Malala Yousafzai is an ardent Marxist and Socialist.

[Ichingcarpenter]

49. She's an ardent Marxist and Socialist

But that doesn't seem to come out.

BTW.... I think that's great.

Malala was also a member of the International Marxist Tendency, supporting international socialism as professed by the Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky. She sent a message to the group's thirty-second congress on March 9, 2013 asserting that members needed to push ahead in their struggle for socialism and make education reform a priority in advancing the movement


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malala_Yousafzai

Her message to the conference she couldn't attend because of injuries.

"I am convinced Socialism is the only answer and I urge all comrades to take this struggle to a victorious conclusion. Only this will free us from the chains of bigotry and exploitation.” - Malala Yousafzai

[idwiyo]

1. k&r

[jehop61]

2. So you say,

She's a 16 year old young woman, who has lived in a 3rd world country most of her life. Why in the world would anyone attribute such "lofty" political principles to her? She has done much to promote her cause, and I just wonder why you have thrown out phrases guaranteed to p.o. folks and frame her in a negative light for many? If your a dedicated socialist, fine. But leave this brilliant young person alone. You know nothing about her.

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. She says she is not me....I didn't attack her

I salute and celebrate her..If her Marxist inclinations shock you
then she's doing her job shaking you up too.

[Atman]

4. Why can't facts be stated?

I find this quite interesting. I know little about her...her Daily Show appearance was about the most in-depth information I've received, and while it was refreshing, it was pretty much a positive-PR puff piece (whew, I alliterated the heck out of that one!). An "attack" would be throwing out conflated or false accusations, but merely stating supposed facts about one's background does not rise to that level.

That said, I also understand that a 16 year old -- especially one whose short time on Earth has been marked by such incredible adversity -- can tend to have rather rabid political leanings. Good, that's as it should be. Now, given the information in the OP, I'm certainly interested in finding out more about her. Yes, "Marxist" is a hot-button term, but if that what she professes to be, then she'll have to own it and we can accept or reject her because of it. Let's learn more, and not "attack" the messenger.

[leveymg]

5. Those characteristics don't p.o. a lot of us or frame her in a negative light.

[ctsnowman]

6. The response says

a lot about how well the fascists have framed the discourse in this country.

Peace.

[Starry Messenger]

7. Who would it piss off?

[socialist_n_TN]

13. Not only a dedicated socialist here, but a dedicated TROTSKYIST too.......

It doesn't put her in a negative light at all to me. If it does to you, you might should read the terms for this group. I would venture to say that most of us here, even if not Marxist or Trotskyist, would not consider this to be a negative light.

[TBF]

14. "phrases guaranteed to p.o. folks and frame her in a negative light for many"

You probably clicked into this group without realizing it. "Socialist Progressives" is a protected group. We welcome socialists and communists here.

[2banon]

17. This is awesome, I just learned this group existed on du.

Looks like it's been around for a while...

[NuclearDem]

15. Socialism isn't a bad word.

If you think so, you're in the way wrong place.

[TheKentuckian]

18. Why does this "p.o." you?

[wingzeroday]

8. Hello

Do you have a link where she herself says this?

I found no such info on Wikipedia. A brief search does show the International Marxist Tendency making the claim that someone read a message purported to be from Malala and also that same claim being reposted across the net many times. Would love to know more about this so any links of her addressing this issue directly would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. link

http://www.marxist.com/historic-32nd-congress-of-pakistani-imt-1.htm

[2banon]

16. Thanks for the link.. Iching..

I had seen an interview with her on News Hour, I think it was last Friday.. I don't recall Margaret Werner bringing this up in that conversation.

So I go to this link you provided and I'm blown away..

excerpted:

Message from Malala

Comrade Javed Iqbal, a Pakistani comrade from Birmingham in the UK, intervened to read out a message that had been sent from Malala Yousafzai, the young sympathiser of the Marxist Tendency famous for her part in the struggle for the right to education for girls in Pakistan. She had taken part in the national Marxist Summer School in July of last year in Swat. She was tragically shot in the head in a barbaric attack by fundamentalists, and made headlines worldwide. She is now thankfully recovering in the UK.

The message she sent reads as follows:

“First of all I’d like to thank The Struggle and the IMT for giving me a chance to speak last year at their Summer Marxist School in Swat and also for introducing me to Marxism and Socialism. I just want to say that in terms of education, as well as other problems in Pakistan, it is high time that we did something to tackle them ourselves. It’s important to take the initiative. We cannot wait around for any one else to come and do it. Why are we waiting for someone else to come and fix things? Why aren’t we doing it ourselves?

“I would like to send my heartfelt greetings to the congress. I am convinced Socialism is the only answer and I urge all comrades to take this struggle to a victorious conclusion. Only this will free us from the chains of bigotry and exploitation.”

interesting letter from a 16 year old.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

10. Not surprising,

since she is a smart and thoughtful person.