Malala

7. In this chapter, several differences were noted between the way girls and boys were treated, Some were noticed by Malala's father, Ziauddin, as he grew up, and other differences became more extreme under General Zia's regime. List several of these differences.

-a woman who was raped could go to jail if she could not provide four male witnesses -a woman could not open a bank account without a man's approval -women on hockey teams would have to wear baggy pants instead of shorts -some women's sports were shut down all together. -boys could go to school and even to a university. -girls had to stop going to school once they were married -boy would get the best part of a chicken, while girls got the wing -boys get cream or milk in their tea

5. In this chapter, Malala begins to question some of the Pashtun code, particularly the treatment of women. List some examples that bother her?

-child marriage -marrying a widowed man from another clan -flugritinn -swara

4. What brought about the American intervention and influence near Malala's home?

9/11 and the manhunt to kill Osama bin laden.

5. Why is Malala's father called a falcon?

A falcon "is a creature that flies high above other creatures" (Yousafzai 39). His father called him this after he said his first speech in front of everyone without a stutter.

2. What's a ghost school and why do you think Malala's father was so annoyed with them?

A ghost school is when the government builds a school to advertise how nice they are being to their people. They either do not use it or they use it to store their animals. Malala's father doesn't like them because they aren't using the building to teach.

significant to the future?

America and the JUD sent aide. Jamaat-ul-Dawa set up help centers and took in orphans. But later taught them to follow a corrupt version of the Quran.

1. What happened on October 8th, 2005 in her homeland?

An earthquake had hit Pakistan.

9. It is important to note that Malala's early references to Pashtunwali explain a cultural code of ethics that is separate from the actual religion of Islam, even though both had tremendous influence in her formative years. She explains near the end of the chapter that "like all Swati's I thought of myself first as Swati and then Pashtun, before Pakistani." Explain the difference in the three terms and why she may have placed them in this order of importance.

At first she considered herself a Swati because that was what the majority of people around them considered themselves. Gradually she grew into herself, and became more aware of who she was becoming. She started to consider herself Pashtun. I think that since she was able to identify herself she could call herself a true Pakistani. Also, due to her culture, Swati is her specific division of Pashtun, therefore she is a more specific person when she classifies them like this.

2. Why do so few people in Pakistan celebrate the birth of a baby girl? What is the attitude of Malala's father toward the birth his daughter?

Baby girls normally are frowned upon because they are simply there to cook and have children, whereas a boy carries on the name and is allowed to accomplish anything he to desires. For this reason, many don't celebrate the birth of a girl. However, her father was happy she was born, and he broke many traditions to celebrate her.

3. Why did the disaster have such a detrimental impact on Pakistan?

Because Pakistani buildings could not with stand the force of the earthquake.

5. Why does Malala decide to stop wearing earrings?

Because they reminded her of her theft and tempted her.

8. What are the various religions that have "ruled" the Swat Valley?

Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu.

8. How did Americans seem to make matters worse in this time of political and religious unrest in Pakistan?

By America bombing parts of Pakistan to try and catch Osama bin Laden, they made matters worse.

3. What events ushered in this more restrictive time?

General Zia ul-Haq came into power.

5. During the tremors after the earthquake Ziauddin insisted the family stay home in their house and go to bed, even though his wife wanted to leave. Malala attributes this to "we Muslims believe our fate is written by God." If Ziauddin truly believed this, why was he such a political activist Why wouldn't he just leave everything up to God? Or was this the reason he kept going, even when he seemed to have so much opposition?

He believed God controlled and decided everything. He thought got wanted him to stand up for women, in His name. Also, that he should stop people from using God's will as an excuse.

3. Why does Malala's father believe that education is so important to Pakistan?

He believes that education is the key to solving all of Pakistan's problems. It could help educate people and keep them from being fooled into re-electing poor politicians.

7. What did Alexander the Great do when he reached the Swat Valley?

He came into the valley with thousands of elephants and soldiers on his way from afghanistan to the indus, then built a wooden ramp for catapults and arrows to reach the top of the mountain, and finally, climbed up the mountain to catch the star of jupiter as a symbol of his power.

7. What objections did the Mufti have to the school?

He did not think that it was right for girls to go to school. He argued that the boys felt ashamed and embarrassed to go to school with girls.

4. Explain how and why Malala's father eventually rejected jihad or what became known as "militant Islam."

He finally rejected jihad when he met Malala's mother's family. He would go to her father's hujra. Her mother's family was very involved with local politics and they belonged to the secular nationalist parties. Her family was also against fighting.

10. In this chapter, what personal qualities helped Ziauddin realize his dream of running his own school?

He had a major passion for education. He believed it was the key to fixing most of Pakistan's problems.

5. Who is Mohammed Naeem Khan? Why is he important to Malala's father?

He is one of Malala's father's friends. He helped Malala's father financially. So he could go to school. They opened a school together.

1. What issue did Malala's father overcome in his youth?

He lost most of his stutter He got his father's approval when he said a speech fluently without stuttering in a contest

8. What was Ziauddin's reaction to the controversial parody "The Satanic Verses?"

He thought that it was offensive, but he suggested that they read the book, then make their decision about it. After deciding that the book was offensive, he thought that instead of banning the book, they should write a book in response to it.

9. When a bribe was expected in order to register his Khushal School, how did Ziauddin react?

He turned on him. He challenged the officials to protect other school owners.

2. How did Malala's father deal with her after the incident?

Her father is disappointed, but does not scold her. He tells Malala stories about heroes who make mistakes. He tells her how he thinks that everyone is okay to make mistakes as long as they learn from it.

1. Is Malala's mother educated?

Her mother started to go to school when she was 6, but she quit during that same term.

2. Do you think Malala's childhood is much different than yours? Why or why not?

I think her childhood is different from mine because we faced completely different problems. She had to face the role of girls in her society and how dangerous living in Pakistan would be, while I had to face small problems that did not put my life in danger.

3. What is the relation between the ISI and the Taliban?

ISI is the Taliban's intelligence group. They nearly created the Taliban and they fund them.

3. Did the lesson she learned help her later on in life? How so?

It helped her become an honest person. It also influenced her in her first speaking contest, where her subject was about how honesty is the best policy.

8. What is "jihad" and how did it grow to become a "sixth pillar" of the Islamic religion?

It is the fight against enemies of the islam religion. Clerics of mosques would say that it was a good muslim's duty to join the jihad.

6. When Ziauddin encouraged some of the poor to come to school, Malala reports that some of the richer parents took their children out of the school, thinking it shameful for their children to mix with those from poor families. How does this example of human behavior connect with changes in education in the United States? Can you make any personal connections?

It pushed for schools in less privileged areas to stay open. Even without a lot of room, schools would still accept kids. If a child had no money in their lunch account, the school allows them to get free meals. Some schools send kids home on fridays with bags full of food to keep their families fed. I personally have not experienced any of these problems, but some of my family members do qualify for things such as this.

7. How well did the schools Malala's father started fare?

It was difficult. There was not enough people in the village who wanted an english education. This made it difficult to meet ends meet. They were forced to take out loans.

2. Was the "restricted" life of women always the case in Malala's home region?

It was for the people around her, but Malala's father wanted to give her more freedom.

2. What were the immediate effects of this disaster?

Landslides and buildings started collapsing due to poor structure.

4. In Malala's description of the trip back to their home village of Barkana, what positive images seem to contrast the deep poverty of the area?

Malala described the fresh air, clear rivers and streams, and the beautiful mountains. When you read this you cannot tell that the people living there are poor.

5. Before she was shot, did Malala fear for her own life? Why or why not?

Malala did not fear for her life because she repeatedly said ""The Taliban have never come for a small girl""(Yousafzai 7).

6. What values and principles did Malala get from her father?

Malala gets her passion for education from her father and admires his passion to give encouraging speeches. She also does not wear a lot of embroidered clothes or own fancy jewelry, just like her father. Even with the threats of the Taliban, Malala and her father still fight for education.

3. Why is Malala annoyed with the Pashtun code of conduct for women? 4. What's her overall view of her family and culture?

Malala is annoyed because it takes away most of the women's rights. She loves her family and culture, but she would like for her culture to expand on education and women's rights.

6. For whom is the Khushal school named?

Malala named the school after Khushal Khan Khattak. He was a poet from Akora. He tried to unify all Pashtun tribes against the Moghuls.

2. What were some of the initial obstacles Malala's father faced when he wanted to attend the university?

Malala's dad had to figure out how to get money to pay for the University.

3. What ultimately happened to satisfy those who wanted to close the school?

Malala's father told the girls to go into the school from a back gate instead of the front.

3. After whom is Malala named? Why is this significant?

Malalai of Maiwand. Malalai was a strong warrior who stood up for what she believes in, therefore Malala being given this name is a slight foreshadowing into the rest of her future, even if her father didn't know that at the time.

1. Explain at least three examples of how Malala's father broke from tradition before and after she was born?

Put Malala's name on the family treeAsked people to throw dried fruits, sweets, and coins into her cradleInstead of pushing Malala to get married, he pushed for her to get an education.

6. Why do you think the KPK is independent? Does this cultural and geographical independence from the main part of Pakistan mean anything for the rest of Malala's story?

SWAT or KPK was once a part of the British colony (India). When the British gave India their independence, the KPK went with Pakistan but stayed autonomous politically. This independence from the main part of Pakistan might show that since she is from an independent part of the country, Pakistan might not listen to her complaints about education.

7. How does Malala associate her own lesson about greed with the ever-changing governmental regimes of Pakistan?

She compares her stealing to how corrupt the government is, and how one time turns into repeatedly doing it.

1. Why was Malala so taken with the plight of the Rubbish Children?

She felt bad about how lavishly she lived compared to the children. She tried to persuade her father to talk to them and give them a place in the school.

2. What tensions does Malala find in her religion? What is confusing to her?

She finds tension between people who think girls should go to school or should not go to school. This confused Malala because she believes that every girl has a right to get an education.

4. Who is Benazir Bhutto? And why is she important?

She is the Prime Minister's daughter. She was the first female Prime Minister. She encouraged people to speak and promoted education.

8. Summarize Malala's first public speaking competition. What were the results and what goal did she set?

She is trying to get her father's and grandfather's approval. She is competing against one of her friends, but she wants to win in order to turn her weakness into strength. She comes in second and her friend comes in first.

1. What did Malala learn about stealing? Do you think this was an important lesson for her?

She learned that it is wrong and it brings shame and hurt to your family. I think this was important to her because she realized the importance in living honestly.

5. What are some examples of how Malala's family reached out to those less fortunate?

She tried to persuade people in her school to pay for other students who cannot afford school. After seeing the kids dig through the trash to get money, she tried to persuade her dad to give the kids a free place in the school.

1. Why did Malala visit her familial village?

She visited for the EID holiday, celebrated after Ramadan.

4. What are society's expectations of girls? What are the attitudes of Malala and her father about the role of girls in society?

Society's expectations of girls is to cook, clean, and have children. Malala and her father feel that girls should be educated, and that they have much more meaning to their life than to simply cook and have babies.

6. Explain the difference between the Sunnis and the Shias.

Sunnis believe that you should follow Mohammad's friends, while Shias believe that you should follow the prophet's family.

4. Who is the MMA and what did they attempt to do in Pakistan?

The MMA is the Muttahida Majlis e-Amal. They are a group of 5 religious parties. They were very strict and helped supply the Taliban.

7. Even though Malala's mother had not continued her own education, in what ways did she help further her husband's dream of their school and the cause of education?

The mother would make extra breakfast for girls who couldn't afford food. She would also go over to other families houses to help them, or she would visit a sick person in the hospital.

6. What other parts of Pashtunwali begin to trouble Malala in this chapter?

There is a part that says that you should take revenge on those who have wronged you. This is hard because she is constantly troubled and picked on.

5. What does the mufti's activities indicate about the changing culture in Malala's homeland?

They are going to become more conservative and restricting towards how much freedom the girls have.

4. Why don't Pashtuns say "Thank You?"

They believe that when they say thank you, they then would owe that person a sale deed.

1. Why did the mufti try to close the Khushal School?

They did not like that girls were going to school, because they thought that they should be married off instead. The men said that it was disrespectful for the girls to be going to school while men had to watch.

8. How did the Pakistanis view the events of 9/11, according to this account?

They did not support the Taliban, but they didn't want America intruding or using their airfields.

9. Why might the authors have provided so much information about the stormy religious and political background of Pakistan in this part of the book?

They might use this to show the progression of their country. When Malala was younger, she talked about the beautiful trees, mountains, streams, etc. She talked about how at school, girls could take off their headscarves. Now, there are rules made by men that are taking away the freedoms of women.

6. Why might Malala and her co-writer, Christina Lamb, have inserted this chapter about various visits to the countryside and the home village at this point in the biography?

This chapter gives examples of how Pakistan use to be and how it may seem dirty to outsiders, but how beautiful the people living there see it. It also expresses the time when Malala realizes how bad women are actually being treated.

6. Why did Part I begin with the quote "Rather I receive your bullet-riddled body with honor—Than news of your cowardice on the battlefield"? What was the real battlefield described in this section? How did Malala and her family show their honor?

This quote is what Malalai of Maiwand stood for, and what Malala's name represented. The real battle field was the daily struggles of the Pakistani people. They showed their honor by helping the less-fortunate, believing in their faith, and by Malala attending school and learning from her past mistakes.

9. How did Ziauddin turn his weakness into strength?

Ziauddin practiced his weaknesses repeatedly to make sure he would become stronger.