Didn’t see this coming.
Pakistanis and Indians are both criticizing Malala on social media for her message to Imran Khan and Narendra Modi.
Malala, Pakistan’s Nobel Peace Prize winner and Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations, is under fire for her plea to the leaders of both India and Pakistan to resolve the animosity between the two.
Since her accident, Malala has always been a controversial topic for Pakistanis. While many of us applaud her bravery and incentive to further the narrative on knowledge and equality for women in Pakistan, many people in our country criticize her for leaving Pakistan and beginning a life elsewhere.
However, Malala has always had nothing but hope and confidence for our country and given our current situation with India, she commented on the topic.
#SayNoToWar pic.twitter.com/yNfRIh5jRw
— Malala (@Malala) February 27, 2019
And while many were in praise for her message,
@priyankachopra this is how a goodwill ambassador acts.
— Shahbaz Taseer (@ShahbazTaseer) February 28, 2019
People on Twitter are calling Malala out for criticizing the situation, stating that because she left her country, she doesn’t have an opinion.
And while Malala was pretty much stating the most neutral commentary in her tweet, it seemed to have rubbed many Indians in particular, in the wrong way.
Enjoy your tea in UK.
— abhishek अभिषेक (@abhishek_crux) February 27, 2019
Many feel her message unreasonable, given the fact that she herself no longer resides in Pakistan.
You fled Pakistan in the face of terror & built a personal propaganda machinery in the West. It’s rich hearing you talk peace. Do advise @ImranKhanPTI to hand over Masood Azhar,Dawood Ibrahim,Hafiz Saeed et al to India & return Abhinanadan. India awaits peace & talks as always!
— Jaina Desai (@jainajgd) February 28, 2019
A lady who herself is begging US/Canada etc for asylum cause she isn't safe in Pakistan is advising others
— Arjun Sethi (@Roguelost) February 27, 2019
A Nobel Laureate who dare not visit her own country which gave her this stature?
— Aneela Waseem (@AneelaWaseem) February 27, 2019
And in the same fashion, many Pakistanis are offended at the fact that she did not recognize that Imran Khan has been on the better more sensible side of things in the whole situation.
Where was she when Ik was addressing the nation ??
— Hijab Khan🇵🇰 (@Hijabhere) February 27, 2019
So #Malala is not siding with Pakistan and Pakistanis???
— Pakalou (@rashedfarooq) February 27, 2019
Malala charhay L pe. Kal bc kahan thi aj isko jaag aa gai
— Maj Gen Farrukh ™ (@Farrukh_Shahzad) February 27, 2019
You surely didnt watch PM Imran Khans speech. He has already asked Modi to sit and talk.
— Salman M Khan (@iSMKspeaks) February 27, 2019
Just like anyone who has settled outside of Pakistan, Malala is completely entitled to her own opinion. Pakistan is and will always be her home as well as anyone else’s who has chosen to study, work or live abroad. It is absolutely valid for her to have concern and being so that she is a UN ambassador, it is technically part of her own job to feel concerned as a citizen of the world and as a Pakistani.
It is, however, quite surprising to see that both Indians and Pakistanis are not allowing external individuals to plea for peace, yet have orchestrated an entire social media campaign together for the same incentive. It seems as though even in the strife for war and peace, both nations are keen on keeping the (what seems prehistoric) rivalry on their own ground.
Have you seen the conversation around Malala’s tweet? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Cover photo source: Time