UK & World News
- 10 October 2012, 15:35
Anti-Taliban Schoolgirl Shot By Militants
Taliban gunmen have shot and seriously wounded a 14-year-old schoolgirl who rose to fame for speaking out against the militants, authorities have said.
Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head and neck when gunmen fired on her school bus in Pakistan's Swat valley.
She was airlifted to Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital in the valley's main town of Mingora, where doctors are battling to save her life.
Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said his group was behind the shooting.
"She was pro-West, she was speaking against Taliban and she was calling President Obama her ideal leader," he said in a telephone interview from an undisclosed location.
Police said two other girls were wounded in the attack.
The US State Department condemned the shooting as "barbaric and cowardly".
Malala became well-known in 2009 for speaking out against the Pakistani Taliban, appearing in television documentaries and blogging about her life.
At the time, the Pakistan government was seen to be appeasing the hardline Islamists.
The Government agreed to a ceasefire with the Taliban in Swat in early 2009, effectively recognising insurgent control of the valley whose lakes and mountains are popular with tourists.
The Taliban set up courts, executed residents and closed girls' schools, including the one that Malala attended.
A documentary team filmed her weeping as she explained her ambition to be a doctor: "My friend came to me and said, 'For God's sake, answer me honestly, is our school going to be attacked by the Taliban?'"
Malala, then 11, wrote about the Taliban regime in a blog published by the BBC.
"During the morning assembly, we were told not to wear colourful clothes as the Taliban would object," she wrote in one post.
The army launched an offensive and retook control of Swat later that year, and Malala later received the country's highest civilian award.
She was also nominated for international awards for child activists.
Since then, she has received numerous threats.
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John Byrne
Absolute cowards. Attacking a school bus because a 14 year old spoke out against them. The Talibans supporters need to look at this and see them for what they are. If you disagree with someone debate open a dialogue of discussion and try to prove them wrong or allow their belief to influence your own opinions. That's how people develop and grow. Unfortunately these are people that are clinging on to some medieval ideologies out of fear of change and losing control over the people and unless the rest of countries that are infested with the Taliban have an uprising of the normal people rise up against the Taliban the west will never be able to help them.
Steve Marshall
To open a discussion you need to be intelligent, sadly taliban followers don't have an ounce of it.
adam
This girl is an inspiration and a true heroine and is the kind of person that Muslims should be worshipping. There should be millions of Muslims protesting about this deplorable,cowardly,evil attack rather than about a stupid film or cartoons of their supposed prophet or god but i bet we don not hear a peep.
stevie may
The TRUE face of the Taliban - EVERYTHING they do goes against the will of Allah and the teachings of the prophet Mohammed. . These cowardly men are going to have a shock after they die, by their own theology, instead of expecting 77 virgins and rivers of honey in Heaven. . They are going to face Iblis (satan) and explain why they murdered children. .
James R McCulloch
There is freedom in death but never for the living.
jimmyjedi1979
How can we report these stories when we sponsor, promote and aid the 'fake Syrian army?' check out the 1000's of children and babies they have massacred its all online. Oh wait actually don't - go back to sleep and dream of the righteous war on terror while you sooth your brain with some mind numbing xfactor. Sheep!
gengisken1227
Hear what you say jimmy, it's hypocritical power politics at work in the west meddling in middle eastern countries - again. What Israel wants, Israel gets and 000's die - we are all nothing but pawns.
jimmyjedi1979
Sad isn't it mate. Not sure if the orange community is a good representation of the nation though. Most are racist and take cheap shots at Muslims whenever the chance arises. Its frustrating as a human being to see so many of us with the herd mentality. People are waking up though. Hope its just not too late for us by the time they do.
jimmyjedi1979
Oh and Alexander- go and check out the videos and blogs online. That's if you've got the stomach for the truth you ignoramious
adam
With all due respect Jimmy,isnt the Muslim community the perfect example of the herd mentality? Perhaps if they started thinking for themselves for once then things like this would not happen and the Islam could start to move into the modern world. For all the bad things that the west do do it still does not compare to the downright evil behaviour of many other countries around the world and of the muslim community.
gengisken1227
Hey, I'm no supporter of the sharia followers of everlasting peace, they're just best left to slaughter each other without us getting involved. Although I don't include this girl in that comment, she was well meaning, just caught up in the false euphoria created that anything there will actually change - which it won't. No, it's the foolish meddling by western politicians on power trips that I was objecting to which backfires on ordinary people and if you define racist as a staunch defender of my own tribe, then I am a racist.
jimmyjedi1979
You sheep are hilarious. The fake Syrian army are extreme Islamists- yet we don't condemn them we support them. We are hypocrites to suit our own vested interests. And you clones lap it up like there's no tomorrow. 'them Muslims did it again' constant regurgitation of anti-muslin propaganda. Yes they also late the sheep mentality- but there is not a mass smear camping against us and they don't invade our countries and slaughter us like animals. Sickos.
jimmyjedi1979
Alexander- do you even know what an anarchist is. you speak more crap than the river gangees. Now fall back in line like a good little clone.
J R
I hope she is offered a place to stay and study in the UK - this is the kind of imigrant we want
Steve Marshall
Your right there, Muslims should rise up against the taliban and slam this action, i hope she recovers and continues her great work.
Brian E Gorton
My wife and I gave a lot of money to the Pakistan earthquake appeal.Never again! I will not support the evil cowards that can do this,nor will I support the cowards who will not put a stop to it.A RELIGEON THAT ADVOCATES DEATH TO ALL NON BELIEVERS IS PURE EVIL.I hope the young girls recovers
blue side
They are simply power hungry ignorant morons who follow blindly and we think when we pull out things will change. The people themselves have not got the courage. Sorry to say but this is a dangerous religion and if as some claim it is misrepresented then they as followers should be taking action to rid themselves of the extremists. Hope this girl recovers and becomes the true face of Islam.
krafty81
So glad I'm not religious. Religion = war and hate (my opinion only)
Simon .
Ah, Islam, the religion of tolerance and acceptance.....
Windows Live User
Brave brave people these Taliban. Doesnt it tell us all what they are really like?
Michael Dynes
Another example of how this despicable evil can prevail because the perpetrators of such cowardice are allowed to stand on the shoulders of the moderates. This is not only confined to the Islamic fraternity. Look at the evil deeds of the Vatican in covering up child abuse and yet moderate catholics not only say or do nothing, they actually defend the role of their church by accepting the dishonesty spun by the Vatican. This is down to wilful ignorance, or what I call self-inflicted ignorance. People do not want to know or do not want to stand up to it. As long as religion has that power over the gullible, then this evil will prevail and continue. It is not down to just one religion.
ali baba
The more the west stays in the muddle east the more power these dumb fascist fanatics gain power. Get out of the middle east and it will be easier to get rid of them
Tracey Walker
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Tracey Walker
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Jonathan jonathan
Anyone who really thinks this is to do with Islam or religion is deluded. This is to do with power and oppresion. The Qu'ran is not that different to the Bible and there is nothing in either to defend the way the Taliban regime or any of these so called radical Islamists, or radical Christians come to that, act. These are simply a group of barbarians trying to make out their interpretation of a faith is correct, regardless of the fact the rest of humanity doesn't agree with them.
Michael Booth
Well said Jonathan. I totally agree, they're just a load of thugs, trying to legitimise their actions in the name of their "religion!"
Michael Dynes
In a sense Jonathan, (and I agree with you wholeheartedly by the way that this ia about power and oppression), your comment is contradictory. This is indeed about power and oppresion, but I'm sorry, it has everything to do with religion, because religion is the vehicle being used to bring it about. And thank you for for acknowledging that this desire to control and oppress others is not just down to one religion. Yes indeed the Qu'ran and Bible have similarities, as Abrahamic, their origins are the same. However they do both contain texts which call for the oppression of others. If we never had these religions, we would be able to see this "thuggery" as Michael correctly calls it for what it is.
blue side
Michael Dynes is it not more correct to say the problem is not religion but the way the text is interpreted and presented to those who lack the intellectual capacity to interpret the message for the good of their fellow man. History shows this happening time and time again. The sad thing is that there are many who find comfort in religion and religion does present a set of codes by which we recognise good from bad within society. It is as has been said all about power and granting license to commit atrocities based on false hopes.
ali baba
its about my gun is bigger then yours, so i will take what i want. this then feeds these nutcases. we live in a world of scarce resources, and in many respects out of necessity wars are began.
ali baba
also look at Europe recently, its is totally collapsing, as Cameron said today its sink or swim. European empires were built with colonizing rich fossil fuel/rare stone countries. what you have know in Europe is highly educated people with no resources. which in many respects is useless, and not only that the labor markets are not competitive to other world leaders at the moment. war is not such a bad thing for European economies, its one area they are still very strong in. i think Britain is the 4th largest exporter of arms.
Michael Dynes
This comment has been removed for violations of our Terms and Conditions.
Michael Dynes
This comment has been removed for violations of our Terms and Conditions.
Michael Dynes
Hi Blue side, have a look at the two quotations above. I think they are clearly understandable and make the interpreatation pretty clear. So to answer your question in a word, No. However I have a lot of respect for you, I have observed your comments and you deserve a much better answer than that. I also do not want to play a game of just references. For each of those above, we could all offer counter-references that call for goodness.
Michael Dynes
But to me I'm afraid the problem IS religion, because within religion, such as the Abrahamics, there are logical pathways to violence. I sometimes despair when people believe that religion has the monopoly on morality and provides a set of codes to which you can live your life by. In fact much of our morality came from outside of the supernatural. Christian morality for example was plagiarised straight from Stoicism. I do not think the bible offers a great code to live your life by.
Michael Dynes
Please forgive me Blue side, but I see Orange has deleted two of my posts. One was a direct quotation from the Qu'ran and the other from the Bible. Now what on earth does this tell us? Are we now not allowed to quote from "holy" books that give us a code to live our lives by? I actually find this censorship from Orange incredible.
Michael Dynes
Dear Orange, the quotation below is from the Qu'ran. Can you please advise me how such a quotation be in violation of your terms and conditions. I have read the terms and conditions and can see not one single reason. Unless of course you find the Qu'ran offensive.
Michael Dynes
"The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement" Quran (5:33)
Michael Dynes
Dear Orange, the quotation below is from the Bible. Can you please advise me how such a quotation be in violation of your terms and conditions. I have read the terms and conditions and can see not one single reason. Unless of course you find the Bible offensive.
Michael Dynes
If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant; And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel; Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. Deuteronomy 17
Gillian Stafford
For Gods sake where is the condemnation from the mainstream Muslim world. What next - Taliban attacks on 'unworthy' maternity wards ?
Gordon Wright
It is a peculiar type of person who would wish to claim credit for a sickening act such as the shooting of a 14 year old schoolgirl............................
Ben Ralph
5:46am on 10/10/2012
Says it all really.
Steve Marshall
8:24am on 10/10/2012
And its all done in the name of Allah, what a joke.