I am Malala.

What a proud moment. I could feel a lump in my throat as I heard this brave little girl, standing in front of the UN general assembly on Friday and speaking up so beautifully. Today I am proud.

If you don’t know her story, here is a brief version.

And incase you missed it, here is her full speech.

I loved how she said, ‘we realize the importance of light when we see darkness. We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realized the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns.’  It is true, those of us all around the world, that have not had to fight for good education, do not realize its importance.

Even in Pakistan, many of us were the privileged ones that never had to struggle for education and who were able to go to good schools and universities. We did not realize the value of it till much later. Sometimes when we have to struggle for something, when we see our rights taken away from us, the value becomes much more obvious.

I love how she encouraged women to use their voice because their voice, their words are powerful. What a courageous little girl she is. In a country where most women know they have to follow ‘social norms’ and are not encouraged to stand up for themselves, at barely 16 years of age, she stood up for herself knowing she would most probably be targeted for it. Huge credit goes to her parents for standing by her and for raising such a remarkable girl.

I also love how she talked about peace and pleaded world leaders to find other ways to counter terrorism. And when she said that despite it all, she does not hold anything against the Taliban that killed her. ‘The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them. This is why they killed 14 innocent students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they kill female teachers. That is why they are blasting schools every day because they were and they are afraid of change and equality that we will bring to our society.’

I love that she talked for Pakistan and Islam and showed that whoever did this to her does not represent Pakistanis or Muslims whatever name they give it! I wont forget this day in a long time and I wish the absolute best for her and her cause. Truly education is a right that must be given to every single person. Let us all play any part we can in this global struggle and may this be the change we so need in Pakistan and around the world. Go here to support the offical Malala fund.

And if you haven’t heard it yet, listen to the song I am Malala below. Such a proud moment for this 16 year old girl, when her fight and her struggle becomes the voice of so many. I can so clearly see her becoming an inspiration for young girls and this song signifies just that. She is an inspiration for them, to raise their voice, to stand up for their rights, to realize the importance of an education, and to realize the impact of their words and to be brave in the face of their worst enemies. It is truly an empowering moment.

I Am Malala.

do remember one thing: Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights. –Malala Yousufzai

Thanks for reading and for stopping by. Much love.

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Just as the joy of this day, there was immense sadness and shock at the abuse and slandering this little girl has faced from none other than her fellow Pakistanis on social media. I was appalled to read stuff I never should’ve. Just shows that Pakistanis as a nation are becoming more and more skeptical of the west and any one of them that is supported by them, they automatically assume the worst of them. If you’re one of the skeptical ones, I urge you to keep your heart open and not to hate. She hasn’t done anything to deserve this from you. She is fighting for your cause, for our cause. If nothing, keep your conspiracy theories to yourself for the time being. Let us be proud and cherish this moment. Let us hope. Give her a chance. Be happy for one of you that got recognized. I know there are thousands of such Malala’s in Pakistan that make us proud. This day is for all of them. (I’m sorry but I wont publish any hate comments on this post, just because how strongly I feel about this.) Read this defence of Malala to get some facts clear.