Before a mob turns up at my house and someone starts dragging up that unfortunate picture of my grandfather with Hitler, the headline is a joke, but I do wonder if the media has given a rather misleading idea of Malala Yousafzai. For example, the Pakistani International Marxist Tendency claim that the schoolgirl sent a message to their 32nd congress stating:
‘I am convinced Socialism is the only answer and I urge all comrades to take this struggle to a victorious conclusion. Only this will free us from the chains of bigotry and exploitation.’
That’s according to their site, and although I can’t find that verified in the media here, I understand from Pakistani sources that it is genuine and that Malala, like her father Ziauddin Yousafzai, is heavily influenced by Pashtun reformists who tend to be pretty well to the Left. Reputable sources on her politics can be found here and here.
The Pashtun reformists are a minor theme of her autobiography.
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