Malala’s latest trip to Pakistan says a lot about who we are, as Pakistanis; the deriders of humanity and victims of violence. We have opted for the mainstream nationalistic narrative time and again for years, and it has punctured our ability to think independently. The expected backlash of Malala’s visit to Pakistan was obnoxious but we have been down that road before; whether it was objecting her quality of life in England or judging her supposed western attire, it has been persistent mockery on our part. We were all praise for her but the day she was shot in the head by the Taliban and fled Pakistan for her own protection, we turned against her. It is ironic considering that half of Pakistan would immediately flee to an alien country of their choice and selfishly disown their country if given the opportunity; at least Malala had a reason to leave. We labelled her, mocked her and assumed that she represented the West.
Most Pakistanis are anti-West and have always been. Perhaps this factor alone has hindered our progress as a nation because we are weak diplomats. There have existed two extremes in Pakistan; liberals and conservatives. The latter has vastly impacted our pattern of thinking. We follow what others deem acceptable and that has been Pakistan’s biggest societal problem. The majority of Pakistanis rebuke and relentlessly denigrate Malala. Prior to being shot, this young girl hailing from Swat led an intimidated life knowing that she could be a potential target. Despite all odds, she did not shy away from her aims. Malala changed perceptions of an average Pakistani girl unlike any of us who have done absolutely nothing.
Speaking of criticism, the ludicrous comparison being shaped on the social media between the APS victims and Malala is redundant, to say the least. Our media was responsible for providing more than sufficient coverage to Malala, prior to her claim to fame. The haters today were her supporters yesterday. What changed? She left a country for better education, but most importantly for her safety. I say it out of sheer love that Malala is an asset of Pakistan and it is an utter shame that we mock victims of violence. She took a bullet for humanity and those who oppose her should be questioned. It is not her fault that we disowned her and created hostile circumstances for her to live in her native country. If APS victims had a similar story, we would probably disown them too.
I wonder when Pakistanis will appreciate the good in people. If someone is worthy of praise, give them the credit where due. I will say this to those who bash and bully others on social media; your judgments stem from insecurities of your own. I will leave it at that. On a positive note, Malala Fund has raised awareness and generated funds for the betterment of the world and I am sure that our very own superwoman will do everything in her power to make Pakistan a country it was never before.