Malala Yousafzai was a normal Pakistani schoolgirl in 2009 until the Taliban started their crusade to end education for Pakistani girls. Malala had a dream, at that time, to become a doctor and her hunger for education only grew when the Taliban forbade the education of the females of the Pakistan. It was only after Malala’s family had to flee Swat Valley and her hometown in Pakistan, that Malala’s dream changed to becoming a politician instead of a doctor. After the turmoil she witnessed she believed she would be more able to help her people and her Swat by becoming a politician and becoming the voice for the Pakistani women and girls. It was this very proactive, assertive feminine voice that, unfortunately, attracted the attention of the Taliban.

Malala Yousafzai was only fourteen-years-old when the Taliban targeted her for wanting to go to school. She was, by them, living in Abbottabad, Pakinstan, where Bin Laden was killed last year, because her family had fled to because of Taliban threats. On October 23, 2012, Taliban members finally succeeded in hunting her down. They stopped the van that was taking her, and some other Pakistani girls, to a school in Mingora in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley, and made the other girls point her out. They opened fire on the van shooting Malala in the head and neck; one bullet got lodged into her shoulder. Three other girls were injured, but it was clear that the Taliban targeted Malala as the other girls were shot in the shoulder, leg, and arm, incidental wounds.

The Taliban targeted Malala because she was bringing Western ways into Pakistan by deliberately trying to keep the education for girls alive. After the attack, the Taliban openly admitted to shooting the young girl and claimed that if she ever did return to Pakistan that they would finish the job and take the young girl’s life.

After the attack, Malala was air lifted to the Untied Kingdom where she could receive better medical care. This was also a precaution to ensure that the Taliban would not be able to harm her further. Malala is now in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England. Physicians there are saying that Malala will need reconstructive surgery to help repair the damage done to the back of her skull from the shooting. They are waiting for the swelling in her brain to go down before making predictions about her eventual outcome.

When asked if the family would be staying in the United Kingdom Malala’s father simply replied that Malala is a strong girl and after the surgery the family will be going back to Pakistan to stand up against the Taliban. As soon as she was conscious Malala asked first for her schoolbooks so she could stay on top of her schoolwork.

This young girl’s struggle is just a reminder to all of the free world who are fortunate enough to be able to attend school, that we are blessed to be able to live without fear and know that school will be there the next morning.

Mean while the world watches and hopes for Malala’s full recovery.