Has this Made a Ripple in American News Media?

[Sukerkin]

I wonder if the story of a certain young Pakistani girl made any headlines over in the land of American media?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19899540

If it has, what form have the stories taken?

 

[Big Don]

Assuredly not! It doesn't paint Muslims as very tolerant and peaceful.

 

[WC_lun]

Yes, Sukerkin, this has been a story that our news organisations have been running. In fact, any sign of recovery from the young woman is played as soon as they see it. CNN has done a couple of pieces and many follow ups on it. MSNBC has been doing the same. Perhaps Don has not been watching our news media or looking at CNN, Time, Yahoo, or a myriad of other sites lately to see the stories on this young woman. Myself, I don't know what Fox has shown on it.

 

[Sukerkin]

Thanks chaps - seems that it is being covered but that where you are in the country has an impact on what you see?

I was pondering whether the story was being angled so as to lambast the Taliban or to praise the actions of the orthodox Pakistani political system? Given that Pakistan is not exactly flavour-of-the-month with America right now, is the American government/media trying to re-shine the image of the Pakistani one in an attempt to smooth relations a little? Or are they being given the "What are you going to do about this?!" treatment?

 

[Sukerkin]

An update on Malala's condition:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19944078

 

[Tez3]

I think she will be in the military part of the Birmingham hospital, it's where our military are sent when they are medevac'd back from Afghan etc. They have a very good record of treating these type of injuries.
I have seen posts on FB asking who is paying for her treatment, the implication is that we are etc but as it's makes clear it's not us but Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, something which sends a hopeful message.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I wonder if the story of a certain young Pakistani girl made any headlines over in the land of American media?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19899540

If it has, what form have the stories taken?

Yes, it has. We have read what appears to be a fairly balanced representation of what's happening in the Swat area of Pakistan. The average Pakistani is outraged by this and very angry at the Taliban, but the Pakistani government is very weak in that part of the country, and the Taliban hold sway. This is also embarrassing for Pakistan because it makes clear that they do not have full control of their country. Not that this was not already painfully clear, as they've had a number of moderate politicians assassinated in recent months. Pakistan may fall, and if it does, it will fall into darkness, I fear.

 

[Sukerkin]

I am afraid that I agree with you wholeheartedly on your last there, Bill . The signs have been in the wind for the past few years that 'democratic' governent in Pakistan has thinned to a shadow of what it should be and that extreme elements are holding more and more sway over certain areas of the country. Very frightening to see in what is, at the end of the day, a 'nuclear' nation.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I am afraid that I agree with you wholeheartedly on your last there, Bill . The signs have been in the wind for the past few years that 'democratic' governent in Pakistan has thinned to a shadow of what it should be and that extreme elements are holding more and more sway over certain areas of the country. Very frightening to see in what is, at the end of the day, a 'nuclear' nation.

I am no expert, but one thing that permeates my thoughts with regard to Pakistan is that they need to drop the bellicosity with India and turn their attentions to their real enemy, which is internal. Many do not know that India and Pakistan have had a sort of low-level war going on for decades, mainly over control of disputed areas in Kashmir. Both nations are nuclear, both are not really wanting to go to war with each other, and both need to divert their energies to other threats (India is involved with several disputes with China, just as Japan is; China is becoming very pushy lately). Pakistan should kiss and make up with India, sign a non-aggression treaty or pact, and turn their powerful military on their radical internal element. That also means a purse of the radical members of their own military.

That last bit may prove trickiest, if not utterly impossible, as the military may upend the elected government if anyone meddles with their internal structure. They're infiltrated through and through with radical Islamists, as I understand it.

Many years ago, I worked for a month or so with a software engineer from Pakistan. Over the course of time, we engaged in small talk about our homes and he told me that the average Pakistani hates Americans (this was a decade before 9/11 or world-wide Islamist terrorism). His point of view was that the 'average' Pakistani lived in small villages, not modern cities, and they only knew what they were taught. Reading and writing were taught only for the purpose of reading the Koran; anything else was considered immoral. The Imams taught hatred against America, and the average Pakistani accepted it as fact, they knew nothing else, and had no access to television, radio, or news from the outside world that would contradict it. It would be like a poor child in the USA during the 1800s being told that Satan was real and lived in Chicago. What child would not believe that if told it by parents and teachers? He went on to point out the dichotomy in Pakistan between the rural and the metropolitan areas. In the cities, people are educated, they have jobs, they want democracy, they are moderate and accepting of the notion of other religions and beliefs, they want peace because all they really want is to live a safe and comfortable life, have a shot at success, and raise their families. But there is not much in-between the city people and the country people in terms of gradation. It's all one extreme or the other, little in the middle.

Sadly, in the USA, we're experiencing that as well; but not due to the divides of rich and poor, or access to communication versus being kept in the dark. No, our poverty of thought is self-imposed. Some of us see what happened to this brave little girl in Pakistan and the first thought we have is that "Muslims are not very nice people." There is plenty of media information out there showing that this is not the case, but they won't or can't accept it. Their darkness is self-imposed. Sadder, I think.

 

[WC_lun]

People are people and we all share far more with each other than we have seperating us. However, there will always be those that will try to take advantages of our ignorances and hatreds to increase thier own power and control. One of the reasons this young woman strikes so powerfully against that is because she is barely more than a child. It is very difficult to see her as the Taliban wishes people to see her. People see in her thier daughter, little sister, or relative. Having her go to Great Britian for medical care makes it difficult for the west to be protrayed as the great Satan that cares nothing for Islamic children.

There are those that will still try to use this as more fodder to say, "See how they are?!" The answer should be that indeed we see how "they" are. A child who stands up to the Taliban in her territory to get an education. Those many in Pakistan that condemned the attack on this brave young woman. These things give me a small sliver of hope that in the end, the extremist will not suceed.