Hopes, fears and the diary of Malala Yousufzai
Thursday October 11, 2012 11:34:22 AM,
IANS
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Islamabad: "I was
afraid of going to school because the Taliban had issued an edict
banning all girls from attending schools," wrote Malala Yousufzai
in her diary in 2009. The Pakistani teenager today recuperates in
a hospital after being shot at by the Taliban.
Malala wrote the diary for the BBC in Urdu under her pen name Gul
Makai.
The diary offers a peep into the mind of a young girl who pines
for education and seeks peace in her troubled land.
On Jan 3, 2009, she wrote: "I had a terrible dream yesterday with
military helicopters and the Taliban. I have had such dreams since
the launch of the military operation in Swat. I was afraid of
going to school because the Taliban had issued an edict banning
all girls from attending schools. Only 11 students attended the
class out of 27. The number decreased because of Taliban's edict."
"On my way from school to home I heard a man saying 'I will kill
you'. I hastened my pace... to my utter relief he was talking on
his mobile and must have been threatening someone else over the
phone."
Two days later, she wrote: "I was getting ready for school and was
about to wear my uniform when I remembered that our principal had
told us not to wear uniforms and come to school wearing normal
clothes instead."
"So I decided to wear my favourite pink dress. Other girls in
school were also wearing colourful dresses. During the morning
assembly we were told not to wear colourful clothes as the Taliban
would object to it."
The diary turns progressively more grim as the days pass and the
Taliban stranglehold tightens.
On Jan 14, 2009, wrote Malala: "I was in a bad mood while going to
school because winter vacations are starting from tomorrow. The
principal announced the vacations but did not mention the date the
school would reopen."
"The girls were not too excited about vacations because they knew
if the Taliban implemented their edict [banning girls' education]
they would not be able to come to school again. I am of the view
that the school will one day reopen but while leaving I looked at
the building as if I would not come here again."
A day later, she had an interrupted sleep as "the night was filled
with the noise of artillery fire and I woke up three times".
"But since there was no school I got up later at 10 a.m.
Afterwards, my friend came over and we discussed our homework.
Today is the last day before the Taliban's edict comes into
effect, and my friend was discussing homework as if nothing out of
the ordinary had happened."
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