IqbalMasih/MalalaYousafzai

onecountry,twovoices

ThestoryofIqbalMasihhasstayedwithmesinceIreadhisobituaryonApril19,1995,
threedaysafterhewasshot.Ilearnedabouthislifeandaboutthecourageheshowedspeaking
outagainstbondedslaveryforchildreninthecarpettradeinPakistan.

WhenIreadonOctober9,2012,ofMalalaYousafzaibeingshotforspeakingoutforthe
rightofgirlstoattendschoolinPakistan,IthoughtagainofIqbal.

Twocourageouschildrenwhosebraverytranscendedtheiryouthcametogetherinmy
mindandledtothisbook.

J.W.

Authorsnote
TwochildrenfromPakistanspokeoutagainstinjusticeintheirworld.Theirbraveryinthe
faceofgreatdangerisaninspirationtoallwhoknowtheirstories.


IQBALMASIH
19831995

IqbalMasihwasborninthevillageofMuridke,nearLahore,inPakistan.Whenhewas
onlyfouryearsold,hisextremelypoorparentsborrowedtwelvedollarsfromtheownerofa
carpetfactory.Inreturnfortheloan,Iqbalbecameabondedworker,shackledeverydaytoa
carpetloomuntiltheloanwasrepaid.Heearnedtwentycentsaday.
Atten,IqbalwasliberatedbytheBondedLiberationFrontofPakistan.Afterhegainedhis
freedom,Iqbalbravelyspokeoutagainstchildlabor.
Iqbalsaccountsofthehorrorsofhisexperiencespread.Hetraveledfarfromhometotell
hisstory.
IqbalspokeataninternationallaborconferenceinStockholm.InBostonhereceivedan
awardfromtheReebokHumanRightsFoundation.TheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerfor
HumanRightshonoredIqbalasachampionofthefightinPakistanagainstcontemporaryforms
ofslaverywhichaffectsmillionsofchildrenworldwide.
Iqbalwantedtostudylaw.BrandeisUniversityofferedhimafullscholarshipassoonas
hewasready.
Athome,Iqbalreceiveddeaththreatsfrompeopleinthecarpetindustry.Asheandtwo
cousinsrodebicyclesintheirvillageonApril16,1995,Iqbalwasshotandkilled.Hewastwelve
yearsold.Thecircumstancesofhisdeatharemurky.



Iqbal,abraveboyfromPakistan

Letusnotpraytobeshelteredfromdangers,buttobefearlesswhenfacingthem
RabindranathTagore

TWELVEDOLLARS!
Untilthetwelvedollarloantohisparentsisrepaid,fouryearoldIqbalmustworkinthe
carpetfactory.Twelvedollarsforaboysfreedom.
Nokiteshere!thecarpetbossbellows,ashepullsIqbalintothedarkfactory.Theonly
windowhasbarsonit.
Iqbalischainedtotheloom,lesthetrytoescape.

Iqbalseesrowsofchildrenchainedlikehim,weavingcarpetsintheswelteringdimness.
Tiny fingers can make intricate patterns, so complex that the boss doesnt see Iqbal
weavinghiskiteintoacarpetsection.Hishandswork,whilehismindsoars.

 Iqballivesindarkness.
Hewalkstothefactorybeforethesuncomesup,worksalldayinthegloom,andheads
homeafterthesunsets.

Trudging home one night, Iqbal sees a notice on a wall announcing a meeting about
Peshgi,theloansthatholdchildrenlikeIqbalinbondage.
IqbalstepsinsideandlearnsthatPeshgihasbeenoutlawedallloansareforgiven.
Thecarpetbossdoesntownhimanymore.
Iqbalisfree.

Herunstothedarkfactory,wavingthenotice,shouting,Youarefree!Wearefree!
Aliberatedboy,Iqbalstartsschool.Asmartboy,hefliesthroughhisstudies.Abraveboy,
hespeaksoutforchildrenlikehim.Threatsfromfactoryownersdontscarethistenyearold
boy.
IqbalgoestothecarpetfactoriesalloverPakistan.
Hespreadsthemessageoffreedomtoover3,000bondedchildren.
AndhetravelsacrosstheoceantospeakoutinAmerica.

IwouldliketodowhatAbrahamLincolndid.
IwouldliketodoitinPakistan.
Iwouldliketofreechildreninbondage.

Backhome,thethreatscontinue.
Theystilldontscarethistwelveyearoldboy.
Iqballivesfree.
Untilthedayabullettakeshislifeasherideshisbicycle.

Athisfuneral,800mournersweptforthisbraveboyfromPakistan.







Malala,abravegirlfromPakistan

MalalaYousafzai
1997

MalalawasborninasmalltownofMingora,intheSwatValleyofPakistan.Shelivedwith
hermother,father,andtwobrothers.Malalastartedschoolearlyattheschoolherfatherran,
andexcelledinherstudies.
The Taliban, a group of religious extremists, had gained power in the Swat Valley and
discouragedgirlsfromattendingschool.Malalaaskedherfather,Whydon'ttheywantgirlsto
gotoschool?Theyarescaredofthepen,hereplied.
WhenMalalawasonlyeleven,shefirstspokepubliclyabouttheimportanceofeducation
for girls. Even as the Taliban became more aggressive, Malala continued to speak out. The
threatscontinued,neverstoppingMalalauntilthedayaTalibanfightershotherassherode
homeinaschoolvan.Thebulletwentthroughherheadandnecktohershoulder.Malalawas
treatedinmanyhospitals,andfinallyintheQueenElizabethHospitalBirminghaminEngland,
whereshenowliveswithherfamily.
Malalahasreceivedmanyawardsforbravery,includingtheInternationalChildrensPeace
Prize (runnerup), the Pakistan National Youth Peace Prize, the Mother Teresa Memorial
InternationalAwardforSocialJustice,andtheRomePrizeforPeaceandHumanitarianAction.
In2013,shewasaNobelPeacePrizenominee.
Shecontinuestorecoverandshecontinuestospeakout.

Letusnotpraytobeshelteredfromdangers,buttobefearlesswhenfacingthem
RabindranathTagore


WhoisMalala?theTalibanfighterdemands,lookingintotheschoolvan.
Malalaisagirlwhoisntafraid.
Iwillpowermyselfwithknowledge,shesays.
Dontgotoschool,theTalibanfighterstellthegirlsinSwatValley.
Dontread,theysay.
Thisgirlsdontlisten.
Theyarebravegirls.
Theschoolroomholdstheirsunandblocksthethreateningshadows.Butawayfromschool,
adarkcloudfollowsthemeverywhere.
EverydaytheTalibanbroadcasttheirwarnings.
Noschoolforgirls,theysay.
ButMalalaisabravegirlwhospeaksout.
Ihavetherightofeducation.
Ihavetherighttoplay.
Ihavetherighttosing.
Ihavetherighttotalk.
Ihavetherighttogotomarket.
IhavetherighttoSPEAKUP.

ThebravegirlsofSwatValleyoutwittheTalibanfightersbywearingeverydayclothesto
school.
Theiruniformsstayhiddenathome.
Malalaspeaksoutagainandagain.
Theycannotstopme.
Iwillgetmyeducation,ifitishome,school,oranyplace.

 ThereisnopeaceinSwatValley.
TheTalibanburnandbombtheschools.
StillMalalaspeaksout.
Theextremistsareafraidofbooksandpens.
Theyareafraidofwomen.
HowdaretheTalibantakeawaymybasicrighttoeducation?

Attending school becomes more and more and
moredangerous.Girlstraveltoandfromschool ina
van,forsafety.
Until one day, a Taliban fighter stops the van,
looksinside,anddemands,
WhoisMalala?Speakup,otherwiseIwillshoot
youall.
HeshootsMalala.
ThevanrusheshertothesmallhospitalinSwat
Valley.
Ahelicopterliftshertoabiggerhospitalfaraway.
Ajetplanefliesheracrosstheoceantoastillbiggerhospital.
Everywhere,thedoctorsworktosaveher.

TheshotfiredatMalalaisheardtheworldover.Prayersfromgirlsandboys,womenand
mensurroundherbedside.
Slowly,Malalawakesfromthenightmare.
Sheopenshereyes,holdsabook,andsmiles.
Andhervoicereturns.

OnMalalas16thbirthday,beforeworldleaders,shespeaksoutagain,strongerthanbefore.
Theythoughtthatbulletswouldsilenceus,buttheyfailed
Onechild,oneteacher,onebook,onepen,canchangetheworld.

TheworldhearsthevoiceofthisbravegirlfromPakistanandlistens.

JeanetteWinter
Iqbal/Malala
NewYork,London,Beachlanebooks,2014