Targeting Civilization

To most rational, intelligent human beings it constitutes a barbaric outrage that any group, any individual, any cause could justify the murder of a child. 

A girl of fourteen who displayed great courage in opposing the Medieval practices of a religious group mired in the Dark Ages insisting that girls have no right to an education.  It is an affront to Islamic values, claim fanatical Muslim groups like the Taliban, for girls and women to aspire to educating themselves, to consider themselves the equal of men, to venture out in public without the presence of a male relative.

And so, defiantly courageous Malala Yousafzai was targeted to be assassinated for what the Taliban consider to be a righteous cause; protecting the honour of Islamist principles.  She and two other girls on the same school bus heading back home from school, were shot.  Malala was singled out; two assailants boarded their bus demanding of the girls that they identify who among them was Malala.  When all the girls insisted she was not aboard the bus, she was nonetheless identified and shot.

It is Malala whom the Taliban intend to kill.  Malala and her father, for he has been identified as the influence behind the girl's resistance to the Taliban's message of rigid patriarchy victimizing women, as the founder of the girl's school himself.  Urgent surgery to save her life was performed in Pakistan, and plans were under way to ostensibly fly her for specialized care to the Gulf States, with a United Arab Emirates plane standing by. 

Pakistanis came out in their hundreds to protest against the disgusting performance of the Taliban, insisting on justice for Malala and for women in Pakistan  Those demonstrations were also against rampant violence in the country.  And that may be heartening to those who demonstrate, hoping that their government and the country's military will finally seriously attack the problem.

On the other hand, this is a country where demonstrations take place regularly and tens of thousands of people come out to demonstrate, unlike the relatively modest few who turned out to support Malala.  People in Pakistan respond with fury when right-wing Islamist parties and organizations encourage their followers to flood the streets to protest against U.S. drone attacks and NATO routing their supplies through Pakistan to Afghanistan.

Huge numbers of Pakistanis come out to berate their government for perceived ties to the West, and particularly to the United States which has for decades handed over billions in aid and support to Pakistan.  They rail against "Western influence" in their country.  And are mute in the face of extremist jihadists violating the sanctity of a young girl's life because she is accused of promoting "Western values".

In the end, Malala was flown to Great Britain.  To be treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England.  "The U.K. stands shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism", stated British Foreign Secretary William Hague.  "Malala's bravery in standing up for the right of all young girls in Pakistan to an education is an example to us all."

Now, people can only hope that home-grown British Pakistanis who have turned to the allure of violent jihad do not decide to do their part for the cause of "resistance" and Islamic pride and honour, and attempt to assist the Taliban by finishing the job they began on this young girl. 

Perhaps Malala's stay should be extended, and her family flown to Britain as well to be re-united, and then Britain can adapt to the task of securing the safety of the entire family.

It seems that official Pakistan has little real interest in doing just that.