10 Oct Malala Yousafzai – Appreciate The Freedom of Blogging
Today, I became aware of the story of Malala Yousufzai, a 14 year old Pakistani girl who lives under the unrelenting oppression of Taliban extremism. Malala and two other girls were ruthlessly attacked on Tuesday by Taliban militants for the crime of blogging about what her life is like under their rule. I extend my prayers to join in with people all around the world who are outraged, horrified, and inspired by these events.
CNN – Pakistan Enraged Over Attack On Teen Blogger
The Blogger’s Pulpit
Here I sit in a comfortable office in Silver Spring, Maryland, blogging away about issues related to the media services industry that this company serves. We try to remain objective and neutral, bringing points of interest to our readers and reviewing the world of media technology as it evolves every day. I forget how much power there really is in this medium, and I write my articles never worrying about someone coming to kill me if they disagree with what I say.
The internet has allowed freedom of speech to move beyond how many people can hear you preaching from a soapbox outside your local town hall. Malala, if you ever read this, we are listening! I implore my readers and fellow bloggers out there to appreciate the power of writing articles for online distribution, take your stand, as Ghandi once said, “be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
A Battle of Minds
I have long held the opinion that there is a fundamental link between terrorist extremism, gender rights, education, and religious doctrine. There was a time when the Islamic world was filled with the most brilliant philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, and biologists in the world. Those who have grabbed power in modern Middle Eastern history know that if you control the education system, both in school and in religion, then you control the perception of the people. That is precisely why the Taliban is so afraid of an innocent 14 year old girl, sharing her opinions with the world.
What Terrifies a Terrorist
I once studied the concept of social control through mental domination and how it lead to the rise of Fascism in Europe and eventually resulted in the Holocaust. There is no greater threat to a system of oppression and control than free, uncensored, exchange of information. What scares a terrorist? Apparently a 14 year old girl who can speak freely with the world.
Here are some links to Malala on the web. Defeat the Taliban by sharing her message with everyone and anyone you know.
Malala’s Website – http://malalayousafzai.webnode.com/