Important people and places in "Malala the Girl Who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban"

Asia Bibi

A Christian woman living in Pakistan who is controversially sentenced to death for criticizing Islam.

Rehana

A Muslin Chaplin who visits Malala while in the hospital.

Ataullah Khan

A Taliban soldier who takes credit for shooting Malala, and is, at the end of I Am Malala, still at large.

Adnan Rashid

A Taliban soldier who was arrested for trying to assassinate President Musharraf in 2003. He later writes a letter to Malala, in which he expresses his shock that the Taliban tried to kill her.

Hidayatullah

A college friend of Ziauddin, with whom Ziauddin founds the Khushal School. While He plays an important part in making the Khushal School a success, he eventually becomes fed up with the slow progress and failing profitability of the school, and leaves Ziauddin to found a school of his own.

Kainat Riaz

A fellow student of Malala, who is injured by the Taliban soldier who shoots Malala.

Shazia

A fellow student of Malala, who is injured by the Taliban soldier who shoots Malala.

Nasir Pacha

A friend of Ziauddin's brother-in-law, who was instrumental in helping Ziauddin continue his education at an advanced level.

Fatima

A girl in Malala's community who makes eloquent speeches, and inspires Malala to make speeches of her own.

Taliban

A group of fundamentalist Muslims who took control of Afghanistan's government in 1996. They later came to Swat and Pakistan.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

A hospital in Birmingham where Malala is transferred.

Ghulamullah

A mufti (Islamic scholar) who lives in Malala's town of Mingora. He repeatedly tries to force Ziauddin to shut down his school, on the grounds that it's sacrilegious to educate women.

Martyr

A person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs. Tends to have a bad connotation in the book.

Jehanzeb

A prominent military and political leader who controlled the Swati Valley during its supposed "Golden Age," the period between 1945 and 1969.

Khushal Khan Khattak

A renowned Pakistani poet, and the namesake of Ziauddin's _________School, as well as the namesake of _________, Ziauddin's son.

Haroon

A young boy, only slightly older than Malala, who tells Malala that he loves her.

Colonel Junaid

A young but highly experienced doctor who saves Malala's life by performing a complicated surgery after she's shot in the head.

Arfa Karim

A young woman who speaks out for women's rights alongside Malala.

Raymond Davis

An American diplomat and supposed CIA agent who's arrested in Pakistan after shooting two Muslims who he claimed where harassing him. His arrest caused relationships between America and Pakistan to deteriorate in the early 2010's

Dr. Javid Kayani

An English doctor who travels to Pakistan to treat Malala following her shooting by the Taliban. He later becomes one of her most frequent companions when she's in a hospital in Birmingham. (No relation to General Kayani.)

Shiza Shahid

An acquaintance of Ziauddin who brings Malala to Islamabad, where Malala is exposed to Western culture, and to a society that encourages women to be educated and empowered.

Abdul Hai Kakar

An influential BBC reporter who publishes information about women's lives under the Taliban, and, thanks to Ziauddin, arranges for Malala to write a diary about her life.

Nawaz Sharif

An intermittent prime minister of Pakistan in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Zahid Khan

And old friend of Ziauddin, attacked and nearly murdered by the Taliban in 2009.

Osama Bin Laden

Arab terrorist who established al-Qaeda. The United States of America found him in an operation (causing Pakistan to dislike them more and think they were just trying to embarrass Pakistan).

President Asif Zardari

Benazir Bhutto's successor as the president of Pakistan, _____ _________ appears toward the end of I Am Malala, where he's instrumental in first delaying, then paying for Malala's transportation to England and her medical treatment there. Wanted a press conference at the hospital with her.

Dr. Fiona Renolds

British doctor who had been working in Rawalpindi when she was shot; Malala's father signs her legal guardianship to this person for the trip to England.

Dr. Anwen White

British doctor who operated on Malala's skull and decided to not use her real skull, but instead Titanium.

William Hague

British foreign minister

Syed Javid

Deputy commissioner in Swat who attended the Taliban meetings.

Sufi Mohammad

Father-in-law to Fazlullah.

Hazrat Khadija

First wife of the priest who was a businesswoman. Shows that the Quran is not against women in strong roles.

Mohammed Naeem Khan

Friend of Ziauddin and makes plans to found a school with him. Gets irritated with Ziauddin when they run into difficulties with money and part on bad terms

General Zia

General of the Pakistani Army and president who was assassinated in an airplane. Made strict laws against females.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

He was the head of the Muslim League in India, and worked to found Pakistan. He then became the first-governor-general of Pakistan. Malala visited his tomb while in the city of Karachi.

General Kayani

Important chief in the Pakistani army, arranges for Malala to be treated in a Pakistani military hospital after Malala's shooting, and later plays an important role in delaying Malala's transportation to superior medical facilities in England

Maulana Fazlullah

Influential Muslim leader and one do the first outspoken advocates for the Taliban in Pakistan. He openly supports Taliban violence and the murder of women who disobey his interpretation of Quranic law when Malala is 10. He is the voice behind "Radio Mullah."

Malauna Fazlullah

Is an influential Muslim leader and one of the first outspoken advocates for the Taliban in Pakistan.

Moniba

Malala's best friend in Mingora was smart, often runner-up to Malala in school. Had a good presentation, but not as good content.

Ziauddin Yousafzai

Malala's father who is a passionate speaker who supports Malala. Is the co founder of a school that he also taught at. Has managed to become a talented speaker despite having a bad stutter as a child

Dr. Afzal

Malala's father's friend, who transports them out of Swat when they escape and become IDPs for three months.

Malk-e-Noor

Malala's friend and one of her top competitors in grades. She wanted to be Pakistan's first female army chief. Name means "Queen on Light."

Rida

Malala's friend who was excellent at making speeches.

Shabana

Malala's friend who was killed by the Taliban in January 2009. Men knock on door and ask for her to dance. When she came back from putting on her dancing clothes, the men had their guns out and shot her.

Toor Pekai Yousafzai

Malala's mother; a very traditional Muslim woman, not wanted to be photographed and never had an education as a child. Name means "raven tresses.

Safina

Malala's neighbor and friend; they have a fight over a toy cell phone. Malala steals jewelry from her, so now Malala does not wear earrings.

Madam Maryam

Malala's teacher who continued teaching despite the Taliban's edict to close schools.

Atal Yousafzai

Malala's youngest brother, _____ isn't a major character in I Am Malala, despite his blood ties to Malala herself. He's depicted as a rambunctious young boy, more interested in games and jokes than rights and education.

President Barack Obama

One of Malala's favorite people. Malala looks up to him. 44th president of USA.

Dr. Raheela Qazi

One of the most vocal people against Malala. She is part of the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

Rehman Malik

The Pakistani interior minister, he also delays Malala's treatment in England after she's shot by the Taliban, because he doesn't want to embarrass Pakistan. He's also concerned that Malala will seek political asylum in England, which would be even more embarrassing for his country.

Malalai of Maiwand

The Pashtun heroine who was Malala's namesake. She is famous for using her courage to inspire her people to fight against the British army and win the battle.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, criticized by Malala for his lack of interest in women's rights.

Jamia Hafa

The biggest female madrasa in Pakistan and part of Lal Masjid, the Red Mosque, in Islamabad.

Faiz Muhammed

The brother of Tor Pekai, and an important influence on Ziauddin's moral education.

Major General Athar Abbas

The commander of the Pakistani army, and a (sometimes) reluctant ally of Malala in the second half of the memoir.

General Zia ul-Haq

The dictator of Pakistan at the end of the Cold War, General Zia ul-Haq was an important factor in promoting religious extremism in his country, and thus encouraging the rise of the Taliban.

Gordon Brown

The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the U.N. special envoy for education, later an important ally of Malala and Ziauddin.

Usman Bhai Jan

The man who drives children in Mingora to school, and the man who's driving the bus when a Taliban soldier shoots Malala.

General Pervez Musharraf

Took power in Pakistan in 1999 by overthrowing the elected government; works with the U.S. in Afghanistan. A military officer who took over the government in 1999. Became Pakistan's president from 2001-2008.

Yousafzai

Tribe that many Pashtuns, including Malala are from.

Benazir Bhutto

Twice prime minister of Pakistan in the 1980s and 1990s; first ran for office to avenge her father's execution by the military clique then in power. First female Prime minister of Pakistan.

Malak Bakht Baider

Vice President of the Awami National Party (ANP) who was a close friend of Malala's father. A khan who was kidnapped in his village by the Taliban and killed in January 2007.

Green Chowk

Where the Taliban put bodies that they had killed until 11:00. Also called Bloody Square.

Kushal Yousafzai

Younger brother of Malala. Middle child of the family. Born two years after Malala. Named like the father's school. Not a major character except for his blood ties to Malala.

Jehan Sher Khan Yousafzai

Ziauddin's cousin, and one of the only family members who celebrates Malala's birth.

Rohul Amin

Ziauddin's father. Is a great speaker and writes Ziauddins first speech that he practiced night and day.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

mastermind of 9/11 attacks on US.

Quran

the sacred writings of Islam revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad during his life at Mecca and Medina. The holy book of Islam.