Birmingham poet expresses concern about future of Pakistani schoolgirl shot in head by Taliban

POET BENJAMIN Zephaniah has warned that Taliban victim Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot in the head by militants for going to school, could be manipulated by others with different agendas to the schoolgirl.

The 16-year-old has rocketed to national and international attention since she lived to tell the tale of the Taliban attack that specifically targeted her for speaking out for girls’ rights to be educated.

She recently opened the new £189m library in Birmingham and is now attending Edgbaston High School for Girls after undergoing successful medical treatment in the UK for the injuries inflicted by the Islamist fighters who believe women should not be educated.

However, Zephaniah, one of Birmingham’s best known figures and one of Britain’s favourite poets, expressed concerns that people could begin using Malala for their own ends to her detriment.

He said: “Malala is a survivor and I genuinely wish her all the best as a human being, but I fear she can be used and abused by people who have another agenda.

“I think she’s probably getting advice from people about what she should be saying. It’s not all coming from her, what she represents.

“In her home town today, some people hardly know her.

“I think she is a very convenient person for us to really like. She’s the kind of Muslim girl that we want to show we like because we want to see them go to school. But in Pakistan, most girls do go to school.”

The poet added: “Because the Taliban couldn’t survive in Afghanistan, the West is jumping on the bandwagon and being a bit hypocritical.

“I don’t want to take that away from Malala, but sometimes people can be used so if she says ‘I am going to think these things through and represent girls’ that’s a good thing.

“But there’s going to be some time where they are feting her and loving her up in this way that she will say something that they don’t agree with and that’s going to be interesting.

“When she starts really thinking for herself, she’s probably going to say stuff that ‘we’ don’t agree with.”

Malala was awarded at the Pride of Britain event, organised by the Daily Mirror, and she has been accustomed to the limelight, giving media interviews and speaking often in public, including her famous address to the UN on her 16th birthday.

On Friday she could become the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize after being nominated for the prestigious international award.