I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

The Taliban came to Malala’s area when she was ten. “These were strange-looking men with long straggly hair and beards and camouflage vests over their shalwar kamiz” (111). Their leader, Maulana Fazlullah, joined them. “In the beginning Fazlullah was very wise. He introduced himself as an Islamic reformer and an interpreter of the Quran” (112). He and a deputy began preaching on a radio station, which Malala’s family listened to. Unfortunately, the conversations moved away from sounding reasonable to denouncing much of what the valley inhabitants did. “They warned people to stop listening to music, watching movies and dancing. Sinful acts like these had caused the earthquake, Fazlullah thundered, and if people didn’t stop they would again invite the wrath of God” (113).

Shortly after the warnings, people begin throwing away their DVDs, CDs, and TVs. Malala’s father despairs over people beginning to listen and like Fazlullah. “One of [Fazlullah’s] favorite subjects was the injustice of the feudal system of the khans. Poor people were happy to see the khans getting their come-uppance. They saw [him] as a kind of Robin Hood” (115). Malala’s father’s friend warns that the Taliban would pretend to be nice before they too behaved like criminals.