From Malala to Parkland, why are the victims demonised? | Nesrine Malik

The Nobel prize winner and the Florida school children have been vilified. It’s because the powerful want to stay in control

Malala Yousafzai is one of the world’s best-known figures, a Nobel prizewinner and a global advocate for female education. She went from being a schoolgirl in the Swat valley of Pakistan to a global figure, all before the age of 20, and throughout she has maintained an almost preternatural poise and unwavering loyalty to her home country. Last week she returned to Pakistan for the first time since she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman six years ago. Yet her visit was marred by a grotesque coordinated campaign, where private school teachers announced an “I am not Malala” day. Children were made to wear black armbands, hold up placards and sit through lectures on why Malala should be condemned.

Related: 'Happiest day of my life': Malala returns to Pakistan for first time since Taliban shooting

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2GzTytF