A
few days ago a Pakistani girl named
Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman because she
campaigned for girls' education. Now she becomes a national heroin in
Pakistan.
But do u know the name Malala is very famous in Afganistan. It has a great history.
While in Britain, no one has heard of her, in Afghanstan Malalai (or Malala) is a legend. Smaller facts in the story vary slightly, but although it is Ayub Khan who became known as the Victor of Maiwand, it is said that it was Malalai who actually saved the day. She was a native of Khig, a tiny village on the edge of the Maiwand battlefield, and the daughter of a shepard. Both her father and fiancée joined with Ayub's army in the attack on the British on July 27th 1880 (which some say was also her wedding day), and like many women, Malalai was there to help tend to the wounded and provide water and spare weapons. Eventually there came a point in the battle where the Afghan army, despite their superior numbers, started to lose morale and the tide seemed to be turning in favour of the British. Seeing this, Malalai took off her veil and shouted out:
"Young love! If you do not fall in the battle of Maiwand,
By God, someone is saving you as a symbol of shame!" |
This gave many of
the Afghan fighters and ghazis a new resolve and they redoubled their efforts.
At that moment one of the leading flag-bearers fell from a British bullet, and
Malalai went forward and held up the flag (some versions say she made a flag
out of her veil), singing a landai:
"With a drop of my sweetheart's blood,
Shed in defense of the Motherland, Will I put a beauty spot on my forehead, Such as would put to shame the rose in the garden," |
But then Malalai was herself struck down and killed.
However, her words had spurred on her countrymen and soon the British lines
gave way, broke and turned, leading to a disastrous retreat back to Kandahar and the biggest
defeat for the Anglo-Indian army in the Second Afghan War. Ayub Khan afterwards
gave a special honour to Malalai and she was buried at her village, where her
grave can still be found.
From that
day the name Malala became very famous.
That Malala
sacrifices life for Afghanistan and this Malala going to sacrifices life for
Pakistani girls education.
God bless u Malala.
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