I Am Malala

SHORT ANSWERS

1. When was 1 Am Malala' published?

'I Am Malala' was published on 8 October 2013, by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK and Little,
Brown and Company in the US. The book has been translated into more than 40 languages.

2. Who are the characters in 'I am Malala'?

They are: Malala Yousafzai, Ziauddin Yousafzai, Toor Pekai Yousafzai, and Malauna Fazlullah.

3. What Is the 1 Am Malala' petition?

Using the slogan "I am Malala", the petition's main demand was that there be no child left out of
school by 2015, with the hope that "girls like Malala everywhere will soon be going to school".
Brown said he would hand the petition to President Zardari in Islamabad in November.

4. Who Is Malala Khan?

Malala is a Pakistani girl who spoke out against the Taliban's oppressive rule and their ban on
the education of girls. She was subsequently shot by the Taliban, but she survived and went on
to become an internationally acclaimed human rights and education activist. Malala describes
her life in Mingora in the lush Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan.

5. What Is I am Malala' about?

Malala Yousafzai's 'I am Malala,' published in 2013, is a gripping autobiography from a young
woman who became an international advocate for girls' education.

6. How are women looked at in her country?

As she puts it, women in her country are seen as second- class citizens, fit only for making food
and birthing more children.

7. What makes sexism sinister?

Malala doesn't always express her outrage, even in describing seemingly outrageous things.
She can be surprisingly matter-of-fact about the sexism in her community-and its "ordinariness"
makes it all the more sinister.

8. How does Ziauddin treat Malala?

Ziauddin will be a huge influence on Malala, and we see that he adored her from the start,
refusing to treat her any differently from male children.
9. What is self-contradictory the treatment of women In her country ?

It seems self-contradictory that this society should so revere the women of its past while having
so little respect for the women of its present.

10. What makes it all the more tragic?

It is clear that Malala loves her homeland deeply. This then makes it all the more tragic when
Swat is beset with violence, oppression, and suffering.

11. What was the condition In the family when Malala

was born?

She was born in a land where rifles are fired in celebration

of a son while daughters are hidden away behind a curtain, their role in life is simply to prepare
food and give birth to children.

12. How was she named?

She was named after Malalai of Maiwand, the greatest heroine opf Afghanistan.

13. How do all Pashtun children grow up?

They all grow up with the story of how Malalai inspired the army to defeat the British in 1880 in
one of the biggest battles of First Anglo-Afghan war.

14. Describe the Swat valley.

It is a heavenly kingdom of mountains, gushing waterfalls and crystal clear lakes. "Welcome to
Paradise' is a sign as one enters the valley.

15. How do they call Swat?

They call Swat as the Switzerland of the East.

16. Where did they live?

They lived in Mingora, the biggest town in the valley. It was the only city there.

17. Where was their home? How was it called?

Their home was in Gulkada, which means place of flowers nit used to be called Burkara, or
place of Buddhist statues
18. Name the poem written by Malala's father.
He wrote a poem 'The Relics of Burkara' which sums up perfectly how temple and mosque
could exist side by side.
19. Name the highest mountain there.
The highest mountain of all is the pyramid-shaped Mount Elum. To them it is a sacred mountain
and so high that it always wears a necklace of fleecy cloud.

20. What did Malala's father say about her?

He said, "Malala is as free as a bird." She dreams of going to the top of Mount Elum like
Alexander the Great, to touch Jupiter and even beyond the valley.

PARAGRAPHS

1. Describe Malala's attitude from her earlier days.

Malala explains that she was born at dawn (traditionally a sign of luck in her community), but
many people in the village still felt sorry for her family because Malala was a girl. As she puts it,
women in her country are seen as second-class citizens, fit only for making food and birthing
more children. Malala doesn't always express her outrage, even in describing seemingly
outrageous things. She can be surprisingly matter-of-fact about the sexism in her community-
and its "ordinariness" makes it all the more sinister. One of the only people to celebrateMalala's
birth was her father's cousin, Jehan Sher Khan Yousafzai. He gave Malala a "handsome gift of
money." He also brought with him a large family tree, showing the sons and fathers of Malala's
family.

2. Explain Ziauddin's Influence on Malala.

Malala's father, Ziauddin had an unusual reaction when his cousin brought the family free.
Instead of accepting it as a he took a pen and drew a line to indicate Malala's birth, even though
she was a woman. Ziauddin insisted Malala was special, and celebrated her birth with coins and
fruit-gifts usually reserved for male children. At times Malala makes large, sweeping statements
about the state of sexism, religious extremism, etc., in Pakistan. Yet she's very careful never to
paint Pakistan with too broad a brush-she always recognizes that there are exceptions to the
statements she's making (like Jehan Sher Khan). Ziauddin will be a huge influence on Malala,
and we see that he adored her from the start, refusing to treat her any differently from male
children.

3. Discuss Malala as a herolne

Malala is named after Malalai, a heroine of Afghanistan, Malala's ethnic group, the Pashtuns,
are divided between two countries, Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. The Pashtuns obey a
strict moral code of honor, which obligates them to treat all people with honor and respect. The
Pashtuns are also a proud, warlike people. Malalai is a heroine to them because in the 1880s,
she led the Pashtuns in a successful uprising against the British Empire. Malalai was only a
teenager at the time, and she set aside married life to become a general and a warrior. British
soldiers killed her, but her troops eventually defeated the British. To this day, monuments to
Malalai are built in Afghanistan, and she's a symbol of the native resistance to foreign
aggression.

4. How does Malala explain her culture?

Malala continues explaining her culture. She lives in Swat Valley, a beautiful place full of fruit
trees, rivers, and forests. In the winter, the villagers ski in the nearby mountains. Swat is
currently a part of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Pakistan. Formerly, Swat was an
independent state, but following Indian independence in 1947, it became an autonomous state
of Pakistan. The people of Swat use the Pakistan currency-the rupee-but nonetheless maintain
an unusually large amount of cultural and political autonomy from Pakistan. Most of the people
of Swat have never left their valley, even though the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad, is only a
hundred miles away.

5. Write a note on Malala's family.

Malala's family is descended from the Yousafzai, a noted Pashtun tribe. The Yousafzai feuded
with one another constantly. but in 1917, one Yousafzai warrior managed to impose order on
Swati Valley. His son, Jehanzeb, brought great wealth and prosperity to the Valley. In 1969, the
year Malala's father was born, the Valley firmly united with Pakistan. Malala thinks of herself as
Swati first, then Pashtun, then Pakistani. Malala's identity thus far has seemed to be based
almost entirely on peace, nonviolence, and forgiveness-even of the Taliban who threaten her
life. Ironically, she's descended from a family that celebrates war and conflict as a way of life.
And yet the Yousafzais also celebrate poetry, again emphasizing the power of words for Malala.

ESSAYS

1. Bring out the highlights from Chapter 1 of 1 am Malala." Introduction:

The book's prologue gives an account of the day Malala Yousafzai, a fifteen-year-old girl from
Pakistan's Swat Valley, was shot by the Taliban on her way home from school. It was October
9th, 2012, and she was returning from a day of exams with her classmates from the school she
attended, which was founded by her father. Suddenly the school bus stopped, and a young man
waved it down and swung himself inside it. He asked, "Who is Malala?" When the girls in the
bus looked at Malala, he pulled out a gun and shot her in the face. He fired two more bullets as
well, and they hit girls alongside her.

Source of Inspiration:

Chapter 1 of the book flashes back and tells the story of Malala's birth to a Pashtun family in the
Swat Valley of northern Despite the fact that a daughter's birth is not usually celebrated, her
father was thrilled when she was born and named her after a Pashtun heroine, Malalai of
Maiwand, who died in a battle after using her words and bravery to inspire her people to fight
and win against the powerful British army.

Growing Up:

Malala talks about growing up in Swat, which she considers the most beautiful place in the
world. She and her family lived in Mingora, the largest city in Swat. Swat is famous for its and
numerous ruins, particularly the Butkara ruins, which are left over from when Buddhists entered
the area. When Malala was born her family was very poor, living only off of the small amount of
money her father made from the school he had started. Her brother Kushal was born two years
after her, and her brother Atal five years after him.

Conclusion:

Malala finishes the chapter by discussing how the Yousafzai clan came to Pakistan from
Afghanistan. She makes it clear that while she is Pakistani, she has always thought of herself as
first Swati, then Pashtun and then Pakistani.

2. How does Malala describe herself in the book 'I am Malala'?

Introduction:

Malala Yousafzai introduces herself to the reader and gives background about her life. She
explains that she was born in Mingora, the largest city in the beautiful Swat Valley, located in
northwest Pakistan. She is a member of the largest Pashtun tribe, the Yousafzai, who live by
the Pashtunwali code of hospitality and honor. Her father celebrates her birth, which is unusual
in a country that doesn't value girls. He names her after a courageous Afghan heroine. Small
Family:

Malala introduces her small family-her educated, forward-thinking father Ziauddin, who founded
and runs the Khushal School; her beautiful and pious mother, Toor Pekai; and her younger
brothers Khushal and Atal, with whom she sometimes fights. Malala details her parents'
background and the love they have for each other. She also presents the history of her region,
telling how it thrived under the two father-son kings and how Swat became a part of Pakistan in
1969.

Her Identity:

Malala makes clear that she considers herself Swati first, then Pashtun, and finally Pakistani.
She introduces her neighbor friend, Safina, and highlights the difference between the freedom
of the boys and the restrictions on the girls. She knows her father supports her freedom, but she
wonders if freedom will be possible her.

Conclusion:
Malala describes her father's background and the book ends the chapter with the story of her
father entering a public speaking competition. It is done in order to conquer his stutter and finally
win his father's approval. Malala's grandfather or Baba, Rohul Amin, is an impatient, learned
theologian who is famous for his speeches.

3. Describe Malala's Family.

Introduction:

Malala and her family live in the village of Mingora, the largest town in Swat. Swat has been an
Islamic town since the 11th century. Prior to this time, it was a Buddhist state and there are still
ruins of Buddhist temples in Swat. Malala has grown up surrounded by birds and other animals,
enjoying the beauty of the valley and the surrounding Hindu Kush mountains. Swat is the home
of many different religious traditions, including Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim. This religious
diversity is a large part of its appeal to Malala from a young age, as she loves exploring the
ruins of the temples.

Family with Exceptions:

Malala's family is very poor. Despite founding the first school for girls in Mingora, Malala's father
and his family live in a shack. Nevertheless, Malala's family frequently entertains visitors,
cooking for them and spending time with them. Hospitality, Malala explains, is a crucial part of
her culture. Malala's brother, Khushal, is named after their father's school, which he attends.
Her youngest brother, Atal is seven years younger than she. Her family is very small by Swati
standards. Malala's father, unlike the majority of Swati men, never hits his wife, whose name is
Tor Pekai. Malala notes that the people in her community aspire to have paler skin. Malala's
father, for instance, was always ashamed of his dark skin as a child. Only after he married Tor
Pekai did he overcome his shame.

Love and Togetherness.

Tor Pekai and Ziauddin had an unusual marriage, since they married out of love, not social
obligation. This is highly rare in Pakistan, Malala notes. It's hard to imagine a family in any other
place being so committed to hospitality, even when the family itself is in danger of falling into
poverty. Malala's family isn't at all typical of the Pashtun or Pakistani norms. On the contrary,
Ziauddin and Tor Pekai married for love, he doesn't assume that he is naturally superior and
entitled to violence just because he is a man. Many Pakistani men do feel this way, Malala
explains, which doesn't bode well for the rise of extremism in the coming years.

Conclusion:

Ziauddin used his intelligence and hard work to become successful. Malala grew up respecting
the power of language, largely as a result of her father's influence. Malala benefits from strong
role models from a very early age. While Ziauddin isn't often directly present in Malala's life
while she's growing up, his "presence" as an influence in her life is enormous. He teaches her to
respect the environment, literature, and poetry, and to understand the power of words. This will
become more important as Malala becomes a public speaker and writer.