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| Malala Yousafzai (Photo: Veronique De Viguene / Getty Images) |
I really enjoy writing this
blog but there’s no denying it’s a relative self-indulgence, being built
around my own creative practice, attempts at cultural critique and vague
musings on this and that. I’m aware
there are online diarists whose lives are full of much harsher realities than
mine, and for whom claiming the right to free expression can result in real
jeopardy.
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| Malala Yousafzai, Amnesty International Campaign |
Like people of all
nationalities and faiths, (or, indeed, no faith), I was appalled to hear of the shooting of Malala Yousafzai by the Pakistani Taliban. I earn my daily bread working in a
co-educational and very multi-cultural state school and it’s pretty easy to
take universal access to a basic education for granted. Therefore, it’s mind boggling to think
that a teenage girl might be shot in the head for having the temerity to
campaign for the same fundamental right elsewhere. I won’t pretend to have real insight into Malala’s
circumstances or cultural background but that’s just plain despicable, - wherever you're from. It
needs to be said.
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| Malala, In Hospital In Birmingham (Photo: Reuters) |
It’s heartening to hear
today’s reports that Malala may make a gradual recovery and one can only hope
some degree of security can be found for her in the future. Certainly, she’s already shown more
bravery in the face of bigotry and hatred than most of us ever will.
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