Malala Yousafzai : A story of resistance to oppression.

Swat, a valley blessed with heavenly beauty, compassionate and hospitable people , is one of the few severely injured towns in 21st century terror wars. The favorite spot of local and foreign tourists was dramatically hit by sudden rise of Taliban to power in midst of 2007-8. Using the weaponry of severe brutality to instill fear, Taliban made sure, no resistor dare to challenge their rule. Dissidents were either executed or forced to leave the valley.
It was in those oppressed times, an 11 years old girl decided to ink her day to day experience in time and space of fear and death. BBC Urdu would receive stories of a worried warrior for her and her people's education, and publish them under a pseudo name of Gul Makai. Behind the mask of Gul Makai was a resilient typical Pashtun girl, another Malalai, reviving the story of old bravery and resistance of Malala of Maiwand,a warrior who fought to death the British invaders in 1880 battle of Maiwand.
Named after the Pashtun folk hero Malalai of Maiwand, Malala Yousafzai was born to an education activist Ziauddin Yousafzai and Tor Pekai Yousafzai. Blessed with an inspiring parents, Malala Yousafzai grew up politically aware in normally politically ill-educated females society.She grew up studying in her father's run school. She was young but cast a giant shadow in very demanding times.
Swat is normally shielded from spill over of violence in PaK-Afghan border region, a very economical tourist site for local tourists. The tall snow cap mountains,thick ever green forests, loud river swat and vast Buddhist, Dardist and Islamic heritage makes it a nectar for tourists.The raise of Taliban post 2007 from tribal belt to settled areas of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa,a North Western province of Pakistan, hit Swat by surprise. Starting with local FM radio,warlords used religious clerics to lure people into Sharia,took advantage of weak administrative system and within a surprise short span of time controlled much of Swat.
By 2009, local police was replaced by militia,headless bodies threaded with display cards of warnings were a common scene in famous Mingaura Bazar. In the evening, a voice on radio would be airing the names of slain individuals for violating imposed brutal laws or rising a voice of opposition,threats to rogues and declaring their successes in terms of hitting Govt or military installations.It was in those times. Girls education was declared sinful and banned across the Swat, schools were either blown up or closed by force.Young Malala was worried for her education in those times of uncertainties,her father asked her to write her experience: worries, fears, hopes and wishes-for they were the inner voices of every ordinary deprived yet enthusiastic Pashtun girls.Later all her writings would be published on BBC Urdu blog under disguise of faceless yet a powerful voice,"Gul Makai".The journey from faceless Gul Makai to smiling face of Malala demanded a great amount of courage.The fear of severe backlash was inevitable, yet the instinct of fear wasn't powerful enough to suppress the brave soul.Indeed she was asked to leave the valley,she didn't. She was threatened to death,she shielded it with her smile.And then on a sad October day,one from the ranks of cowards tried to mute her voice with a bullet. Bullet wasn't enough to silence the brave voice,she dodged the death and utilized the momentum of bullet to amplify her voice on  global scale.The faceless Gul Makai became the symbol of resistance to oppression.She would travel across the world,giving the needed energy to marginalized  women across the world.
She is no longer only resisting the brutal naked extremism of Taliban but has to a symbol,an inspiration for every oppressed voice-a hope of resistance and courage to every oppressor.