Malala: The True Hero!

Last week we read a lot about Malala Yousafzai. Malala was a strong contender for Nobel Peace Prize which she highly deserved. After all she was shot in the face at a close range, lived through it and all this did not dissuade her from spreading the message of peace.

I am amazed by the response this sixteen-year-old girl made to a question in a recent talk show. When Jon Stewart, the host of the Daily talk show asked her how she reacted when she learned that the Taliban wanted her dead.

I started thinking about that, and I used to think that the Talib would come, and he would just kill me. But then I said, 'If he comes, what would you do Malala?' then I would reply to myself, 'Malala, just take a shoe and hit him.'  But then I said, 'If you hit a Talib with your shoe, then there would be no difference between you and the Talib. You must not treat others with cruelty and that much harshly, you must fight others but through peace and through dialogue and through education.' Then I said I will tell him how important education is and that 'I even want education for your children as well.' And I will tell him, 'That's what I want to tell you, now do what you want.'

No doubt that Malala is brave. More than what she said, it is the conviction with which she spoke that matters. It is well understood why she is such a terror for Taliban. She is attacking Taliban’s fundamentals and its thought process; and by becoming an advocate of girl's education she is giving hope to millions of children; a hope that is about a better future and a better world.

I commend her courage and resolve. At such a tender age, she has more wisdom than vast majority of people on this globe. I wish I was 10% as brave and cool as Malala. In this world full of artificial heroes, she is the real hero!

I am looking forward to read more about about her in the book 'I am Malala'.