loader

Analysis


Photo Source: Dawn

Pakistan Reader# 83, 4 April 2018

Deciphering the anti-Malala Sentiment in Pakistan



I'm Malala

A young girl and Nobel laureate from a remote Swat, seems to bring the best and the worst among the Pakistanis. Why? Why does a section considers here as a hero and an inspiration, while others view her as an opportunist and a western conspiracy?

D. Suba Chandran
Professor
International Strategic and Security Studies Programme (ISSSP)
National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore

No other girl would have divided the Pakistani society, as Malala has. While a section considers Malala as a hero and an inspiration, another views her as an opportunist and a western conspiracy.

 

Worse, a group has started a campaign “I’m not Malala”. It appears, a young girl, from a remote Swat, brings the best and the worst among the Pakistanis. Why?

 

Malala Debate in Pakistan: The Malicious Turn

The current debate sparked off since she landed last week in Pakistan from the UK. She was carried to the UK in 2012, unconscious with a bullet in her head, after being shot by the Taliban. She was a teenager who wanted to study against the Taliban diktats. The Taliban, at that time on an offensive in Swat, was against girls education and have been targeting their schools.

 

Malala was seen as a rallying point in the preceding years as a liberal young girl, speaking up her mind and demanding education for everyone. She did write a few blogs, took part in a few discussions and got noticed. How dare she? How can she even think about an alternative discourse in Swat, when the Taliban wanted to take the valley back towards the Stone Age? The Taliban wanted to put a full stop and make an example of Malala by killing her.

 

It backfired for the Taliban. The civil society in Pakistan rose up, as they did two years later in 2014 when the militants targeted an Army School and killed more than hundred. In 2012, Malala became a rallying point for those who were against the Taliban.

 

Malala became a household name in Pakistan.

 

In the next two years, numerous developments happened with Malala and around her. She recovered from her bullet injuries. A new fund was created in her name in the UK, with well-meaning people contributing to it. Many met her when she was recovering from the bullet wounds. She met the British Queen in 2013; spoke at a few places including the Harvard University. Subsequently, she addressed the United Nations in 2013; the latter announced her birthday as “Malala Day”. During the same year, supported by the famous British journalist Christina Lamb, she published a book “I am Malala” that became a hit and got translated into numerous languages. Time magazine considered her as one of the most influential figures during that period.  And in, 2014, she received the Nobel prize for Peace, the youngest one in the history.

 

Malala became an international hero.

 

It was during this period, when Malala became a symbol and rallying point, something sinister happened within Pakistan. A section turned against Malala. For them, she became an international conspiracy, a western stooge and an American spy.

 

Malala became a villain in Pakistan. Why?

 

Understanding the anti-Malala Sentiment in Pakistan

Why would a section see Malala as a western conspiracy, liberal stooge, anti-national, anti-Islam and anti-military?

 

While a larger section eulogises Malala in Pakistan, a section has turned nasty. Consider, for example, the efforts of a Kashif Mirza, who is currently the President of the All Pakistan Private Schools Federation. He is not only poisoning those 150,000 plus young minds from different schools under the Federation but also has been organizing an “I am not Malala” campaign through those young minds. For him, Malala maligns Pakistan and the Establishment. Earlier, in 2015, he published “I am not Malala, I am a Muslim, I am a Pakistani” as a counter to Malala’s book. His message is clear – if you are Malala or her supporter, you cannot be a Muslim, and you cannot be a Pakistani.

 

Elsewhere, a few years ago, Kashif Mirza was reported to have told, “Malala is a darling of the west and Shiv Sena, the same people who created al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS), have created Malala...She has formed strong nexus with Salman Rushdie and Bangladeshi writer Tasleema Nasreen, and also believes in their ideology.”

 

One could link his position to a section inside Pakistan – that sees an international conspiracy maligning the country; perhaps, there is a naive belief or paranoia that the rest of the international community is after Pakistan – the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons. For them, Malala is a part of an international conspiracy against Pakistan.

 

Second, the Kashif Mirzas represent a problem not only in Pakistan but also in rest of South Asia. A section in the region has taken the responsibility on its own to define, who is national and who is not, and what constitutes patriotism. There has been a rise of narrow nationalism in the region, cutting across political boundaries in South Asia. Those who don’t agree with their jingoism are targeted as “anti-national” and “anti-religious”. The military is seen as a holy cow, that cannot be touched. So is religion. Even a rational critique becomes anti-national and anti-religious. There is a war both in the social media and also in the streets.

 

Third, in Pakistan, there has been a specific trend in targeting women, who question the strong patriarchy and negative expressions. Two recent examples are - Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Mukhtaran Mai. Both women came from different backgrounds and attempted to speak up for the rights of women in Pakistan and atrocities in the name of honour. Unfortunately, a section sees them as anti-national, who bring down the international reputation of the country. By standing up for the women rights and speaking for the social injustice against them, they are seen as letting Pakistan down. If they have an issue against the system, they should speak within – the argument goes. But the reality is, they are speaking up because the system – in this context, the society and the State have failed them in the first place.

 

The only way, that injustice could be brought to the societal conscience and cut through the thick skin and self-righteous layer of the patriarchal order is through international exposure.  How else to pressurise the hard State to respond?

 

Sharmeen has been making films since 2002 on various subjects – Afghanistan, Taliban Terrorism, Transgender etc. But, “Saving Face” in 2012 and “A girl in the river” in 2015 became a milestone, in a section turning against her. The first is about acid attacks on women in Pakistan, and the second on the honour killing – focussing on a girl who survived a murder attempt by her father in the name of honour. When the latter won the Oscar award for best documentary, it was a matter of pride for a most in Pakistan. But then, the ghairat brigade in Pakistan took it as a responsibility to portray Sharmeen as an anti-national. How dare she can take a film about Pakistan portraying the country in a negative light? Isn’t she selfish, selling the honour of the nation for petty awards?

 

Worse, was the case of Muktaran Mai. In 2002, she was gang-raped in public, on the orders of a panchayat, as a part of a “honour” settlement. Instead of committing suicide, the “shameless” woman filed a case against the perpetrators; unfortunately, the Courts acquitted the convicts, for want of evidence.

 

When the BBC ran a story on Muktaran, her travails became international. When the Amnesty International invited her for a meeting in London, the government of Pakistan placed Muktaran in the Exit Control list, preventing her from travelling abroad, for she would bring dis-honour to the country. Nicolas Kristof, the famous New York Times columnist wrote her story; when the US government provided visa for Muktaran to visit Washington, the government confiscated her passport. Musharraf, then the President of Pakistan, reserved the worst when he was quoted to have told on Muktaran’s case, “You must understand the environment in Pakistan. This has become a money-making concern…A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped.”

 

I am Malala

Malala is not alone in being targeted by this ghairat brigade. There is a pattern, and she is the latest. Certainly, she won't be the last.

 

Should Malala be dis-heartened? She should ignore this fringe that could only get some publicity, by opposing the national heroes. Today, Malala is not a single person. She represents, what the silent majority would want to say and do. Not only within Pakistan, but across the region - in South Asia. Else, why should some one from South India be passionate about what Malala fights for?

 

I’m Malala too. So is my mother. And so will be my daughter.

 

The above analysis was first published in the Rising Kashmir.

Recent Publications

PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Insights
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
Pakistan This Week
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
Pakistan This Week
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Insights
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Insights
PR Short Notes
PR Short Notes
PR Comments
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Reports
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
PR Comments
PR Insights
PR Comments
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
PR Comments
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Comments
PR Comments
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Comments
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Insights
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
PR Short Notes
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
PR Insights
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
Pakistan This Week
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
Analysis
Analysis
PR Review
PR Comments
PR Review
Brief
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Brief
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
PR Comments
PR Comments
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Brief
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
PR Review
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Brief
Analysis
Brief
Analysis
Brief
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Forecast
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Forecast
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
Brief
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
PR Comments
Brief
Brief
Forecast
Update
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
PR Comments
Analysis
PR Comments
Brief
Analysis
Brief
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
PR Comments
Analysis
PR Comments
Analysis
PR Comments
Analysis