2014 Nobel Peace Prize : Malala Yousafzai & Kailash Satyarthi

[EmoBorg]

Pakistanis education activist Malala Yousafzai, along with Kailash Satyarthi of India, has won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to fight for children's rights in their respective countries.



http://www.independent.ie/world-news/nobel-prize-for-activist-malala-30653651.html

 

[Miss Chicken]

It seems that quite a few Pakistanis are not happy that Malala has won the prize. They consider her a sell-out to the West.

 

[bbailey861]

It seems that quite a few Pakistanis are not happy that Malala has won the prize. They consider her a sell-out to the West.

Well, that was to be expected, wan't it.

 

[auntiehill]

I have the greatest respect for Miss Yousafzai. She deserves all the accolades she can get.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Yes, she does deserve it. But I'm not surprised that some Pakistanis disagree. I just hope it doesn't increase the danger she's already in.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Well-deserved on both counts. Good for them.

 

[BigJake]

It's good to see their efforts get recognition. And Kailash Satyarthi is a fascinating figure about whom I'm surprised not to have heard more before.

Some worthwhile reminders, though, on Malala: the Malala you won't hear about is an unabashed Socialist who opposes drone strikes and global poverty, and sees herself as a champion of genuine Islam and Pashtun tradition (the sort of thing your more patronizing and paternalistic breed of Westerner imagines she'll grow out of). There is a great deal of White Saviour Complex going on with her reception and the (very selective) use of her image and story in the West, even as many other less convenient stories get cropped out of frame.

None of that reduces her extraordinary accomplishments or courage. It's just a good idea to remember not to take the surface narrative at face value; appreciating (to a greater extent, anyway) the context and meaning of what's going on in her story -- and how many other similar stories there are out there which for often telling reasons do not get embraced in the West -- is worth some extra digging.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

^ Speaking of patronizing and paternalistic, your post is a good example. You don't need to address us as though we're all uneducated and/or superficial.

 

[BigJake]

^ Speaking of patronizing and paternalistic, your post is a good example.

Oh my, here comes the rubber and the glue and the mmmglayven. Zing.

If it's advice you don't need or are already following, feel perfectly free to ignore me. If my post bothers you or makes you feel defensive because you feel implicated in any of the attitudes I'm criticizing, your time is better spent addressing the reasons for that than trying to concern-troll me about my tone, which impresses me not even a little bit.