October 9, 2012,
Swat Valley, Pakistan. As Malala
Yousafzai, age 14, returned home from school, her vehicle was stopped by masked
gunmen. The attackers shot Malala in the
head and chest at point blank range. The
Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, an assassination
attempt, intended to silence Malala. Her
crime: pursuing an education and encouraging other Pakistani girls to do
likewise. Referring to Malala’s support of education for Pakistani
girls, Taliban spokesman, Ehsanullah
Ehsan stated, “This was a new chapter of obscenity and we have to finish this
chapter.”
Malala.
The
liltingly lyrical name
intones
her sweetness. A child.
Diligent. Demure.
Her
servant’s heart hungry for knowledge.
A
delicately-faceted emerald of human aspiration.
Taliban.
Sororicidal. Incarnate evil.
The
Devil’s own prodigies.
Murderous,
mad dogs.
Cruel
malignancy orchestrated by craven guides.
A
malevolent tide whelming over the weak.
Where
is the outcry?
Who
will champion
the
precious daughters of Pakistan?
Retrospective - October 10, 2014:
Half-a-Nobel-Prize is a start in the right direction. - CR
