting and how it has made her stronger and that any fear that she once had is now gone. She still has the same ambitions, goals, and dreams to be able to make a difference for girls wanting to get an education. In March 2014, the second time Malala was nominated fore the Nobel Peace Prize, she won. At age 17, this made her the youngest person to ever receive the prestigious award. She is an inspiration to all.

Malala Yousafzai is one of the most inspirational people in the world. She has impacted so many lives at such a young age and has done things that no one would imagine doing at her age. She continues to do amazing things for children and women around the world who do not have access to an education. Malala shows that is it possible for anyone at any age to make a difference in this world. Her courage and bravery will continue to influence people around the world.


Videos from Malala's UN speech can be found here .

Malala's Nobel Peace Prize Speech 2014 (27 min) 

Works Cited

Kettler, Sara. "Malala Yousafzai." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

Malala. "Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl." BBC News. BBC, 19 Jan. 2009. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

"Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize Speech." YouTube. N.p., 11 Dec. 2014. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

"Profile: Malala Yousafzai." BBC News. BBC, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

Tmg. "Malala Yousafzai: Timeline of the Pakistani Campaigner's Life." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. New York: Little, Brown, 2013. Print.