In every era, societies seek symbols of courage — figures who speak for justice when silence is easier. These figures become mirrors for our moral choices. In the modern world, two young women have come to represent that global conscience in very different ways: Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg. Both rose from obscurity to international fame, both fought against powerful systems, and both have inspired millions. Yet today, as the world watches Gaza burn and moral voices are tested, the contrast between them has never seemed sharper.
Just as a "disclaimer" is written at the beginning of films, in English it is called disclaimer, similarly, read a disclaimer before writing today. On October 4, Rafia Zakaria's column was published in the daily Dawn, the title was greta vs malala, today my article is also 'inspired' by the same column, I had planned to write on this topic, I had made some notes in my mobile phone but Rafia got carried away.
The second thing is that we used to have a senior columnist. In Jang newspaper, he used to not only be a parrot but also talk like a parrot, however, the columns he wrote in the last time were of the type that I have already written about the political conflict going on in the country today in my so-and-so column.... and after that he would present his analysis a few weeks ago and try to prove that look, I had already written it. The reason for writing this second thing came because Khaksar had written several columns in support of Malala at the time when the Taliban shot her and she was later awarded the Nobel Prize. There was hatred against Malala in the country and she was called a Western agent and who knows what other nicknames. The title of one of my columns was “Malala and Aafia, what a competition!” Today, as I am writing this column, I am wondering if this is the same Malala that I supported?
No, this is not the Malala we were proud of, that Malala has fallen victim to the glare of the West. In fact, a person’s test is when at some point in history he has to stand up to oppression, otherwise everyone in his own home is a coward. Malala’s test was Gaza.
On the other hand, there is another girl, her name is Greta Thunberg, only twenty-two years old, but so brave and fearless that she did not bow down even in front of the Israeli army. In the case of Gaza, Greta Thunberg did not just stop at rhetoric, but also participated in demonstrations, launched social media campaigns, appealed to governments, and even went to Gaza with aid supplies and was detained by Israeli soldiers from where she was expelled. In other words, Greta went beyond symbolic slogans and took direct action, risking her life, and shook the global conscience. In the case of Palestine, Greta Thunberg did what a conscientious and courageous person should do, namely, question the powerful and stand with the weak. Malala Yousafzai is twenty-eight years old, she graduated from Oxford. She was a child when the Taliban shot her, but now she has seen the world.
She should have become more mature and wiser with time. She should have known what Israel was doing in Gaza and what position she should take on this barbarity.
But when the Israeli army started massacring women and children in Gaza, Malala was busy organizing a musical program at the Broadway Theater in New York with Hillary Clinton. Yes. Malala deliberately did not take a clear stance on the genocide of the Palestinians, and throughout this period, Malala made homeopathic tweets that did not indicate whether she was with Israel or the Palestinians, such as "Greetings to Yazid, greetings to Hussein." Like Greta, Malala also had the opportunity to stand up and take a clear stance against Israel and say that the Israeli army is committing genocide in Gaza, but after that she did not get Hillary Clinton or American TV shows. She did make a statement against Israel, but by that time it was too late, the world had already sent a message to Israel.
Some may say that Malala fulfilled her duty when she took a stand. Like everyone else, Malala should have complete freedom in her life and expression of her opinions.
If Malala's anger is not as intense as ours, she cannot be blamed simply because she does not think like us! This argument in Malala's favor seems appealing, but the truth is that just as Malala has the right to adopt a certain kind of liberal mindset that fits the Western narrative, we too can criticize her politics and the hollowness of Western liberalism. The subtle point here is that in the world you can adopt any political ideology as per your convenience, for example, in Pakistan it is very easy to support the Palestinians, one becomes both revolutionary and ideological, neither the state nor the religious parties have any problem, but in the same Pakistan if you stand in favor of any minority group, you will have to give and take, just like in India no one speaks in support of the unarmed Kashmiris but you can take out as many processions as you want against Muslims. Malala is not an ordinary name, the world has placed her in the spotlight, the responsibility of the person in the position he is in is greater.
Greta has not won the Nobel Prize in comparison to Malala, nor has she been showered with other awards, but she stands firm against Israel without caring about her life and future. What Malala has done is not enough, it cannot be that you keep collecting awards and medals and when the time comes to stand up against a fascist, you leave for New York. Apart from Malala, there must be countless girls in the world who may have shown even more courage, but the goddess of fate was kind to Malala. Israel's recent war aggression had given Malala the opportunity to prove that she really deserved this award, but Malala did not show the character she should have on this occasion. This was the test of the character of people like Malala. What is the world, even smugglers get her!
In the end, this is not just about two young women — it is about the moral temperature of our age. Greta and Malala symbolize two paths: one that seeks justice even when it threatens comfort, and one that learns to survive within power’s embrace. Perhaps history will be kinder to Malala than her critics are today, or perhaps Greta’s defiance will become the moral compass of a new generation. But for now, their contrast forces us to ask an uncomfortable question: when the next test of conscience arrives, which side of history will we stand on?
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