A tale of two girls

Published October 14, 2012 | 11:58 am

Gurinder Gill

Malala Yousufzai and Amanda ToddWhile the world was busy celebrating ‘International Day of the Girl Child’, the tragedy of two girls further emphasised the reminder of celebrating such events in true letter and spirit. During the global celebrations of this day, the global attention was focused on Malala Yousafzai and in Canada the attention was on Amanda Todd.

In Pakistan, young Malala Yousufzai spent the first United Nations International Day of the Girl laying unconscious in a Pakistani
hospital bed after being shot in the head for the audacity of wanting an education. Pakistani teen inspires us because she had the courage to defy the totalitarian mindset others would have imposed on her. Malala Yousafzai was just 14-year-old girl riding home on a school bus, shot in the head and neck,now she is fighting for her life.

Malala was targeted by the Pakistani Taliban because for the past three years, she has spoken out for the rights of all girls to become educated.

After this despicable shooting, a Taliban spokesman said his organisation considers Malala’s crusade for education rights an “obscenity” and accused her of “propagating” western culture.

Malala has inspired many around the world. A writer said “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Today, for Malala and the many girls like her, we need not and cannot wait. We must improve their world”.

While on the other hand in Canada during the National Anti-Bullying month a 15-year old Amanda Todd, a former “spunky” cheerleader and Grade 10 student at the Coquitlam Alternate Basic Education school in British Columbia, killed herself Wednesday as a result of a cyberbullying campaign against her.

An official with the B.C. coroner’s office confirmed that Todd took her own life at her Port Coquitlam, B.C. home Wednesday,
about five weeks after posting a haunting video on YouTube describing how she plunged into a major depression after being viciously
bullied.

Amanda’s video tells a heartwrenching story of the bullying she was subjected to — both online and off. Amanda developed anxiety, depression, and anxiety disorders, she says in the video, followed by a path into drugs and alcohol.

Both the tragic incidents give us a message that we must speak up before these acts occur, work to ensure that they do not happen again and keep our courage to continue to resist the ongoing cruelty and barbarism of the Taliban and social Taliban.

Posted by on October 14, 2012. Filed under OPINION. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
  • A.J.

    Both of these young woman were strong people. I can’t imagine what life must of been like for them. May peace be with both of them. <3