Three weeks ago, 14-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai was systematically hunted down like an animal and left for dead with two bullets lodged in her head and neck as she was returning home on her school bus. Two of her classmates were also wounded in the attack. The huntsman, a member of the Taliban, is still at large, thought to be hiding out in Afghanistan. The reason Malala became an assassination target of the Taliban is because she spoke out against them in her desire to receive an education. The Taliban has notoriously forbidden the education of females.
Malala has become an inspirational symbol around the world for women's rights and education, since at the age of 11 she began writing an online blog for the BBC about the challenges, turmoil, and threats of trying to get an education despite the fear of grave danger to herself. The attempt on her life has further galvanized her iconic status for oppressed girls and women everywhere. As she recuperates in a British hospital, Malala's doctors report that she is now stable and making progress, although she still has a long recovery process ahead.
The documentary below was originally filmed in 2009 and aired in 2010 on Al-Jazeera and follows Malala and her family in their journey as they live in a land of upheaval, violence, and oppression. It is quite moving and eye opening. It saddens me that in this modern day and age, females continue to be the objects of suppression by men who want to control them.
To read more about Malala and the grave situation in Pakistan:
As teen recovers from Taliban hit, Pakistanis demand answers
