“The girl who stood up for education and was shoot by the Taliban.”

I Am Malala, a brave memoir of a 15 year old Muslim girl named Malala Yousafzai, is co-written with journalist Christina Lamb.  Malala is the girl who stood up for education and got shot in the face by the Taliban.

The book begins with the haunting account of the day when a gunman stopped the Khushal School bus and asked, “who is Malala?” Everyone knew who she was, but no one answered.

Malala was ten years old when the dark cloud of Taliban reigned over her homeland, the beautiful Swat Valley. Taliban is not only a threat to the historical monuments, but to the young generation of girls who are enthusiastic about pursuing their school in hopes of a better future.

On one hand, Malala is an ordinary girl who is academically competitive at school, sociable with her friends and a loving daughter to her parents. On the other hand, her respect and admiration for her father and his work inspires her to see the importance of education in every child’s life.  By age 11, Malala is an established International advocate for girl’s education in Pakistan.

Malala credits her attributes of determination and success to her father.  After her efforts, her father blames himself for her suffering and for provoking her to be outspoken, but these are the practices that can get a girl killed in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan.

To the Taliban, accepting Non-Muslims as part of the human family is another form of “spreading secularism.”  Malala is taught by her father to understand Islam and not to conform to the ways of the extremists because Islam is the means of their aggression.

Once again, the coward, inhumane Taliban hide behind the veil of Islam as they claim that they shoot Malala not because she was an advocate for girls’ education, but because she was “spreading secularism.” The world learns the violent Islamists have no limit to how low they can stoop.

In her book, Malala makes some bold statements, vital and untold, because the Pashtun world is isolated and has no outlet for a form of expression with the international audience.

“I am proud of being a Pashtun, but sometimes I think our code of conduct has a lot to answer for, particularly where the treatment of women is concerned,” said Malala.

The book is criticized for having a two-tone quality, which is Malala’s personal account and Lamb’s correspondent voice. They inform and raise critical questions about the Taliban, corruption within the government of Pakistan, U.S. foreign policy and international views on Muslim women status to the readers. However, it’s the informative element brought by Lamb that gives Malala’s voice a stable base to be understood by the international audience.  It brings a deeper understanding of many intelligent Muslim families that strive for a better opportunity for their children.  Lamb’s voice adds a deeper sense of understanding the complex Muslim world that Malala lives in, the longing for freedom.  The crippling effects of poverty, religious and political oppression that plagues a society, is best explained by Lamb, it gives excellent platform for the heartfelt and exhilarating story of Malala.