Celebrating Malala

This refers to the article ‘Who’s afraid of a textbook?’ (July 17). Many people have written on this issue, but Dr Ayesha Razzaque’s article drives the point home very aptly. Malala’s picture was published under the [Pakistan’s] Important people heading. It is a fact that Malala is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate and the youngest UN Messenger of Peace, and her efforts to stand up for education in the face of fear are heroic. Unfortunately, we don’t have a culture of appreciating people on the merit of their work and we demonise people for their difference of opinion. It is quite saddening to see an active campaign of hate against Malala by those who are supposed to represent the interests of our students. The All Pakistan Private Schools Federation (APPSF) previously banned Malala’s book in school libraries and recently, launched a documentary called ‘I am not Malala’, condemning Malala for projecting a western agenda against Pakistan and Islam. It is convenient to use absolute jingoism and religion to control the state narrative, but it is also true that every child has the inherent capability to think and rise above bigotry and hatred.

Mariam Khan

Lahore