Ingenu/e

Ingenu/e magazine published this and even sent me a free copy. Ingenu/e is sympathetic to #worthingflash and the magazine is a great place to publish flash fiction in print.

Proverbs

Malala - Muslims against the Taliban

The first and main victims of the Taliban were Muslims. This is the story of the muslims who fought back against them told through the words of Malala Yousafzai.

Thousands of girls of Malala's age are rebelling against the dictatorship in Iran as I write this,  The slanders against the rebels - that they are in the pay of America - are exactly the same as the slanders against Malala.

The facts belie the propaganda. Malala's story focuses on education. Her father's dream was to run a school and he made personal sacrifices to do so. When the Pakistan branch of the Taliban started burning down schools and threatening his school, he spoke out against it and Malala supported him.

The Taliban seek to keep women and girls subservient and it is for that reason that they oppose education for any female citizens. This is based on what Malala sees as a false interpretation of religion. Certainly it is more about social control than religious dogma.

Malala's enthusiasm for education is boundless. Not all students feel the same. Not all students have armed thugs trying to prevent them being educated.

The reactionary views of the Taliban thrive on poverty and ignorance and every voice raised against them gives hope for a future where girls have rights and poverty is a thing of the past.