How they see it, October 28, 2012
The shooting of Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai
1. Chicago Tribune
You've heard this horrific story by now: A Taliban gunman boarded a school bus in Pakistan's Swat Valley badlands last week and shot 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai in the head. The reason? Malala wanted to go to school. That's forbidden by the Taliban. Taliban terrorists in Pakistan have destroyed at least 200 schools for girls. But Malala would not back down. … Now she'll need surgery to repair or replace damaged bones in her skull and neurological treatment. British doctors say Malala has every chance to make a "good recovery." We hope the world again hears Malala's voice. We hope Pakistan officials hear its echoes now. This is a brutal reminder that Pakistan's long battle against the Taliban still rages. (Chicago)
2. Express Tribune
Malala can now stand and write and appears to be on the path to recovery. Unfortunately, it appears her would-be assassins may end up living equally long lives. So far, a few arrests have been made, but there is no indication that any of those apprehended were her shooters. … The obvious next step would be to launch a military operation in North Waziristan, where the [Taliban] and other militant groups like the Haqqani network are able to operate … Our lack of reaction will only embolden the Taliban. … Either we act decisively and launch a military operation to minimise the menace of militancy or we should stop our criticisms of drone strikes, which aim to eliminate the very militants, who we refuse to target. (Karachi)
3. Asahi Shimbun
Such a despicable crime must not be tolerated. Three years ago, Yousafzai began a blog in which she expressed thoughts about daily school life. She also took part in a government-organised lecture, in which she asserted the need for girls' education. The problem is not restricted to her neighbourhood. In many regions worldwide there are people who think women have no need for education and that they should marry men of their families' choosing. We applaud Yousafzai's courage. Despite threats, she continued to speak out. There must be many girls who share her thoughts. … The idea of denying education to women can be traced back to conventions rooted in Asian and African societies. It is not a question of religion. (Tokyo)
