Summary: Chapter 11 (The Clever Class)

School becomes a refuge for Malala during the war between the Taliban and the army. She continues to compete academically with Malka-e-Noor and Moniba. Her class of girls has a reputation for being particularly clever and asking a lot of questions. At the same time, the bomb blasts and killings make the situation in Swat worse. Because Fazlullah continues to insist that girls should stay home instead of going to school, the Taliban start to blow up schools. By the end of 2008, they have destroyed 400 schools. During one of these explosions, members of Moniba’s family are injured and killed. Malala’s father, Ziauddin, reassures Malala that the morning light helps them rediscover their courage. 

Meanwhile, Ziauddin becomes an important spokesperson for truth and peace, bringing attention to the situation in Swat. He travels to Peshawar and Islamabad to give interviews and speaks to Voice of America and the BBC. Following her father’s example, eleven-year-old Malala also gives interviews, speaking up for change. Despite the new government under President Asif Zardari, nothing improves in Swat. During Ramadan, the Taliban bombs powerlines and gas pipelines, and at the end of 2008, they announce the closure of girls’ schools.

Summary: Chapter 12 (The Bloody Square)

Malala explains that in Swat, the Taliban rule through terror. They leave the murdered bodies of wrongdoers in the square as a warning to others. The place becomes known as “Bloody Square.” The Taliban kill a well-known local dancer for what they claim is immoral behavior and a teacher for not wearing his shalwar, or pants, correctly. Malala and her father feel unnerved and overwhelmed by the relentless horrific events. People begin to accept that the Taliban will not go away, and the situation erodes trust between Pashtuns. Some become suspicious of Ziauddin, wondering why he is still alive even though he speaks out. Ziauddin must take extra precautions, often staying away from home to protect his family. 

The normalization of the Taliban is marked by the district deputy commissioner becoming a follower. Malala observes that unappreciated manual laborers join the Taliban to have more status. In 2008, Sufi Mohammad, the founder of TNSM, is released from prison. The army remains a strong presence in Swat but does not make life there better. Some, including Malala’s father, think that establishing sharia in Swat will help end Taliban violence. Malala observes that living in terror has deeply eroded Pashtun and Islamic values.

Analysis

Malala’s parents taught her that education equals freedom, and the changes during these chapters help to reinforce that lesson. As fear permeates Malala’s peaceful village, attending school is her salvation, even though her uniform makes her a target for the Taliban. Completing her education now has a new urgency for Malala and being in school gives her a sense of control in a completely chaotic environment. It is also a place where she can act her age and enjoy time with friends. She knows the Taliban tries to limit education because people need education to bring about change in their country. Although she takes a risk by attending school every day, education now represents freedom in a very personal way for Malala. It will not just allow her to be independent in the future, but it also gives her freedom from violence outside the school walls.

Malala casually mentions in Chapter 11 that she begins tagging along with her father when he meets his activist friends. As she did when she was young, she listens intently to their conversations and gains a deeper understanding of Swat Valley’s difficult situation, but she notices a big shift in the tone of the conversations now. The Taliban are the obvious enemies, but the government cannot be trusted either. As opposed to when she was younger, the Pakistanis’ world has been turned upside down by the Taliban and no one can be trusted. Malala understands that if people like her father and herself do not speak up, nothing will change. Coming on the heels of Bhutto’s assassination, listening to these conversations makes Malala feel a new urgency in her obligation to act, which inspires her to give her first interview with her classmates at a peace rally organized by her father.

One way Malala quells her fear of standing up to the Taliban is by remembering that the rights she is fighting for are much bigger than herself. During dark times, Malala, well-spoken and brave, regularly gives interviews about education and peace. Although she is quite young and these interviews are an admirable accomplishment, Malala is remarkably humble in her description of them as necessary for the sake of Pakistani girls, not something she does for personal notoriety. Malala explains that her faith allows her to trust that God will always protect her because she does important work that will affect so many people. Eventually, Malala realizes that she is speaking not only for young girls but also for the very journalists who interview her. Everyone is so paralyzed with fear of the Taliban that the media will not speak out against them, but they will interview people like Malala who will speak against them.

The events unfolding around Malala illustrate how fear is used to intimidate and control people, but Malala refuses to surrender. Murder and bloodshed are becoming commonplace, but Shebana’s murder especially highlights the fear and hypocrisy used by the Taliban. Although men loved to watch Shabana’s dancing, they did not respect her because she was a dancer. The Taliban claims the reason for her murder is that it is dictated by Islamic law. Shebana’s cries for help on the night of her death are ignored by the people nearby, and Malala sees that it is really fear that killed Shabana. Once her neighbors grow fearful, they become easy to coerce. Malala does an interview a short time after the murder and denounces this kind of distortion of her Muslim religion. Without fear of consequences, she points out the Taliban’s hypocrisy in claiming that they are Muslim while defiling the religion by also claiming it justifies the murder of innocent women.