Not Just Malala

I often get frustrated when a new news story pushes other stories off the radar.  I also get frustrated when the media focuses only on one or two people when others get ignored or forgotten by the media for various reasons.

I am proud of Malala, and glad she won the Nobel Peace Prize (along with Kailash Satyarthi, another person not well known until this week)

So let's shine some attention on Malala's friends.

They were shot too

Shazia Ramzan

Shazia Ramzan CBS NEWS (photo)

Kainat Riaz

Kainat Riaz CBS NEWS (photo)

The Other Girls on the Bus: How Malala’s Classmates Are Carrying On

Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz were also injured in the attack on Malala Yousafzai. And they are back in school to continue their friend’s quest

By Aryn Baker / MingoraDec. 19, 2012

Four bullets, three school girls, point blank range. It is nothing short of a miracle that all three survived. Malala, of course, was sent to England for treatment of serious wounds to the head. She will be fine, but at this point in time, it is not clear when, or if, she will come back to Swat. Shazia and Kainat, however, returned to the Kushal School and College for girls on Nov. 29, determined to continue their education no matter the threat. “I love to study, and nothing will stop me, not even a bullet,” Kainat told TIME on her first day back in class. Shazia was equally defiant: “Even if they attack me three more times, I will always go back to school.”

The story of Malala’s shooting and survival has inspired millions and focused attention on her campaign for girl’s education around the world. Presidents and prime ministers have lavished praise on her. Pakistan’s army chief has hailed her as a hero. But heroes come in different sizes. Every single one of the students at Khushal, which was founded by Malala’s father Ziauddin Yousafzai, returned to school, despite the fact that the gunman and his accomplice have yet to be caught. Even the suspected shooter’s sister, Rehanna Haleem, defied expectations and condemned her brother’s alleged actions in a Nov. 6 interview with CNN. “He has brought shame on our family, “ she said. “What he did was intolerable. I don’t consider Atta Ullah my brother anymore.” Standing up to the Taliban in such a public manner takes guts. Attah Ullah, the accused, may have fled to Afghanistan, but the fact that he was able to attack a school bus, and get away in an area not 200 meters from an army checkpoint suggests that the Taliban continue to have sympathizers in the area. “This is what I call real character, standing up in the face of adversity, knowing full well what the repercussions could be,” says Mubasher Akram Butt, a political analyst based in Islamabad. “Anyone of these girls could be killed by the gunman’s accomplices, yet they are unbowed.”

An excellent 14 minute video from BBC (I could not find how to embed this video)
Battle over girls' education in SWAT


Here is the full program




Here is another short interview