Taliban Target, Shooting Survivor, Nobel Prize Nominee:
What Did You Do at Sixteen?
Lauren Mitchell
“I used to think that the Talib would come, and he would just kill me. But
then I said, 'If he comes, what would you do Malala?' then I would reply to
myself, 'Malala, just take a shoe and hit him.' But then I said, 'If you hit a
Talib with your shoe, then there would be no difference between you and the
Talib. You must not treat others with cruelty and that much harshly, you must
fight others but through peace and through dialogue and through education.'
Then I said I will tell him how important education is and that 'I even want
education for your children as well.' And I will tell him, 'That's what I want to
tell you, now do what you want.'”
What did you do at sixteen? Stress out about exams? Start to think about your
future? Slowly dip your toe into the big bad world? What if instead the big bad
world stormed onto your school bus, aimed a gun at your head and shot you?
Most of us would hide away in a corner and never venture outside again. I
know I would. Would any of us be nearly as brave enough to continue fighting
for what put our lives in danger in the first place? As hard as it is to believe,
that is exactly what Malala Yousafzai did after she was shot at just 14. After
facing death she is more determined than ever to fight for the rights of her
people.