Shot in the head by Taliban thugs for exercising her right to an education, 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai from the Swat valley has become an international symbol of hope, resistance, and courage.
Her crime was to write an online diary about suffering under the Taliban, who accused her of "promoting secularism".
As she returned home from school in Mingora, northern Pakistan, on Tuesday October 9th, two armed men on foot stopped a van packed with a dozen schoolgirls during afternoon rush hour. One asked which of the girls was Malala – and then fired three shots, hitting Malala in the head and injuring two others.
Now the Taliban have issued another statement threatening further violence against her and her supporters.
A wave of solidarity has broken out across Pakistan and the world, supported by those who believe in education, female emancipation, and freedom from terror. The slogan "I am Malala" has adorned thousands of t-shirts and candle-lit vigils.
On Monday October 15th Malala was flown to the UK for urgent medical treatment. Doctors say the coming days are critical.
Let this appalling and brutal crime, and the international solidarity it has generated, be the moment when you take a stand against Taliban tyranny and champion the cause Malala fought for so bravely. We are Malala too.
