While I would never compare Malala Yousafazai to Eliza Doolittle, I will be encouraging my daughters to learn from her as she possesses the poise, grace and wisdom of someone far beyond her years – an old soul indeed. When you listen to the answer she gave Jon Stewart when he asked her how she felt about knowing the Taliban wanted her dead…
“I started thinking about that, and I used to think that the Talib would come, and he would just kill me. But then I said, ‘If he comes, what would you do Malala?’ Then I would reply to myself, ‘Malala, just take a shoe and hit him.’ But then I said, ‘If you hit a Talib with your shoe, then there would be no difference between you and the Talib. You must not treat others with cruelty and that much harshly, you must fight others but through peace and through dialogue and through education.’ Then I said I will tell him how important education is and that ‘I even want education for your children as well,’ and I will tell him, ‘that’s what I want to tell you. Now do what you want’.”
…it puts a lot into perspective with regard to many sixteen year old American girls. No doubt Malala will continue to inspire. I can’t wait to see what she does with her next sixteen years.
Looking forward to watching The Bravest Girl in the World with my daughters tonight on CNN.