In her first interview since the Taliban’s attack on her, activist Malala Yousafzai says dialogue is the only way to achieve peace
Malala Yousafzai grew up in Pakistan’s Swat Valley — region which had a proud record on education. She inherited those values but she was also born into a society that didn’t value daughters. “When I was born, some of our relatives came to our house and told my mother, don’t worry, next time you will have a son,” Malala said. “For my brothers it was easy to think about the future, they can be anything they want. But for me it was hard and for that reason, I wanted to become educated,” she said. But by 2008, the Taliban were in full control of the Swat Valley and started broadcasting threats and orders over the radio. One particular edict changed Malala’s life — after January 15, 2008, girls would no longer be allowed to attend school. “The Taliban’s punishments were like slaughtering people on the Green Chowk, throwing acid on women’s faces or abusing them or killing them,” she said, in an interview to be aired on BBC World News’ programme Panorama on Saturday at 10:40 pm.
Malala’s father, Ziauddin, was an anti-Taliban activist and one of the few people who would risk speaking to Western journalists.
“First I thought that they would only target my father”, she recalled adding, “because my father was also a social activist. When I also heard about the threats from the Taliban, I thought that a Talib would come and shoot me.”
On October 9, Malala’s fears came true and she was attacked by the Taliban on her way home from school. At 3 pm, like any other day, she and her friends took the bus. “Everything seemed normal…but when we went just further, I could see that there was no one at that time. And then I don’t remember what happened.” Although Malala doesn’t remember the attack, her friends Shazia, Moniba and Kainat recall the events well. They recalled how two boys boarded their school bus as it slowed down to navigate a bend in the road on the way to Malala’s home. “One of them came round the back and asked ‘Who is Malala YousafzaiIJ’” said Shazia. “She was very scared at the time and didn’t say anything”, Moniba added. “Then he fired straight at her. I saw a lot of blood on Malala’s head. When I saw that blood, I fell unconscious” said Kainat.
Malala was brought to the local hospital in a critical condition and her father rushed to her bedside. “I have memories still in my mind,” said Malala. “In one picture, suddenly I see my father on my left side and when I look at him, I just tell him something and then I just close my eyes and everything gets dark. I thought I was dead,” she recalled. Within an hour and a half, Malala was airlifted to a military hospital in Peshawar where she underwent a major operation which involved removing part of Malala’s skull to release pressure on her brain. Two British doctors were visiting Pakistan at the time and were asked to assess Malala’s condition.
As soon as Malala’s condition improved, she was airlifted to Birmingham, where the two British doctors were based. She arrived in an induced coma and awoke the next morning alone. “I could not realise which country it is but I could see that people were speaking English...and I said this is not Pakistan at least,” Malala recalled.
With a respirator tube in her throat, Malala was initially unable to talk. She was concerned for the welfare of her father, as she was worried that he may also have been a target, and began to communicate with the doctors in writing.
Ten days after her arrival, Malala’s family joined her and over the next four months, Malala had two major operations to reconstruct her face, and a cochlear implant was inserted to restore her hearing in her left ear.
In March 2013, she began attending Edgbaston School for girls in Birmingham and started settling into her new life. Asked whether she thought British girls took their education for granted, she said, “Yes I believe that. I want to tell the students of UK to think that it is very precious and prestigious to go to school. Reading a book, having a pen in our hands, studying, sitting in a classroom is something very special for us because once we were deprived from it and because what we have seen in Swat”.
In July, she spent her 16th birthday at the UN, where she made her first speech since being shot by the Taliban. “I think that the best way to solve problem and to fight against war is through dialogue, but for me the best way to fight against terrorism and extremism...is to educate the next generation,” she said.
Since her speech, there has been mounting criticism in her own country of her close relationship with the West. “No, I’m not becoming Western, I’m still following my Pashtun culture and I’m wearing a salvar kamiz, a dupatta on my head. And I believe that Islam is a true religion and it teaches us how to be patient and how to tolerate other religions and it teaches us about peace. Islam means peace. I want to go back to Pakistan but first of all I need to be fully empowered...and to make myself powerful, I only need education, so I will get education, then I’ll go back to Pakistan.”
She is the youngest person ever nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. “If I win Nobel Peace Prize, it would be a great opportunity for me, but if I don’t get it, it’s not important because my goal is not to get a prize.”