Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who survived a Taliban attack, has praised Bangladesh’s progress in female education.
Talking to Bangladesh’s permanent envoy to the UN, AKA Momen, she sought the country’s help in spreading the light of education in her country, Pakistan.
She was attending an Iftar programme, organised in her honour, at the Pakistan Mission in New York on Saturday.
The gathering was attended by envoys of the UN members and top officials of various countries.
Yousafzai came to New York to celebrate her 16th birthday at the United Nations on Friday. There, in her first speech since the Taliban in Pakistan tried to kill her for advocating education for girls, she appealed for compulsory free schooling for all children.
She wore the Shawl of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a suicide attack during the 2007 election campaign.
She recalled various steps undertaken by Bhutto for the freedom of women.
During her talks with Bangladeshi envoy Momen, she said the militants are afraid of books and pens. Yousafzai emphasised that Bangladesh must play a strong role in expanding the widespread female education programmes to Pakistan.
She praised women’s empowerment in Bangladesh.
“The Taliban’s efforts to silence everything by killing me have failed. The days of weakness and fear are over.
“Strength and courage have spread among women all over the world. Books and pens can change the world,” she said.
Yousafzai was shot in the head at close range by gunmen in October as she left school in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, northwest of Islamabad, after campaigning against the Taliban efforts to deny women education.
She was invited to the UN headquarters to speak as part of the ongoing campaign to make education compulsory for all children.
Bangladeshi envoy Momen praised her speech, saying it would ‘encourage’ the world to rise against militancy and corruption.
He was informed that the Malala Foundation was collecting funds to spread education in the remote areas of the world.
Momen expressed his eagerness to set up schools in the remote regions of Bangladesh with the Malala Fund.
Hundreds of Pakistani women gathered outside the Pakistan mission to catch a glimpse of the gallant teenager.
Source: bdnews24
All the nice words for spread of education for women etc. but where is the recognition and thanks to Allah (swt) who saved your life, Malala ? It was His kindness that your are alive today to say all these fancy words. But where is InSha Allah? Alhamdulillah? You can indeed achieve a lot by the grace of Allah (swt) and I am sure there is a purpose for which He spared your soul that day. So don’t get misled by these western, secular and liberal hypocrites. Stay on the path of Allah (swt) and may He guide you to achieve your dreams.