Malala Yousafzai turns twenty today, so, in celebration, here are her best 20 quotes.
- “We realise the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”
- “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”
- “I raise up my voice-not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard…we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”
- “Education is education. We should learn everything and then choose which path to follow.”
- “Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human.”
- “If one man can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it?”
- “With guns you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism.”
- “Our men think earning money and ordering around others is where power lies. They don’t think power is in the hands of the woman who takes care of everyone all day long, and gives birth to their children.”
- “I don’t want to be thought of as the “girl who was shot by the Taliban” but the “girl who fought for education.” This is the cause to which I want to devote my life.”
- “We were scared, but our fear was not as strong as our courage.”
- “Outside his office my father had a framed copy of a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to his son’s teacher, translated into Pashto. It is a very beautiful letter, full of good advice. “Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books…But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and the flowers on a green hillside,” it says. “Teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat.”
- “There should be no discrimination against languages people speak, skin colour, or religion”
- “We should all consider each other as human beings, and we should respect each other”
- “I believe the gun has no power at all”
- “We women are going to bring change. We are speaking up for girls’ rights, but we must not behave like men, like they have done in the past”
- “honour your daughters, they are honourable”
- “For my brothers, it was easy to think about the future”
- “There’s no place like home. And I do miss my home”
- “When I was born, some of our relatives came to our house and told my mother, Don’t worry, next time you will have a son”
- “Pakistan is a peace-loving democratic country “
