Taliban tries to murder hero schoolgirl in Swat valley yesterday. Here is her story in a country where moral values and religious extremism remains in medieval times. US policy of the past 11 years hasn’t made much impact. India would have been a much better ally but previous administrations during the cold war found India on the side of the Soviet Union. The US chose to support the communist opposition groups and funded the Mujahideen with Saudi Arabian fundamentalists, permitting Khan building the Islam atomic bomb contrary to the NPT agreements.
Pakistan Swat Valley – A Schoolgirl’s Odyssey
A documentary made in Pakistan following the owner of a Girls’ School, and his 13-year old daughter Malala. During 2010 the Taliban ordered all Girls’ School to close under the threat of violence. Later the army moved in to the Swat Valley in order to combat the Taliban, and the family were forced into exile.
When they return, a few months later, although their home and school are still standing, they are in a mess and the city is virtually deserted.
The film features extended interviews with Malala, a young schoolgirl who had ambitions to become a doctor. During the film she changes her mind and wants to become a politician to help her country.
Taliban say they attacked Malala Yousufzai over ‘secular propaganda’
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Dawn.com) – Pakistani Taliban have taken responsibility for attacking National Peace Award winner and young Pakistani rights activist Malala Yousufzai, who with another girl was injured in the attack on their school van in Swat on Tuesday.
Speaking to Dawn.com’s correspondent Zahir Shah Sherazi from an undisclosed location, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said that the TTP accepts responsibility of the attack as Malala was propagating anti-Taliban and `secular’ thoughts among the youth of the area.
Malala, 14 years-old, was returning home from her school in Swat’s Mingora area when her van was attacked by the gunmen. Certain media outlets reported that the gunmen attacked the van on identifying the young children’s rights activist. Sources said Malala was hit by couple of bullets to her neck and head.
Both injured girls were taken to the Saidu Sharif Hospital. According to doctors, Malala was now out of danger. However, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has ordered to shift her to a Peshawar hospital swiftly through a helicopter. The prime minister has strongly condemned the incident.
Will this heinous attack cause a change?
Malala Yousafzai: Pakistan Taliban causes revulsion by shooting girl who spoke out
I just watched a CNN interview of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, a talented young woman. First she expressed her sympathy for young schoolgirl Malala as a mother and as a political leader and condemned the attack. Upon further pointed questions by CNN’s Amanpour true Pakistan policy became clear. The terrorists are a problem for all nations to work together. She blamed ISAF forces and Afghans for free havens inside Afghanistan for the TTP. She continued to establish the historical fact it was the U.S., Pakistan and Arab nations who armed , build-up and funded the mujahideen in the war against the Soviet occupiers.
To be sure, the Pakistani’s accused of terror and murder do stand trial but are always granted a free pass due to intimidation of witnesses who retract their statements before the judge or refuse to appear in court for fear of reprisal to them or their family members. See recent account of the major publicised case of blasphemy of a young Christian girl who was framed by the local cleric in the mosque.
The ISI has established contacts with the many terror groups across Pakistan and offer their intelligence and communications expertise, see Mumbai massacre by the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
I have lost all hope for Pakistan and it’s people many, many years ago. I did have an optimistic outlook for Indonesia and admired it’s current president. This week I watched reports from Indonesia and it’s Islamists due to the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings. I grew very somber over the madrasses who appear to be teaching extremist interpretation of it’s religion and youth who are taught fanaticism, jihad and martyrdom in the bad sense. Al-Qaeda (or its off-shoot) isn’t dead!
Kind of sad this week Americans of Code Pink were in Pakistan to join protests against US drone attacks and the death of innocent civilians. Perhaps they should stay another week and join the protests against true terror and Pakistan’s policy of impunity for these horrible acts.
Swat attack on Malala: War of words in Senate over policy about militancy