At its meeting in Brussels from 16-18 October, the Executive Board of Education International, which represents 30 million teachers and other educators worldwide, condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the shooting by the Taliban of the fourteen year old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, because of her efforts to promote girls education.
Malala Yousafzai is a school student from the town of Mingora, in the Swat District of Pakistan where the Talibanhas at times banned girls from attending school. In early 2009, at the age of 11, Yousafzai came to prominence through a blog she wrote for the BBC detailing her life under the Taliban regime, their attempts to take control of the valley, and her views on promoting education for girls. The following summer, a New York Times documentary was filmed about her life. On 9 October 2012, for having the courage to speak out for the right of Pakistani girls to receive an education, Malala was shot in the head and neck in an outrageous assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen, while returning home on a school bus. In the days following the attack, she remained unconscious and in critical condition,and on 15 October she was sent to the United Kingdomfor further treatment. The most recent reports indicate that she will make a good recovery. A group of 50 Islamic clerics in Pakistan have issued a fatwa against those who tried to kill her. The Taliban has reiterated its intent to kill Malala and her father, Ziauddin. In her campaign for education for girls, Malala Yousafzai has shown bravery and courage beyond her years. She is an inspiration to all who believe that education is a human right and a public good and that it should be available to all irrespective of gender, race, colour or creed. The EI Executive Board calls on all member organisations to support Malala, and her campaign for education for all in Pakistan, by writing to their national governments demanding that they express support for Malala and her campaign, and by contacting the Pakistan government demanding that it ensures that all Pakistani girls have access to the vital opportunity for progress and well-being that education provides ,and, that Malala and her supporters be protected from the extremists who so callously tried to silence her. "The right of all children to go to school and live in peace is not negotiable", stressed Susan Hopgood, President of Education International, during the Executive Board meeting. "Denying women rights and opportunities, and denying children an education will only perpetuate the cycle of poverty and inequality," said the President. EI’s affiliate, the Pakistan Teachers Organization's Council, has also condemned the attack by terrorist groups and is supporting teachers and students rallies defending a successful education system in Pakistan.