104. MALALA YOUSAFZAI: I have the right
Malala Yousafzai (1997-) is a 15-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot in the head on the way home from school by the Taliban. Her only crime was criticising the Taliban’s strict rules against female education and standing up for her right to go to school.
Inspired by her activist father, Malala was involved in social justice from a young age. She first gained prominence at age 11, when she wrote a blog for the BBC for 10 weeks (under a pseudonym) detailing her life under Taliban rule. The blog was extremely popular and her real identity was later revealed when her father nominated her for an International Peace Prize. From there she started appearing on television, speaking against the Taliban’s ruling that banned girls from attending school. Her international status grew even more when she was featured in a New York Times documentary (which you can watch here). She continued to speak out against the Taliban and was nominated for the International Youth Peace Prize and won the inaugural Pakistan National Youth Peace Prize in 2011 (now named the National Malala Peace Prize).
On the 9th October 2012, on her way home from school, Malala was shot in the head and neck by a masked gunman (two other children, Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan, were also injured). The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that Malala was “the symbol of the infidels and obscenity”. Straight after the incident Malala was taken to Peshawar Military hospital for an initial operation where part of her skull was removed to allow room for the swelling of her brain and was later flown to the United Kingdom for further treatment. She would receive two further surgeries to insert a titanium plate in her skull and attach a cochlear device in her left ear to restore her hearing. Malala was released from hospital this month and is currently staying in her temporary home with her family in Birmingham and is expected to make a full recovery.
Malala has recently been nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, the youngest person in history to receive the honour, and I, along with the millions of people she has inspired, am hoping this remarkable young woman wins.
UPDATE: Malala has recently returned to school!
- The Malala Fund was established to educate girls throughout the world.
- The quotes in the comic were taken from her blog entries, the NYT documentary and this interview Malala did with CNN.
- I illustrated the events of the shooting after reading a few sources: Daily Mail, The Guardian, CNN, ABC Australia and Wikipedia.
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This really captures her amazing impartation and story- a real hero.
Thanks, Gav (:
Valor is such an idolized trait, but so few of us have it, and if we do we’re usually without a situation in which to be valorous, and if we are, the fear of consequence is often too great.
Her valor is the kind to be idolized, having stood up against an ancient enemy with actions and perseverance that echoes louder through the world than they could ever dream, at one moment commanding the hearts and minds of millions with the power against the fear instilled by the previous.
Got somethin’ in my eye.
Me, too. Must be allergies.
Me three may water drop
“later flown to the United Kingdom for further treatment. She would receive two further surgeries to insert a titanium plate in her skull and attach a cochlear device in her left ear to restore her hearing”
Its a pity the NHS doesn’t provide that level of care for their own citizens.
GET REAL, ANON. I cannot believe that is the only thing you took away from this wonderful story! I am in awe and have tears in my eyes, what a wonderful human being. I am so happy she survived, what is wrong with this world at times? I don’t get it…
Oh its a beautiful comic etc and yes it did bring a tear to my eye. But I felt this needed to be pointed out considering the lack of basic care I have encountered in the NHS.
Firstly, you’re assuming that she was treated under the NHS as opposed to privately, something not stated in the summary.
Secondly, you’re assuming that the treatment she got was atypical – and unless you have firsthand experience in treatment of injuries such as hers, can you really say that any other trauma victim would be treated worse? Because we have plenty of specialist NHS trauma centres where we have no Malalas, but that doesn’t mean people get no care.
Lastly, if you have concerns that the NHS could be better, speak up where it counts. Write to your MP, fight against cuts to vital services and make it clear that decent health care is a right and that we as a nation, and our government, shouldn’t try to run it like a business where pennies need to be saved. Yes, the NHS isn’t perfect – it’s underfunded, understaffed and has to deal with people at their very worst whose expectations of how to get better are often different from the reality of what medicine let alone the NHS can do. Until we realise what the other side is like, it’s hard to see the difficulty in running such a service, something most people in the world don’t have access to.
But this is all beside the point when we’re talking about a young lady who risked her life at such a young age, and became the face of a cause, something few of us would have the eloquence or guts to do.
The NHS isn’t perfect but it’s still one of the best health services in the world.
Be thankful you don’t live in the USA. If you’re uninsured here, not only would you likely not get that level of care, you would pay so much for what you did get that you’d have to declare bankruptcy and your kids would not be able to afford college.
Melissa, get real. Every hospital in the United States is required to provide emergency services free of charge for those who can’t pay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Medical_Treatment_and_Active_Labor_Act).
If you despise this country so much then I would advise you to move. Canada if fine, if you don’t mind the cold, otherwise I hear Mexico has a wonderful standard of living.
Jim, it is you that needs to get real.
Yes, EMTALA requires hospitals with emergency departments to provide emergency services.
The services given are NOT “free”, the hospital can bill the patient for every dime of care they receive. Additionally, hosptials are only required to stablize the patient, and the definition of stabilize varies greatly from hospital to hospital. Many hospitals have moved away from urban centers, or have removed their emergency departments in those hospitals located near low-income areas to avoid EMTALA requirements.
Wrong.
“The emergency room (or other better equipped units within the hospital) must treat an individual with an EMC until the condition is resolved or stabilized and the patient is able to provide self-care following discharge, or if unable, can receive needed continual care. Inpatient care provided must be at an equal level for all patients, regardless of ability to pay. Hospitals may not discharge a patient prior to stabilization if the patient’s insurance is canceled or otherwise discontinues payment during course of stay.”
They still get charged. The debt stays.
Also be thankful that you don’t live in a developing country, such as India where people fight for basic rights everyday, and a good health benefit is a very distant dream. Sometimes try and be thankful for what you have and think about the millions on this planet who are worse off than you.
Yes, that was precisely the point of the comic.
ANON – Pearls before swine. I pity you if this is all you take away from this girls courage. ….and the NHS is a fine institution, it saved the life of my father.
She’s being treated at the same hospital that treats wounded British soldiers. So she’s in the right place to get treatment for her injuries.
The entire cost of Malala’s treatment is being borne by the Pakistani government. Malala requires further treatment because the left side of her face remains paralysed and she has lost hearing in her left ear. The doctors reckon she needs another 18 months treatment as an out patient to make recovery. The Pakistan government have employed Malala’s father at the The Pakistani Consulate in Birmingham so that he can take care of his family independently and with dignity. There will be no burden on the British tax payer. It might be worth noting that the most important life saving operation was conducted most skillfully in Pakistan at the Army Hospital. But the specialist post operative care Malala required is not available in Pakistan. That is why she was shifted to the UK. There she got much more than the treatment she required. The doctors and nurses soon realised that their patient was someone with truly remarkable and extra ordinary courage and strength of character, and they took her to their hearts. That child never shed a single tear all the time she spent in hospital. When she became conscious the very first time, the first question she asked was about the welfare of her two friends who were shot with her. Now after her final operation, she spoke about continuing her mission. As the Medical Director pointed out, that after a 5 hour operation you would expect someone to mope around feeling sorry for themselves, not talk about helping others. I think the British people should feel proud of themselves that their nation played an important role in giving Malala a second life.
Wow, I’ve never heard about her till now. I’m moved. I think my heart stopped at the panel where she’s on the floor, fearing she’s dead.
What Trevor said about valor is spot on. Thinking of the Cooligde quote again, that perseverance alone is omnipotent and age apparently also is not a factor.
I don’t know the details, but I think your drawing for it is great and probably one of the best (and most suspenseful) storylines you drew.
Also considering the last few Nobel peace prize Laureates, Obama (who hasn’t one a thing compared to previous laureates) and the European union (who uses tax money to violently keep refugees of it’s shores and shush the whole deal) she would be a worthy recipient.
If we’re talking about free education for everyone.
We can’t forget one of my favourite “revolutionaries”of today’s education: Sal Khan.
https://www.khanacademy.org/talks-and-interviews/v/salman-khan-talk-at-ted-2011–from-ted-com
(Considering he is funded by Bill Gates amongst many others, one can only hope that Gates furthers his great mission for less poverty and better health also by the goal of internet access to provide free education)
KHANACADEMY IS THE BEST SITE FOR LEARNING!
oops. replied to the wrong comment
KHAAAAAAAN
I LOVE Sal Khan & Malala Yousuf both – they are extremely inspirational people and living in the States as a Pakistani myself, they not only prove to the rest of the world that Pakistan is a wonderful and misrepresented country, but that our citizens are intelligent and wise people!
sal is bengali, but well, from the same part of the world haha. They both are awe inspiring, however.
Best comic yet.
Good one. I almost teared up when I saw the image you drew of her getting shot. She is an amazing young woman, and you are a very talented artist. Thanks again.
amazing and inspiring….. brought tears to my eyes
Your works manage to continually get more moving rather than less. You always make me feel great emotions with every release. Once again well done!
And yet again you made me cry.
Amazing story, I haven’t heard about it before.
I hope she wins the Nobel peace prize.
Reminds me of something Christopher Hitchens used to say: the empowerment of women is the only known cure for poverty. Voices like Malala’s are necessary in emancipating half of humanity from being seen as little more than a livestock version of compulsory reproduction. Educate women in 3rd world countries, and we more than double the potential for progress and a better world.
As much as I want to agree with you, there are no easy “cures” for poverty. Intuitively, female education makes a lot of sense. Empirically, if the solution to poverty is quite that “easy,” it would probably have already been done. Christopher Hitchens is right on a lot of grounds, but he is a political pundit, and like all political pundits, he oversimplifies.
Check out The White Man’s Burden by Easterly and its warnings against the dangers of big Planners and utopian single-minded solutions to “solve” poverty.
There’s sure no one single solution to poverty. Poverty is a term that encompasses so many problems, and more so many single lifes, fates of families and villages.
Each with different challenges. And if people aren’t discouraged by thinking they can’t blot out poverty all at once, maybe even in their lifetime so they can earn the fame for their deed, but if they instead believe that whatever good they can do to only a single person is still good, then we’ll get somewhere.
in the words of Mother Theresa:
“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. IF YOU CAN’T FEED A HUNDRED PEOPLE, THEN FEED JUST ONE”
uh! uh! that Mother Theresa quote would make a fine zen pencil… just sayin’
Hitchens wouldn’t agree… it was his criticism of Mother Theresa of Calcutta from which this quote comes from.
Here’s his Slate article criticising her: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2003/10/mommie_dearest.html
What a coincidence I picked this one person out of the few floating around in my head^^ (I had considered not to take because I’m not very fond of idolized Catholics myself, but considering Hitchens… who found fault in everything and Mother Theresa who voluntarily lived with the poorest and was still one of the most upbeat people you could meet… I know who I’d rather share a cup of tea with…)
Note: I greatly appreciate Hitchens as a thinker, he was necessary to shed light on several things and give his own perspective and while I appreciated to learn his perspective, there are several sections on which he’s just not quite right, despite always sounding reasonable. So he gives me a hard time discerning which of his words to accept.
On one hand, I agree, there is no easy cure. And any progress happens slowly and unevenly.
But it’s wrong to say that ‘if there were something that could easily improve a situation, it would already be done’. People are fallible and societies have agendas. Many cultures (Western ones not excluded) have functioned by following ways of thinking that have actively discouraged female empowerment, because that was how they maintained order and control in the past.
The situation is often complicated by religion, but also culture, the millions of ways a group of people has defined itself. Even if something is painful (say, female genital mutilation) or actually causes deaths (lack of contraception leading to multiple pregnancies often at a very young age, lack of access to safe abortions) and poverty in the long run, if that’s how people have always said it should be done, it is very hard for a society to easily change that. It’s very hard to believe change is good when all you’ve ever known seems to be working.
Even something easy to achieve might not be taken up, if someone feels it’s in their interest (whether that’s true or not), to do whatever it is they did before.
Outstanding!!!
Excellent as always Gavin, your comics make my await every Tuesday!
Is that a typo in the first panel (I was afraid OF going to school)?
Yes. I caught that typo too!
No. During the time she was going to school, she was afraid. She was afraid going to school.
The words are hers, so it is not a typo by the artist. The words express her meaning accurately, so it is not a grammatical error by Malala.
Beautiful comic, man. When you get to the shooting scene, and I was surprised you did, I got teary eyed. What an inspiration in this girl.
If she is an “infidel” for wanting education, that just means their faith is stupid.
You might not want to throw such statements around so easily, without disclaimers, in today’s culturally mixed world that is politically correct and prefers equal treatment.
Considering what my muslim friends tell me, what the Taliban do is not what their faith teaches, it’s an “ungodly” strive for power.
Maybe comparable to the crusades, which Jesus never asked anyone to go on.
Exactly – the Taliban are as heinous a people as the Crusades are to modern day Christianity.
Seems obvious he meant “the Taliban’s faith”, not “the Muslim faith”.
If a person is an infidel (“one without faith” being the literal meaning) for wanting education, then the faith is pretty damn stupid. And yes, I’m aware of the word play.
My Muslim friends tell me the same. This is what I was referring to with disclaimers.
I wasn’t being at all accusatory, but you can never tell. Many people in my area consider terrorism maInstream, did before the Arab spring, or at least don’t make as much distinction as exists. My school, run by educated turks, is under constant scrutiny and accusation of being a terrorist school.
But of course, to what extent any terrorist organisation can be said to represent ”their faith” is very debatable. The Islamic world was historically very influential in medicine, as well as other disciplines. And knowing many highly educated muslim women myself, I can say they would assure you that the blame lies not in ”their faith” but in the perversion of any belief system for one’s own ends and desire to control others. Considering the pretty shocking things done in the name of pretty much any religion, it’s worth pointing out…
I LOVE your comment. Truth right here, folks.
This one moved me to tears. You’ve outdone yourself Gavin. Thank you so much.
It is incomprehensible that grown men would feel so threatened by ideas they would attempt to assassinate a 15-year-old girl to stop those ideas from spreading. Is it even possible to change the world when there are people so consumed by hate and fear they would shoot a defenseless girl? It’s times like this I wish we could perform a complete reboot of humanity.
And delete melala, and Gandhi, and Lincoln, and Newton, and Aristotle, and Jesus and Bhudda and everyone ever? Go read the little blue dot again please.
I suggest you spend less time telling others how to think, and more time questioning why you feel threatened by ideas that don’t fit within your comfort zone. Your reply is especially ironic, considering the content of today’s comic.
Someone’s hilarious defensive.
I was merely …admittedly, ordering you, to contemplate something that might make you reconsider your descision. You would truly rather destroy all human history, progress, greatness, and love than work to improve the myriad of faults it has?
One of the underlying themes that Gav has tried to portray is that life is a matter of discipline and will; each and every failure is necessary for success.
To reboot is to say you quit because you imagine that at the next startup, somehow humanity will exist without power, without dictators, without killers, murderers, rapists, without abusers, cheaters, traitors, and everything else imagine that makes you want to ‘reboot’ humanity again. I think what you’re imagining is Heaven, not another chance at humanity.
Of course, humanity would have all the horrors it has today. If it didn’t, it would not have the good either. I would also change it to probably – there would probably exist the same evils and good we have now. A reboot is not just a rewind, though. There would be many many opportunities to make the other choice, so to speak, to evolve in different directions than we have this time.
Maybe we would need to reboot a million or even a trillion times, but eventually we might hit a society that has evolved without elevating our worse traits but suppressing them.
Do I have a button next to me that says ‘Reboot Humanity?’ It’s a thought people. Thoughts beget ideas which beget books, music and art, to name a few. Suggesting a person change their thoughts to conform to someone else’s world view is really quite offensive, especially in light of the content of the comic.
I just find it odd someone would suggest that absolute genocide of humanity would somehow make us better.
Inequality and war did not originate with kings and guns, it originated with tribes and clubs.
I have not heard of Malala before this and I am so glad you shared her story and even more glad that it’s end was not her end and that she’ll be able to continue living knowing that she’s making a difference.
Gah! This one made me all misty-eyed
If Malala is “the symbol of the infidels and obscenity”, I hope society is overrun with both. Paul Caggegi beat me to the Hitchens reference (http://zenpencils.com/comic/104-malala-yousafzai-i-have-the-right/#comment-22106) of which a whole heatedly agree with.
just because she spoke out loud against a patriarchal society. Shot in the head, because of that…. we are a long way from from social evolution….
I am very familiar with this story. It saddens me that religion still causes so much destruction in the world. Thank you Gavin for allowing others to learn about this story. Malala is an inspiration.
Thank you for this comic. Malala is my hero. I would be proud and honored to have a girl like Malala as my daughter.
I think it says a lot about Taliban, when you realize that they are afraid of a fifteen years old. They are terrified of her to a point they actually try to kill her and yet they haven’t managed even that. They are bunch of cowardly fanatics. May their genitals sprout wings and fly away…
I’m balling my eyes out right now.
Such a basic, fundamental right – and a beautiful young girl is shot in the head over it.
Thank you for this. It is so easy to take things for granted.
instant respect, instant respect to miss Malala Yousafzai all the way
This made me tear up. It’s sad how this kind of oppression exists in Malala’s part of the world. But it’s also inspiring that someone as young as her would have the courage to speak up and fight for what she knows is right.
hey @gav, this actually reminds me of the quote “the pen is mightier than the sword”
Outstanding, Gavin!
Honestly, this one should be part of a lesson plan in all schools here in the U.S.
Well done my friend… this story must be told over and over again! Malala Yousufzai is a great light in the darkness, and a wonderful gift to us all.
As a man I am proud to read the comments from other men here. All the best to Malala. A true hero.
Beautiful!! I nearly cried. Girl power and excellent art, as always
I will never forgive nor forget that the US govt trained and supported the talibans and many other cruel dictatorships in Africa and Middle East.
“I will never forgive nor forget”…
And it is thinking like that which gives rise to multi-generational hatred, war, and murder.
Well done, Danilo. You’ve proven yourself no wiser than the wide-eyed zealots who blow up schools and hospitals for supposed crimes from hundreds of years ago.
Oh the hypocrisy – your own comment is so full of negativity and hate. Stop judging and start learning.
Your comment amuses me.
You condemn judgement and promote learning. Where as I condemn multi-generational hatred and promote forgiveness.
Sooo….unless you believe that hating the great great descendents of your offenders is justifiable, how is it you disagree with my position?
Truth.
Now THAT’S a superhero. I hope she continues to speak up, and make a difference in the world.
It sickens and saddens me that some people believe that right and wrong are defined by which end of the gun you’re on.
Brilliant and moving work, Gavin. You have a real talent for storytelling.
Just great Gav. Really well done.
This young lady is my hero.
I know the vast majority of Muslims are peace loving, kind and gentle people but I can’t understand why they tolerate these animals in their midst. This girl is very fortunate to be alive but these religious freaks will try again.
Because, Satyaban, it is these animals that hold the AK-47. 100 decent, peace-loving people of any religion can easily be dominated by one evil man with a gun.
Because ”the animals don’t always have warning tags on them. Because you live among them, or they among you and yours. They may be your father, your grandfather, your teacher or your religious leader, or even your best friend from school. Beliefs like this aren’t discrete, but along a spectrum, and existing in a society
Before you can ask this, we must ask ourselves: why do we tolerate racism, homophobia, sexism or any of their ilk? Yet I can promise you you’ve probably had a colleague, a client, a friend or a relative who espouses ideals that you find saddening and repulsive. You try to change some, but you are aware you do not have the power to change others. Especially if their power is ”God given” and everyone believes in their version of religion – only someone exceptionally brave would turn against something like Malala did.
But until the West has eliminated all of the above, how is tolerating religious extremists of a Christian nature any different? US elections are heavily steeped in religious rhetoric themselves, often highly unsavoury, and there is no shortage of terrorism within its borders in the name of Christianity. The question is, what kind of example do we as the West set?
Malala is still a Muslim, btw.
“I can’t understand why they tolerate these animals in their midst”
As a non-Christian, I ask the same thing whenever I see Westboro.
How DO you tolerate those animals?
You hit straight on the soul’s strings with this.
Godlike.
I have to say Gav.. I love all your depictions, but the absolute best part is all the information you give on the authors.. Never stop doing it because it’s the reason I love this site
Thanks for another wonderful cartoon. But special thanks for profiling this outstanding young lady and her fight for basic rights.
Tears. ;_;
Thanks Gavin for highlighting this.
Although, quite frankly, this barbaric line of thought by these religious zealots makes me sick. Not unlike the Christian churches from a few hundred years ago, so maybe they’ll evolve as well, someday.
AMEN to that..
… or now. Because there’s no shortage of fundamentalism in Christianity even now.
Exactly – “these religious zealots” – I can say the same thing about Catholicism, or you know, the very active KKK that are rampant across America (one division only 50 miles away from my house who vandalized and blew up a family’s home because they adopted an African American child). Think before you speak – trust me – wherever you live, there’s gotta be some nutcases around there. People come in all shades of sanity.
Thumbs up!!
superb comic as ever!!
its amaizing man greate work. (Y)
Lovely.. I like the Art Work
Ten Stars ..
A big thankyou and appreciation from a humble pakistani here! Great work Gavin!
Let us all pray for a better and more tolerant society here and throughout the world.
Really nice one… great comic
Such powerful art. I stared at the scene of her being shot in the head for a long time, trying not to cry. Humans are so, so foolish sometimes. I am inspired by her courage at such a young age.
Damn, Gav…
I usually come to ZP expecting to see something like Ben Franklin playing table tennis with Ghandi and reading some piece of uplifting script that will make me feel better before I start my daily grind.
Not to see children being shot in the head.
Still…this is the real world. This is HER real world. And the point of her story, to me it seems, is to shock and appall the world out of its apathy. To slap us. To strip the iPhone from our hands. To shake us. And to scream in our faces, “THIS HAPPENS EVERY DAY! DO SOMETHING!!!”
Nicely put. You certainly have a way with words
This is beautiful! Thank you so much. As a Canadian PhD student who loves education, I have a hard time with how many North American’s take it for granted.
I think this i one of your most moving pieces. It’s amazing.
And Malala is an amazing young girl. Had more people gathered the courage and stood up to Taliban, who knows. They may defeat them. It might get awfully bloody and ugly, but a lot of meaningful struggles are. I wish her, along with you and everyone, fast recovery and may she have a long life to inspire and to continue and learn.
Wonderful and moving. This gave me the chills. I had to linger over several of the panels they were so powerful. And it is so sad that so many readers completely missed the point and had to go on tangents that mean nothing in this context.
Just Wow… Makes me realize that the youths of today can do so much.
You are so great for bringing this to peoples attention. I feel like even though this is graphic in nature, people need to see a bit more of the reality of life in the way you’ve displayed. Such encouraging words, and your illustration brings to mind a catharsis of tears. I will never take education for granite Ever. If there were souls, you have a beautiful one, and you know how to bring others souls to great heights, channeling something further then yourself. Wonderful work as always. Hope to see more, I’m rooting for an age where we can find peace through examples like these.
Amazing work, thanks for the post. Get well soon Malala. <3
Excellent post. I’m always for a person standing up for their rights, especially for education and against terrorists.
It should be noted that it is the TALIBAN, not Islam that are the terrorists. All religions (including my own – Christian) have horrible extremists that feel, for some reason, that they know the “truth” about their religion and the only way to make others see the truth is through violence. But those people don’t represent the religion as a whole. It’s a shame that people hate Islams because of the Taliban just like it’s a shame to hate Catholics because of the priest scandal or to hate Christians because of the Westboro Baptist Church. Extremists are extremists. They are not the whole religion.
And just because I’m a grammar Nazi and an English teacher, I feel I should point out that the “win’s” in “win’s peace prize” should not have an apostrophe. Sorry! ^^;
I should have mentioned that the Taliban/Islam thing is actually quite clear in the comic itself. I was mainly making commentary on some of the comments here. Sorry!
Love your comment!
I followed a link here to read one comic. I stayed and read them all.
Your work is amazing. I love it.
Gavin, this is the most powerful message you have ever put out there, congratulations.
My English teacher showed us a video about Malala’s life in class some months ago and we were really shocked but it’s been nice to see this comic because unfortunately this is what’s going on in the world while we are angry because our internet conection works too slowly.
I love this comic and I too was misty-eyed, but not for the same reason that so many people here seem to be. Firstly, if you’re getting emotional because you feel that women like Malala are oppressed and that women “in all of Pakistan, etc.” are always oppressed, you clearly did not get the message. Pakistan celebrates young activists like Malala, the Taliban is a group of extremists that seek to destroy it – however – they do not run the entire country. So, before you feel all high and mighty thinking: “I’m so glad that my country affords me freedoms, blah blah blah”, STOP. No one needs your pity or your weird imperialist attitude thinking that you are superior than any other part of the world. Lord knows America has a sh*t ton of faults and can make huge waves in women’s rights and parity.
Just want to say I love your comics, and I look forward to each new one that you produce.
She’s the same age as me and what am I doing with my life while she’s out there making a change in the world
But nonetheless, GO MALALA!
Permission to share, Sir?
Sure
brilliant work dude really brilliant, someone have to stand for the right for education. She can change the world
you can really animate your stories that would also be good.
Everyone should probably read this: http://www.himalmag.com/component/content/article/1-web-exclusive/5138-the-making-and-breaking-of-malala-yousafzai.html
How she came into picture and how she was made part of controversies and conspiracies. A very good read.
Excellent comic.
Now remember: the Talibans rose in Afghanistan with the help of US imperialism. Us imperialism supported and supports brutal regimes in order to sell guns, take their resources, or for geopolitical purposes.
I support democracy in all the world, including the Middle East.
You know, its not the first time the states put someone in charge who ended up being worse. The US thinks its the big kid on the block, the hall monitor or rentacop. Saddest thing is because all the off shore labour and everything the states does now, farming everything to china and etc, they are driving tthemselves to a big issue. Who is going to police the world when the US collapses into a socalist mess? China has an economy that’s eating the states alive. Course they have no unions, safety regs or environmental cares so everything cost less to make. Where am I going with this? What’s going to happen when the US has its fall? You guys must see this coming… Stop letting companies like Apple and Nike have all their factories over seas bring the work back here before the US is left behind and soon has China and the middle east deciding its president!
This was one of the most touching things I’ve ever read. Thank you for drawing this.
Malala is a hero because she ws shot by taliban…what about hundereds of innocent kids who are being killed in U.S drone attacks,dont they have the most essential right THE RIGHT TO LIVE…U.S army has bombarded schools in Pakistan and after that they stand up for a girl who speaks for right for education..ironic..kids will get education when there are schools,when schools are not under the constant threat of drone attack…
Oh my gosh, you are a genius. I feel so emotionally moved and I almost cried to this comic.
… Someone give this person a medal.
This is great work. Thanks for visualizing her story. I wish focused more on her strength than on the violence. She and her father have an impressive history of fighting for education, which is why she was singled out on that bus… which you mention this in the text below the comic. It would be nice to see you somehow incorporate that part of the story.
Either way, well done.
(If you want to read more of the story I liked this link: http://moralheroes.org/malala-yousafzai)
Oh its a beautiful comic etc and yes it did bring a tear to my eye. But I felt this needed to be pointed out considering the lack of basic care
Check out what my students did to support Malala and the fight for all girls to be educated! https://themalalaproject.wikispaces.com/
Please spread the word for others to join!
Malala was lucky in one sense: she has now left Pakistan and her family is relatively safe. The other two girls in the van with her, Shazia and Kainaat, are still there and one of the girls, Kainaat, is under house arrest for fear of her life. No one has come forward to help her and her family. Here is the latest on Kainaat and the campaign to help her: http://igg.me/at/HelpKainaat/x/998927
Incredible comic, thank you so much for writing it!
It’s spreading like wild fire on Tumblr, I hope you get proper credits for it.
I see now THAT YOU ARE
! Great website, I’m very impressed.
This one really moved me. What a great job giving weight to her words and actions.
I love Malala
Just read from the news that, she has started going to school again. She is now attending a school at Birmingham, UK.
baww, seriously though she deserves all that this world has to offer and more.
Such a powerful story & beautifully illustrated as ever, thankyou! (when will I learn not to read your comics at work though – hiding my tears at my desk again)
i hate the people who do not let the girl go to school!!!!!!!!!
i hate the people who don’t let the girl go to school!!!!!