Malala, the Pakistani Girl Who Was Shot by the Taliban, Tells What She Wants for Her 17th Birthday—and It's Not about Her

Jeremy Reynalds : Jul 18, 2014
Assist News Service

"On my 17th birthday, my wish is to see every child go to school and I want to see my Nigerian sisters being released from their abduction and I want them to be free to go to school and continue their education." -Malala Yousafzai

(Nigeria)—Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl education advocate, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban, has called on Boko Haram terrorists to free the abducted Chibok schoolgirls. (Photo via NPR)

A story by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Malala, who began a three-day visit to Nigeria on Saturday, celebrated her 17th birthday in Abuja at a dinner held in her honor at Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

Speaking only with NAN after the dinner she said, "On my 17th birthday, my wish is to see every child go to school and I want to see my Nigerian sisters being released from their abduction and I want them to be free to go to school and continue their education."

During her three-day visit to Nigeria, the 17-year-old Pakistani girl is scheduled to meet President Jonathan and other top government officials.

NAN said she will also mark the Malala Day on July 14 in Abuja to champion her cause for free and compulsory education for every child worldwide.

The young education advocate told guests at the dinner that she would welcome ideas and opinions from them on how to ensure the safety and education of every child in Nigeria.

"I also hope to listen to those girls who were abducted and later ran away from their abductors and it would be really nice to listen to the parents of the girls.

"They are the ones who can really tell us what their daughters are suffering and what they are suffering too," NAN reported she said.

In his remarks, Malala's father, Ziauddin, said "Since centuries, we have been ignoring half of our population, so we should stop it now."

He added, "In the Swat District (in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) I was contributing to my community in education, I had a school and I was a poor man in terms of money but I had an institution I started from the scratch."

In a telephone interview with the NAN, Pakistani High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Muhammad Saleem, said: "She is a daughter of Pakistan and we are proud of her achievements and we hope her visit to Nigeria will go a long way in resolving the issue of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls."