This book should, however, inspire some important and timely discussions. As the political and military gaze of the USA and other leaders shifts toward Ukraine, Venzuela, and continues to try to avoid Syria, people in Pakistan and the greater region are still struggling with the questions (women's rights, freedom of expression, fundamentalist terror groups, corrupt governments) that covered the headlines and often justified intervention.
In the past, we read Three Cups of Tea (since then, Greg Mortenson and hist NGO have been discredited). The larger point at issue is that education, and education of girls as well as boys, is one of the most important things that any society can do to improve security and well-being into the future. There are plenty of other groups successfully leading the way in this area: the Agha Khan Development Network, Room to Read, and others. This issue and related challenges are long standing, and will remain important for the long term.
Malala's story is also an interesting prism through which we might explore two related questions: the first has to do with the way that Malala's authenticity, intelligence, and honor is questioned because of the help she has taken from supporters in the West. Post-colonial third world feminist has confronted these issues over and over again, but they are important and they shape real lives. We can see this in Malala's story. Some argue that Malala is inauthentic and even a stooge of western interests (she won the Sakharov Award, the UN Human Rights Prize, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and won many more) . Malala's story inspired videos and activism all over the world. Claims that 'we are all Malala' can be read either positively as empathetic solidarity or negatively as another example of silencing and usurping of a their world woman's (or girl's) voice. There were two additional girls who were shot on the same bus as Malala, and we rarely hear their stories -- but they are speaking out as well. At the same time, Malala is very eloquent (she had her own blog already, and now she has a website, a book, and the Malala Fund) and has found opportunities to speak: at the Aspen Ideas Festival; on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart; she spoke at the United Nations, and to US President Obama.
The second question is one of representation and voice here in our own backyard: we don't seem to be improving literacy in the USA, and while literacy and gender equity issues are different in the USA, they are extremely important for gender equity. Which leads us to the next issue. While many leaders in the United States are very excited to host a guest lecture from Malala, the United States still lags behind in an appalling way when it comes to voting for and listening to women in government. This gap extends to local politics: representation in Los Angeles city hall for example is appallingly low, and has sparked public debate. If we are (and we should be) so excited about encouraging Pakistan to fight to educate their girls and to listen to their girls, then why aren't we fighting the same fights at home?
