I went on to Yahoo! news today and the story of 14 year old Malala Yousufzai was one of the top stories. She was shot last week in the head and neck by a single member of the Taliban while she was on a school bus for supporting education for women. She is in critical condition but has regained movement in her arms and a little in her legs. She was flown to England for medical care. The Pakistani government has said it will pay for all hospital expenses.
This story really caught my eye because of how we were discussing sexist religions and groups while going over Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire by Deepa Kumar.
This story is also interesting to me because of the buzz around education, especially in Chicago. We had teachers on strike, funding problems, and the list goes on. We are so concerned with pay and benefits that we don't realize that there are children across the world that are literally targeted for wanting an education. We need to make sure that our need to be 'right" and prove a point doesn't overthrow the importance of education to our young people. Compared to what people (women in other countries) would do just to have a small chance at educational freedom, we should just feel lucky that it can be provided here no matter how good or bad. Of course we want to strive for better education, but as a young woman, I am appreciative of the opportunities afforded to me.
The link for the story is about Malala is below.
http://gma.yahoo.com/teen-girl-shot-taliban-rushed-uk-095613358--abc-news-topstories.html
Rejeannda-- Yes, it is amazing that there are still places where women and girls can be shot for wanting to go to school. Of course, I think Kumar's book provides us with some useful background for understanding the rise of Islamicists in places like Pakistan.
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