Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban because she wanted to go to school. She was hospitalized in Birmingham. The Pakistani girl and her family are allowed to stay in the country for 5 years and her father has been given a job at the Pakistani consulate in Birmingham.
Girl shot in the head by the Taliban
Malala was shot by the Taliban on October 9, 2012. She was then on a bus going home from school. The Muslim extremists stopped the bus and entered the bus. The girl was shot in the head, but also in the chest. The Taliban had been after her for some time because she fought for girls’ education in Pakistan. They are against education for women.
Almost dead
Malala was more dead than alive after the attack. She was taken to Britain by air ambulance. There, doctors who normally only treat seriously injured soldiers treated them. The bullet had grazed her brain and if it had gone a few centimeters in another direction, she probably wouldn’t have recovered. The Taliban bullet had landed behind her left eye. It then went through her jaw and into her left shoulder. Many operations followed, all paid for by the Pakistani authorities. Malala underwent several reconstructions.
Twelve weeks in the hospital
The girl spent 12 weeks in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. She was then allowed to go to the temporary home her family was given in East Midlands. After her discharge, she still had to undergo a number of treatments and therapies. She also had another operation on her skull.
Family can stay in Great Britain for five years
Great Britain allows the family to stay in the country for 5 years. Her father Ziauddin has gotten a job at the Pakistani consulate and thus earns money for his family, which consists of his wife, Malala and two brothers.
Call around the world
The attack on Malala caused great commotion worldwide. There were even people who wanted to give her the Nobel Peace Prize. Moreover, Malala cannot return to her native country for the time being, because the Taliban still want to kill her. She is said to promote Western thinking and that is a thorn in the side of the extremist group.
Sharia
The Taliban want Sharia law to be respected in Pakistan. Sharia is often described as Islamic law, but it is much more than that. The word literally means the way to the water source, or Allah. Sharia is therefore the path that man must take to reach this water source that is his final destination – paradise. The law in our world is judged with a view to the consequences in this world, the Sharia therefore judges actions more with a view to the hereafter. She also gives it moral qualifications. The Sharia regulates, among other things, praying five times a day, the journey to Mecca, giving alms, and the role of Mohammed and Allah. In addition, there are things that are prohibited, things that are objectionable and things that are recommended. The fact that the Taliban do not want women to go to school has to do with Sharia law. The legislation is actually based on threefold legal inequality. This consists of legal inequality between:
- men and women
- Muslims and non-Muslims
- free and slaves
Legal inequality between men and women
The legal inequality between men and women is reflected in a large number of cases. For example, men are allowed to marry four women, but a woman can only marry one man. When dividing inheritances, women only receive half of what men receive and in court cases the testimony of one man is equal to that of two women.