Malala’s mother is very pious, she always prays five times a day though not in the mosque Yousafzai, 2013: 10.
Malala always learns and reads Quran until Khatam ul-Quran or recitation of completing Quran Yousafzai, 2013: 63.
Not to mention, as Muslim, they also use Sharia as their law of conduct. According to Jan Michiel Otto, Professor of Law and Governance in Developing
Countries at Leiden Universi ty, “Sharia is generally defined as God’s eternal and
immutable will for humanity and is expressed in the Quran and Muhammad’s example and developed by jurisprudence” Otto, 2008: 7. By seeing this
condition, Fazlul lah as Taliban’s leader takes advantages from it by introducing
himself as an Islamic reformer and interpreter of Quran. In gaining followers, he exploits society’s ignorance by giving them preaching about Islam through the
radio, solving society’s problem and establishing rules based on Sharia. For example is in the case of land dispute, Taliban try to win the heart of society in
order to get their support by solving the land dispute using Sharia. People thought that he was a good interpreter of Holy Quran and charisma.
They liked his talk of bringing back Islamic law as everyone was frustrated with the Pakistani justice system, which had replaced ours when
we were merged into the country. Cases of land disputes, common in our area, which used to be resolved quickly now took ten years to come to
court Yousafzai, 2013: 53.
Because most societies are uneducated and have been already blinded with their religion, they directly believe in Taliban even they give them everything, like
gold and money Youzafzai, 2013: 54.
c. Family in I Am Malala
Under Swat’s family system that has been influenced by patriarchal culture, a daughter has lower status than a son. This is because the roles of a
daughter in their life are simply to prepare food and give birth in the future. This condition makes a daughter live under inequality in their life even since she is in a
womb. For example, when Malala’s brother, Khusnal, is still in his mother’s womb, Malala’s family wants to make a celebration for him. Even if they don’t
have enough money for it, her grandfather will pay everything for it, but not for Malala.
In our tradition on the seventh day of a child’s life we have a celebration called Woma for family, friends, and neighbors to come and admired the
newborn. My parents had not held one for me because they could not afford the goat and rice needed to feed the guests, and my grandfather
would not help because I was not a boy. When my brother came along and Baba
wanted to pay, my father refused as he hadn’t done this for me
Yousafzai, 2013: 27. When a daughter was born, there is no celebration for her because she is
not welcomed by the family, but she will be hidden away behind curtain. This is because her role in the future will only prepare food for the family. This case is
different when a son was born. A son is perceived as blessing for the family, so family members should make a celebration for him.
When a daughter becomes a teenager, she should live under inequality again. She does not have a freedom because she is not a free individual but honor
for their family. That is why to keep the family honor, a daughter should be passive and obedient to their family, the characteristic of patriarchy. The one who
can actively control their life is their parent, especially their father as the leader of family, “her dream was to be a fashion designer although she knew her family
would never agree to it, so she told everyone she wanted to be a doctor” Yousafzai, 2013: 3. Based on th
e statement before, it shows that Malala’s friend,
Moniba, does not have the right to make a decision for herself. Even if she has, she cannot. She thinks that the one who can make a decision for her is her parent.
Therefore, when her parent does not allow her to be a fashion designer, she always says to everyone that she wants to be a doctor though she wants to be a
fashion designer. A daughter will not dare to refuse thei r parent’s decision
because she will be categorized as a disobedient daughter. Therefore, she accepts her
parent’s decision even if it is against her will. Under her paradigm, her parent can control her life because they are more rational and know their daughter or
tradition well. Another example, as a daughter, it is very hard for her to get an easy
access on education, while it will be easy for a son. This is because a daughter should stay at home and wait to be married by her family Yousafzai, 2013: 13.
Most family thinks that even if a daughter wants to pursue education, it will be useless. In the end, she just to end up cooking, cleaning, and taking care of
children. This inequality will always happen though she has already married and
become a wife. For example, they will not be involved in a decision making because her husband will not share a problem with her. This is because sharing
problem with a weak person, like a wife is perceived as an insult for a strong person, like a husband Yousafzai, 2013: 10. The thing that she can do is
preparing food and taking care of their husban d, children, and house, “My mother
and I stayed in the women’s quarters downstairs. The women spent their days
looking after the children and preparing food to serve men in their hujra upstairs”
Yousafzai, 2013: 28.
B. The Influence of Setting of Social Circumstances on Malala’s Resistance
against Taliban’s Rules on Ideal Muslim Women in I Am Malala
In 2007, Taliban officially establish their group in Swat valley, Pakistan. This establishment creates severe condition there. Firstly, Taliban destroy
everything that they think haram or forbidden. Secondly, they make an interpretation on Sharia
and teach Muslim about the right ways of Muslim’s life. For this one, they create rules on ideal Muslim men and women to make sure if
the Muslim will avoid the action that can create a sin. Their rules for men include they should keep their beards and abandon the
habits that Taliban perceive as bad actions, like smoking, using heroin, and chars or hashish. For women, they should go outside only if they are accompanied by a
mahram all the time. They are banned from working. They should not go to
school. Women are not allowed to laugh or even speak loudly because it attracts men’s sexual desire. Then they should wear burqa Yousafzai, 2013: pp. 55-57.
Taliban’s rules create inequality between men and women. Under these rules, men can easily pursue their right and freedom, while women cannot. For example,
women should wear burqa, while men do not. Then women should not pursue education, while men do. It seems that these rules are made to imprison women in
their home and restrict them to the public life. Therefore, it can be easier for men to control women’s movement in society.
