By Iftikhar Hussain
‘I am Malala’, the inspirational memoir of the Pakistan teenager Nobel Laureate and global icon for education, Malala Yusafzai, made more impact into the lives of young people from across the world when on Wednesday parts of her book were included in the George Washington University curriculum.
“The resource guide is targeted towards high school, college and university students in the United States and overseas,” said the University website on Wednesday following its decision to include it in its curriculum.
Malala, a student herself, will inspire students from across the globe in one of the world leading educations institutions George Washington University classrooms.
The website explains that a resource guide designed as a series of lessons based on themes extracted from the memoir, I Am Malala, is intended to enrich a variety of academic programs.
The university says that the resource guide provides a window into complex issues of politics, history, human rights, religion and tradition through the lens of one girl’s story.
Malala was shot in the head by Mullah Fazlullah-led terrorist outfit Tehreek-Taliban in 2012 for raising her voice for women education in here native Swat valley. She survived and became a global icon for women education. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2014 along with the Indian Child rights activist Kelash Satyarthi.
The decision by GWU was welcomed by educationists and women rights activists in Malala’s terror hit region, calling for replication of the idea in Pakistan.
Khadim Hussain, a leading expert on education and militancy in the region, in an interview with Deewa welcomed the George Washington University and said, “It’s an eye-opener for educationists in Pakistan.” He argues that the need is greater than ever to promote women education in the Pashtun region hit by militancy and extremism. “All the developing nations especially Pakistan and the Pashtun region can benefit from the George Washington University decision. It provides a framework for all those involved in education offering an opportunity to adopt it.”
Mussarat Qadeem, who runs an organization Payman Trust for women education and peace in the terror-hit tribal region, told Deewa in an intv praised the George Washington University decision. She said, “It’s a good thing. I have always raised voice for an inclusive education syllabus in Pakistan, the curriculum which promotes interfaith harmony and co-existence with other religions. The reason is that education in Pakistan gives one side of the picture even on the standards of religion.”
She said that it is unfortunate Pakistani society has double standard when it comes to women rights and especially education. She said, “The people bring Islam in everything, but when it comes to the rights of women, everything is clear but then even religion is not followed.”
Experts say the decision by GWU to include Malala’s book in its study program would help promote her cause of women education and will also draw global attention to the status of education in the Pashtun region of Pakistan.