•UK Muslims unite behind girl shot by Taliban

[Douglas Carpenter]

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/na6WNgwVVWFThwtcPDOWcA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MzM3ODtjcj0xO2N3PTUxODQ7ZHg9MDtkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTQxMTtxPTg1O3c9NjMw/

In Britain’s Muslim community, a large portion of whom are of Pakistani heritage, there has been keen interest in the case Malala Yousufzai, the schoolgirl shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban for advocating education for girls.

The attack has united many in her native country in outrage. Demonstrations and vigils have taken place in support of the teenager, who was airlifted Monday to Britain to receive specialized medical care and protection from follow-up attacks threatened by the militants.

Yet in Britain, too, campaigners for the empowerment of young Muslim women say the attack has struck a chord in parts of society where traditional attitudes, in particular those carried over from rural northern Pakistan, still manifest themselves through resistance – in a minority of families – toward education of girls.

“Malala is a role model because even though we are not facing the Taliban here in the UK, there are a number of girls who face that backward mentality. So I think definitely she has become an inspiration for standing up against force at such a young age,” says Sabbiyah Pervez, a young mother and university graduate in the northern English city of Bradford, home to one of Britain’s largest Muslim populations.

Ms. Pervez, who coordinates projects to empower young Muslim girls, stresses the major educational advances made by Britons from a South Asian community, such as the fact that many are excelling. But she says that some girls are still being pulled out of schooling at 16 because parents feel that if the girls get educated, they will challenge their parents.

http://news.yahoo.com/british-pakistanis-malala-girl-170238914.html

[Skittles]

1. now THIS is a worthwhile cause

much better than protesting some asshole's film

[frylock]

5. seems to me that they're perfectly capable of doing both

[Skittles]

9. violence over a stupid film is just plain silly

it would have been like Catholics rioting over Monty Python films

[Turborama]

16. The protests in England against the film were not violent n/t

[bullwinkle428]

2. Wow, they look really blood-thirsty to me!

K&R.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. The picture is actually of schoolgirls in India, though

Seems strange of Yahoo or the CSM to use it to illustrate a story about Muslims in Britain.

[loli phabay]

10. uh never picked up on that one, kinda wierd mayby they didnt get pictures of the british protest.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Reading through the article and the equivalent BBC one they get a quote from, there wasn't a protest

in Britain when it was written. But some leaders of Muslim groups have expressed support for Yousufzai, and so did a couple of 'everyday' people interviewed.

The BBC article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-19966357

(one thing I've just noticed - some media spell her last name 'Yousufzai', some 'Yousafzai', which can make it difficult to find all the stories about her unless you include both spellings. There is a vigil being held in Birmingham right now, though: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/9616896/Women-hold-vigil-for-shot-teenager-Malala-Yousafzai.html )

[Scootaloo]

3. I'll bet I can predict some names that WON'T be appearing in this thread.

[Douglas Carpenter]

4. kik

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Douglas Carpenter.

[Nye Bevan]

8. Thanks. This is heartwarming.

The vast majority of religious folks are *not* fundamentalists.

[loli phabay]

11. yup unfortunately not enough people stand up to the fundies and slap them down

[porphyrian]

12. I hope she lives and doesn't suffer much brain damage. n/t

[Douglas Carpenter]

13. kick

[kentuck]

15. I read that she is moving her limbs...

I hope she recovers to live a full and productive life. She is a special young girl.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. Petition to Pakistani government to ensure education for all

Many in Pakistan and around the world have now united behind Malala and her cause. This is a tipping point moment and if we act now we can help achieve the very thing she was targeted for: let’s call on the government of Pakistan to fund girls attending school, starting with her province.

This is our chance to turn Malala’s horror into hope. At her very young age she is an example of courage and determination, but now she is fighting to survive, and it’s our turn to help her win her dream. Sign the petition -- when 1 million people have signed the UN education envoy, Gordon Brown, will deliver our call in person to the President of Pakistan, and the Pakistani media.

To Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Raja Pervez Ashraf and KP Province Governor Syed Masood Kausar:

"We call on Pakistan to agree to a plan to deliver education for every child through building schools, training teachers and funding families whose daughters regularly attend school. All governments and international organizations must play their part to ensure that the millions of children who are currently out of school, get an education."

http://www.avaaz.org/en/malala_hope_f/?cmEfZcb

Over 480,000 have already signed.

http://educationenvoy.org/