The political right to express opinions and ideas, whilst we seem to take it for granted in society today, is not absolute in any country and is commonly subject to limitations. But the attack on Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old girl who was shot after she blogged about the Taliban’s restrictions on education for women, highlights the reality and puts into perspective the difference between freedom in Western and some Asian cultures.
The subject of frequent death threats, Yousafzai was targeted for spreading feminist messages. She was injured when armed activists stopped a van carrying her and fellow students home from school, and once she was identified the men began shooting at her. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and have vowed she will not be safe if she recovers.
In Yousafzai’s blog, which has reached millions of readers worldwide, she expresses her dread of going to school amid fear of Taliban attacks. She hides her books under her bed, terrified of a house search, which the Taliban would conduct to investigate whether she is watching television or studying – the group had banned girls from attaining formal education in her community.
The fact her writing stretched across numerous nations, stressing her own personal difficulties growing up surrounded by constant threats, meant vast numbers of people, authorities and establishments became aware of her struggles.
And the power of blogging and social media is only now beginning to come clear: with an estimated seven million new pages added to the internet each day; information, opinions and world news are more easily accessible than ever before.
We should be inspired by Yousafzai and must jump at this modern opportunity to spread our own observations: if Cameron’s policy to make students pay more for their education is unfair then tell the world. But more importantly, if we feel discriminated against within society, or are unhappy with certain governing bodies or policies which we think are prejudicial and harmful, then we should write about it and aim to make a difference.
Provoking such attacks and action from the Taliban meant the blog was obviously doing its job: raising awareness of Yousafzai’s struggles in society.
“I had a terrible dream yesterday with military helicopters and the Taliban”, Yousafzai wrote in her blog. “I have had such dreams since the launch of the military operation in Swat. My mother made me breakfast and I went off to school. I was afraid going to school because the Taliban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending schools.”
In November last year, the teenager earned the National Peace Prize and was clearly on course to motivate action and change. And with Yousafzai’s blog highlighting the struggle for women in Pakistan and sparking a “wake-up call” within governing bodies, it has quickly become a real advert for blogging, revealing the true power of the weightless economy.
With everybody now able to access such works, future bloggers should look to the inspirational 14-year-old for motivation and stimulation: what better way to express beliefs, provoke thought and inspire action.