Pakistani schools hold anti-Malala day


A network of Pakistani private schools held an "I am not Malala" day on Monday to protest the Nobel Peace Prize winner's support of novelist Salman Rushdie.
The All Pakistan Private Schools Federation banned its members from purchasing the 17-year-old's memoir, I am Malala, last year, because it allegedly contained "anti-Pakistan and anti-Islam content." The federation alleged that the book was "too sympathetic" toward Rushdie, AFP reports. An Iranian edict called for Rushdie's murder in 1989 for blasphemy against Islam in his book The Satanic Verses.
Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban in 2012 after campaigning for girls' education in Pakistan. The Pakistani schools' federation, however, has called her a "Western agent" who has shamed Pakistan.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pakistani schools held walks, seminars, and press conferences on Monday condemning Yousafzai, who now lives in the U.K. --Meghan DeMaria
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
Acid rain is back: the sequel nobody wanted
Under The Radar A 'forever chemical' in rainwater is reviving a largely forgotten environmental issue
-
Book reviews: 'Clint: The Man and the Movies' and 'What Is Wrong With Men: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (Of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything'
Feature A deep dive on Clint Eastwood and how Michael Douglas' roles reflect a shift in masculinity
-
Recreation or addiction? Military base slot machines rake in millions.
Under the Radar There are several thousand slot machines on military bases
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read