The All Pakistan Private Schools Federation, which says it represents more than 152,000 institutions across the country, has decided that allowing pupils to read the book, I am Malala, would have a "negative" effect on them. The federation also said it believed the book was not entirely respectful of Islam.
The book will not be included in the schools' curriculum, nor will it be stocked in school libraries. Pakistan's most elite schools belong to the federation. The government does not plan to teach it in state schools, though it is not banned.
"The federation thought we should review the book, and having reviewed it we came to the decision that the book was not suitable for our children, particularly not our students," said the federation's president, Mirza Kashif. "Pakistan is an ideological country. That ideology is based on Islam.... In this book are many comments that are contrary to our ideology."
The International News adds a comment by one so-called teacher:
Kashif maintained that there are almost 700,000 teachers teaching tens of hundreds of thousands of students in private schools of Pakistan and the federation has directed all of them to update the children not to follow Malala after her book in which ‘Satanic Verses’ has been referred to as freedom of expression while the entire Muslim ummah has a different view on it.
Despite the obvious and well documented evidence that the Taliban themselves set out to kill Malala, the Belfast Telegraph reports:
Malala has become an international hero for opposing the Taliban and standing up for girls' education. But conspiracy theories have flourished in Pakistan that her shooting was staged to create a hero for the West.
Truth is the Islamists are bullies, cowards and murderers who need to be opposed.
If Pakistans so-called "private educators" are not up to the task, then the parents should show some mettle and take their kids out of these medieval institutions now.
The world needs to follow Malala's example and stand up and be counted!
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