Tag: Malala

  • Singer Annie Khalid slammed by Twitter for calling Malala ‘puppet of the West’

    Singer Annie Khalid, an icon of our childhood music scene, had given Pakistani audiences such hits as ‘Mahiya’ or ‘Princess’ but looks like not everything that is old is gold. Because now Khalid is getting slammed by social media users for making a controversial statement about education activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.

    In reply to a random post which had asked users to share an opinion they found controversial, Khalid thought she should provide an opinion that is not only outrageous but also insensitive.

    “That Malala is a puppet of the west,” the singer tweeted.

    Twitter users were horrified, asking what exactly had Malala done to prompt such bullying from Khalid? Malala has not made any such comments about Imran Khan, aside from calling him out for his racist views on Pathans, so why solely target her for living in the West because of the threats on her life?

    Twitter users demanded that Khalid apologize, shedding light on the fact that Malala had made more efforts to speak up on the rights of Pakistani women than Khalid had ever done.

    “Don’t embarrass your self Taliban Apologist she resist Taliban brutality she talks about girl’s education you are a nobody like your leader who is taliban apologist who bought Taliban back In KPK shame on you mirasi”

    Some actually found it hilarious and ironic that Khalid is going after Yousafzai for living in the UK… when she actually lives in the UK as well.

    Some were even compared the achievements Malala continues to make while Khalid can’t say the same

    “Girl has one good song in her kitty and audacity check karo buss”

    https://twitter.com/yourdoriangray/status/1637708751439380483?s=20

    We can’t say anything else other than how deeply embarrassing it is to witness a woman flinging accusations on another woman, just because of difference of political beliefs. We sincerely hope that Pakistani celebrities would learn some decorum and stop dissing other women by distorting facts and through sheer bullying.

  • Malala’s hilarious response to Tik Tok user has the internet in fits

    Malala’s hilarious response to Tik Tok user has the internet in fits

    Malala is an icon for her bravery but she is also the absolute Queen savage comebacks to put down her haters.

    What’s hilarious is how much people keep underestimating her wicked sense of humor, but Malala has time and time again proven that she knows how to get the last word on her enemies.

    Like remember the time when the entire country was clutching their pearls because the Noble Prize activist said she prefers not to get married, she trolled her haters with this gif.

    Or when a boy tried to impress her with his thirst traps, the activist turned him down with the coldest rejection.

    This time, users are once more in fits because of Yousafzai’s hilarious response to a TikTok user who was celebrating the fact that she skipped her classes in school.

    Malala Fund responded to the tweet saying: “Boo”

    Twitter users have found the entire exchange hilarious because imagine getting caught like this, we could never!

  • Kaproon say accent tak: leave Malala alone

    Kaproon say accent tak: leave Malala alone

    Malala has managed to become an irreplaceable part of national discourse. She hasn’t said anything controversial aside from speaking up on causes close to her heart – gender activism and education – yet the women-hating awaam loves nit-picking every bit of her existence and somehow escalating it to the point that it becomes an emergency national topic. If she laughs too much, shame. Did she say she doesn’t want to get married? Lanat behjo. Malala was spotted celebrating Holi with her friends? Publicly shame her.

    Once again without even lifting a finger, Malala was dragged into the public spotlight over the most simple thing: her accent. A video on Twitter went viral where she was seen speaking to a host at the Oscars, and in the caption a user was mocking the Noble Prize activist for having lived in Britain all this time, but still having a Pakistani accent.

    Behen ji, would you have not criticised her had she spoken in a British accent? Had she shown up wearing a sleeveless gown and no hijab, would Pakistanis hold back for a second to label her as a traitor, bane of our existence and the reason why women in this country have gone astray? And when did speaking in a fluent British accent become one of the ways to judge aNoble Prize winner? It certainly never has held her back.

    Putting aside the obvious racism that is reeking from this comment, when was the last time the public didn’t drag Malala? If she chooses not to get married: she’s a traitor who is challenging Pakistani values. When she did get married: she betrayed feminist values. Why can’t she ever win with Pakistanis?

    Because the simple truth to the entire matter is that our ever firmly anti-woman Bannistan considers hunting famous women a beloved public sport. And Malala is simply forced to bear the brunt of misogynist and racist jokes because she managed to overcome the dead woman trope and is living a complete and happy life in Britain with the rest of her family. When she was fourteen years old, Malala had been shot by the Taliban when she stood up to their regressive stance against girl’s education, and soon had to leave for Britain with the rest of her family because of the death threats she was being sent. Had she not survived this tragedy and had passed away, the country would have declared they are holding ‘Malala Day’ once a year and moaned about how she could have become something had there been a chance, and then moved on to hunting the next famous woman out there.

    Malala’s biggest crime isn’t the fact that she wore jeans or got married or even spoke in a Pakistani accent: it’s the fact that she is thriving despite the most powerful forces out there trying their best to take her down. Whether it was the Taliban, or the brutal treatment of Pakistani awaam, we have heard tragedies on a daily basis of the numerous women and girls who lost their lives and their dreams to these two forces. Malala happened to succeed in defeating them, and living peacefully abroad with her goals still intact and remaining cheerful as ever is what irks us so much.

    So please, for the love of Allah. We’re on our knees here. Stop obsessing over Malala so much. She won’t give up on doing what she loves, regardless of how much you beg her to do so. Divert the nitpicking to issues like climate change, poverty and political instability. Trust us, its a much more worthy way to waste your time.

  • Malala Yousafzai: ‘Activism needs to go beyond just working with an NGO’

    Malala Yousafzai: ‘Activism needs to go beyond just working with an NGO’

    Social activist and film producer Malala sat down with Joyland screenwriter and director Saim Sadiq for an interview on Sky News, where she spoke about the reason that prompted her to become a producer for the film. The Nobel Prize winner revealed that storytelling was an important part of activism:
    “In my next phase of activism, I have to look at other means of storytelling as well. Activism needs to go beyond just working with an NGO. We need to find other ways in which we challenge the social norms that deny women their basic rights.”

    Yosafzai also reflected on why it was important that the main character of the film, Biba, was played by the trans actress Alina Khan, so that the story could accurately reflect the plights of the trans community.

    “The screen helps us to connect with people and really helps us to be more tolerant with others. I was so grateful that Saim made sure that the trans role is played by a trans woman. This was critical. Everyone’s story is important and it deserves to be told by them. And a trans person should be given the rights that everyone else is given,” she said.

    The Nobel laureate said that it was unfortunate that we don’t want people to talk about issues and don’t want these stories to make it to the screen. “I hope we can challenge that,” she stated.

    The ban on ‘Joyland’ came up in the discussion when director Saim Sadiq reflected back on how the film ‘‘turned out to be a big act of resistance.”
    “I realised when the film was being released, that there are a lot of people who are very uncomfortable with just the existence of this film,” he said.

    “Banning the film is perhaps the fastest way to make activism work and to get everybody to talk about the issues we want them to talk about.”

  • Malala condemns Taliban ban on university education, says ‘can not lock up women’s minds’

    Malala condemns Taliban ban on university education, says ‘can not lock up women’s minds’

    Nobel laureate and social activist Malala Yousafzai has condemned the ban on higher education for Afghan women by Taliban administration.

    “The Taliban may lock all the classrooms and university gates in the country — but they can never lock up women’s minds. They cannot stop girls from seeking knowledge. They cannot kill the quest to learn,” the wrote in a tweet.

    The Taliban on Tuesday banned women from universities in Afghanistan. The statement was made by the minister of higher education, who stated that it will go into effect right away.

    “You all are informed to implement the mentioned order of suspending education of females until further notice,” said the letter signed by the minister for higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem. The letter was issued to all government and private universities.

    The decision is being condemned across the globe, with U.N.’s mission in Afghanistan asking the Taliban-run administration to “immediately” revoke the ban.

    The US government has declared the ban ‘unacceptable’, with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, announcing that he was “deeply dismayed” at the development.

  • Malala not only an excellent example for the women of Pakistan but also for the world: CM Punjab

    Malala not only an excellent example for the women of Pakistan but also for the world: CM Punjab

    Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai on Wednesday met with Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi to discuss the promotion of education and especially girls’ education in Punjab along with the STEAM programme.

    Yousfzai also discussed the issue of corporal punishment in schools and religious seminaries.

    CM Punjab has assured Malala that his government will pass a bill against corporal punishment this month. “We will implement the law on giving physical punishment and this law will be passed from the Punjab Assembly during the current month,” he said.

    In addition, CM Elahi ordered recruitment of 10,000 teachers in STEAM and ordered the secretary of the school education department to call a meeting to discuss the release of a budget of Rs165 million for STEAM education.

    CM Punjab while lauding Malala’s effort to promote education said, “Malala Yousafzai is not only an excellent example for the women of Pakistan but also for the world. She confronted terrorism and extremism for the sake of getting education.”

    He also praised the Malala Fund for “striving to constitute such a society where every female can attain education and become a leader in future.”

  • ‘No state, entity, individual has the right to decide’: Malala comes out in support of Iranian women protesting against forced Hijab

    ‘No state, entity, individual has the right to decide’: Malala comes out in support of Iranian women protesting against forced Hijab

    Nobel laureate and social activist Malala Yousafzai has shared a video message to show solidarity with the women of Iran who are protesting for their rights.

    “No state, entity, individual has the right to decide what a woman should do with her body, what she should wear and how she should wear,” said Malala in the video message.
    “To the Iranian girls and young women who are in the streets to demand freedom and safety: You are already changing the world with your courage,” she wrote in the caption of the video.

    “Zan! Zendigi! Azadi! Women! Life! Freedom,” she added.

    Widespread protests have taken hold of Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who breathed her last in September after being arrested by a police unit responsible for forcing Iran’s strict dress code for women. She was taken into custody for not complying with hijab rules.

    Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van when she was picked up in Tehran. Photographs of Mahsa lying in a hospital bed went viral, showing the young woman in a coma with her head wrapped in bandages and breathing through tubes.

    Since then, protests have spread across the country, including Tehran, Mashad,  Esfahan, Rasht, Keramn, Chabahar and Sanandaj. Human rights agencies have said that over 244 protestors, including 32 children, have been killed by security forces while 12,500 have been arrested.

  • Flood relief: Malala fund commits emergency grants to local organisations

    Flood relief: Malala fund commits emergency grants to local organisations

    Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai recently visited flood-affected areas of Pakistan. In an Instagram post Malala said that Malala fund has committed emergency grants to local organisations in Pakistan to support flood relief.

    “This week, I returned to Pakistan to visit communities and hear from young women and educators impacted by this summer’s devastating floods that destroyed an estimated 24,000 schools. Half of those were in Sindh,” she wrote in the instagram post.

    “The destruction is astounding. Some villages are still sunk under water. People are waiting for their homes, schools, hospitals and shops to be repaired and reconstructed. And the psychosocial and economic impact, especially women and girls, cannot be overstated. Governments — federal and provisional — need to accelerate response and ensure people get the resources they need to survive, and to return to their lives and education. @malalafund has committed emergency grants to local organisations in Pakistan to support flood relief.”

    “Sohaila, 16, was in grade 10. “I want to go to school, but there is so much water. If there was less water, I’d even go through it. Now we are hearing that the flood waters will stay for five months,” she said. She wants to be a doctor but worries she may never go back to school. I hope leaders will listen to Sohaila and every girl like her.”

    “And I hope the international community and country leaders can continue to provide emergency aid and ensure girls can safely return to school soon.”

    As many as 33 million people of the 220 million South Asian nation have been affected in some way by the floods that swept away houses, roads, railways and bridges and submerged around 4 million acres of farmland.

  • Malala Yousafzai visits school in Karachi

    Malala Yousafzai visits school in Karachi

    Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai visited a school in Karachi on Tuesday. She spent an hour at an elementary school in Karachi’s Central District, on her first day of visit to Pakistan.

    On Wednesday, she will go to Sindh’s Dadu area, which has been devastated by flooding, and meet the victims.

    Malala Yousafzai, accompanied by her parents, arrived in Karachi to visit the flood-affected areas.

    She is expected to donate flood relief aid from the Malala Fund.

    As many as 33 million people of the 220 million South Asian nation have been affected in some way by the floods that swept away houses, roads, railways and bridges and submerged around 4 million acres of farmland.

    Yousafzai recently announced the launch of her production company, Extracurricular.

  • School van attacked in Swat, day after the 10 year anniversary of attack on Malala

    Gunmen opened fire on a school van on Monday in Swat, killing the driver of the vehicle and injuring two students, reports ARY.

    According to details, the incident took place in Swat’s Char Bagh area.

    The school vehicle’s driver, who was slain, was the target, according to the police who confirmed that there were almost 10 to 11 students in the van when the shooting occurred.

    Police are investigating the case.

    All private school management in Swat has announced the closure of all educational institutions tomorrow.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the attack came just a day after the ten year anniversary of the attack on Malala Yousafzai. The education activist was attacked on her way home from school in Mingora, the region’s main town on October 09, 2012.