Pakistani ‘activist’ Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by a Pakistani Taliban terrorist in 2012, has heaped praises on Taliban supporter Prime Minister Imran Khan in a Twitter post. Khan who in a BBC interview called the Taliban’s ban on girl education ‘un-Islamic’ received applause from the Noble Laureate for his statement.
“The idea that women should not be educated is just not Islamic. Appreciate @ImranKhanPTI standing up for girls’ education. I hope more world leaders will support Afghan women’s rights and tell the Taliban to let girls return to school,” Tweeted Malala, sharing the BBC News report.
“The idea that women should not be educated is just not Islamic.”
— Malala (@Malala) October 4, 2021
Appreciate @ImranKhanPTI standing up for girls’ education. I hope more world leaders will support Afghan women’s rights and tell the Taliban to let girls return to school. https://t.co/Sy2MQgcyxK
Khan was quoted by BBC as saying, “I think they (Taliban) will allow women to go to schools. The idea that women should not be educated is just not Islamic. It has nothing to do with religion.”
However, Malala’s vocal appreciation of Khan, whose government has provided tacit support to the Taliban to regain control over Afghanistan, has not gone down well with many Afghans and others.
A Twitter user said, “Malala, you are not an Afghan woman, you are Pakistani. Stop speaking on behalf of Afghans & thanking a Taliban supporter. Just because white westerners think all “brown” Muslims are the same and will use any as a token doesn’t mean that the SWANA world doesn’t know and care.”
Malala, you are not an Afghan woman, you are Pakistani. Stop speaking on behalf of Afghans & thanking a Taliban supporter. Just because white westerners think all “brown” Muslims are the same and will use any as a token doesn’t mean that the SWANA world doesn’t know and care. https://t.co/AmgC6k06vm
— Abraham (@abelincoln__) October 5, 2021
Mujtaba Naqib who has an Afghan flag in his Twitter profile remarked, “Absolute hypocrite. The person that you are praising also claimed that the “Holy War” that was declared by the Taliban was justified. Since when was the killing of innocent men, women, and children justified in Islam? Its better to keep silent than tweet nonsense.”
Absolute hypocrite.
— Mujtaba Naqib (@m_ujtaba1211) October 5, 2021
The person that you are praising also claimed that the “Holy War” that was declared by the Taliban was justified.
Since when was the killing of innocent men, women, and children justified in Islam?
Its better to keep silent than tweet nonsense. https://t.co/PxQJEcHfHi
Reminding Malala of the gun attack, Nazia Nasrat of Kabul University Tweeted, “Well, I didn’t get it. You know that your PM represents and lobbying for the #Taliban and I’m sure you also know who the Taliban are.”
Well, I didn’t get it. You know that your PM represents and lobbying for the #Taliban and I’m sure you also know who the Taliban are. https://t.co/NSDVARiKnX
— Nazia Nasrat (@NaziaNasrat) October 5, 2021
Upset with Malala’s hypocrisy ‘Pashtun Bhoy’ said, “The fact that @Malala can actually endorse serial #misogynist @ImranKhanPTI is illustrative that sadly her credibility is no longer worthy. I’m ashamed to be of the same ethnic lineage as her.”
The fact that @Malala can actually endorse serial #misogynist @ImranKhanPTI is illustrative that sadly her credibility is no longer worthy. I’m ashamed to be of the same ethnic lineage as her. https://t.co/nnP2gx7FIR
— Pashtun Bhoy 🍀 (@benn_bin_mo) October 5, 2021
Interestingly, Khan who claims to support girls’ education in Afghanistan does not seem to be perturbed by the low percentage of women literacy in Pakistan. As per a Statista report, the literacy rate amongst women in Pakistan from 2006 to 2017 remains low at 46.47 per cent.
Textbooks showing Malala Yousafzai as ‘important personality’ seized
Ironically, Pakistani authorities in July this year had seized textbooks that listed Malala Yousafzai as an ‘important personality’, apparently for her ‘controversial views’ on Islam.
The All-Pakistan Private Schools Federation had even decided to launch a documentary to ‘expose’ her before the youth. The president of the organisation, Kashif Mirza, said, “Through this documentary film ‘I am not Malala’, we will tell 20 million students in 200,000 private schools across the country about her controversial views on Islam, marriage, pursuing of Western agenda.”
“The idea behind this is we want to expose Malala among the youth so they do not get impressed by her so-called story of struggle for women rights,” he had said at a press conference.
Malala criticized for ignoring atrocities by Taliban
The Pakistani activist was criticized heavily for staying mum after the Taliban had taken over Afghanistan and had stepped up atrocities against women.
Till August, there was not a single post by Malala on Afghanistan and the Taliban. Though the so-called ‘activist,’ who enjoys a comfortable life in the UK at the expense of the UK government, has been very vocal on myriad issues and often criticises India, she had been quite silent on actual atrocities meted out against women in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
