Dear Malala: Taliban Commander Writes Personal Response to Malala Yousufzai

Sixteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai has captured worldwide attention again.

Last year she survived a shooting attack by the Taliban.

Last week she spoke at the United Nations in New York about promoting education and standing up to extremism.

Dear Malala: Taliban Commander Writes Personal Response to Malala Yousufzai
By Marco Werman â?? July 17, 2013 â?? Post a comment
Malala Yousafzai at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. (Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

Malala Yousafzai at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. (Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

Sixteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai has captured worldwide attention again.

Last year she survived a shooting attack by the Taliban.

Last week she spoke at the United Nations in New York about promoting education and standing up to extremism.

Those words from Malala brought an extraordinary response… from the Taliban.

A senior commander in Pakistan has apparently written an open letter to the teenaged girl.

He said he was shocked when he heard about last year’s shooting attack. “I wished it would never have happened,” wrote Adnan Rasheed.

But then, he went on to justify the attack.

He told Malala she was not shot for promoting schooling for girls — but rather for her “smear campaign” against the Taliban.

The four-page letter covers a lot of ground.

And it concludes with an invitation to Malala to return home and adopt Islamic and Pashtun culture.

Here is an excerpt of the letter:

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST MERACIFULL AND BENEFICEINT
From Adnan Rasheed to Malala Yousafzai

Peace to those who follow the guidance

Miss Malala Yousafzai,
I am writing to you in my personal capacity this may not be the opinion or policy of Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan or other jihadi faction or group.

I heard about you through BBC Urdu service for the first time, when I was in bannu prison, at that time I wanted to write to you, to advise you to refrain from anti-Taliban activities you were involved in. but I could not find your address and I was thinking how to approach you with real or pseudo name, my all emotions were brotherly for you because we belong to same Yousafzai tribe.

Meanwhile the prison brake happened and I was supposed to be in hiding. when you were attacked it was shocking for me I wished it would never happened and I had advised you before.

Taliban attacked you, was it islamically correct or wrong, or you were deserved to be killed or not, I will not go in this argument now,
let’s we leave it to Allah All mighty, He is the best judge.

Here I want to advise you as I am already late, I wish I would have advised u in my prison time and this accident would never
happened.

First of all please mind that Taliban never attacked you because of going to school or you were education lover, also please mind that Taliban or Mujahideen are not against the education of any men or women or girl. Taliban believe that you were intentionally writing
against them and running a smearing campaign to malign their efforts to establish Islamic system in swat and your writings were provocative.

You have said in your speech yesterday that pen is mightier than sword, so they attacked you for your sword not for your books or school. READ MORE>>