YOUSAFZAI, PICTURED IN
PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN, ON
MARCH 26, 20092000 s2009 | DEFYING THE TALIBAN
MALALA YOUSAFZAI
BY JENNIFER SALKE
When BBC UrdU asked Malala YoUsafzai’s father if
one of his students would blog about life under the local Tali-
ban, his daughter took on the task. Her first post was published
under the pen name Gul Makai (“cornflower”) on Jan. 3, 2009.
She was 11 years old. Over the next three years, Yousafzai wrote
about her life and her desire to get an education, in a region
where girls’ schools were being shuttered and bombed. As her
renown grew, so did the threats against her life.
On Oct. 9, 2012, a gunman from the Pakistani Taliban
boarded a school bus, called her out by name, then shot her in
the face. When I heard the news, I was shaken to the core—here
was a girl, just a year or two older than my own children. But
Yousafzai not only survived but thrived, as an author, activist,
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and role model for anyone who wants
to make the world a better place. I often think about Yousafzai’s
bravery in daring to raise her voice on behalf of others and our
obligation to follow her example—to be vigilant in the protec-
tion of basic human rights, whatever our age, whatever our cir-
cumstance. We can start by heeding her words: “Let us pick
up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.”Salke is the head of Amazon StudiosVÉRONIQUE DE VIGUERIE—GETTY IMAGES^89