‘He Named Me Malala’
By Saira Bhatti
Washington Metro Area, USA

 

I had the opportunity to view the documentary ‘He Named Me Malala’ directed by Davis Guggenheim and spotlighting education activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai's journey. It was fascinating to see the intimate and informal moments of the young, intelligent, and inspirational leader from Swat.

Malala shows beauty in many ways - from her innocence to her humility and maturity. However, a disappointing feature of the documentary for me were the interviews of Pakistanis who had a negative opinion of her with one person claiming that she was “just a character,” that she did not mean anything. Now while not everyone in Pakistan shares this view, such opinions are aired when an individual brings awareness about an issue and people turn against him/her for revealing negative things about the country.

When her autobiography came out, Therik-e-Insaaf had the book’s launch banned in Peshawar. Some private schools also banned it.

What such accusations and disapproval reveal is a regressive paranoia amongst educated individuals which is holding the nation back. Just because Malala is talking about inconvenient truths in Pakistan does not mean she cannot be the nation's hero. One only does such things for the love and betterment of the country.