Between Extreme Culture and Moderate Culture Girls' Education in Malala Yousafzai's I am Malala

Abstract

I Am Malala is a wonderful book that sheds light on the plight and suffering of women in general in a society that embraces somewhat strict ideologies and cultures. Pakistan is a highly tribal country, so these extremist groups have exploited these strict cultures to empower their hegemonic extremist ideology. Extremist groups used these ideologies to impose their control over society, restrict women's freedom and deprive them of their legitimate rights, especially their right to education. These extremist ideologies have been framed with a religious framework in order to obtain sufficient legitimacy and sanctity to kill and torture those who oppose them, which has made women between the hammer of strict cultures and the anvil of extremist ideas. The present study discusses these cultures from a social and religious framework. The study uses an objective approach by adapting Adorno's theory of "authoritarian personality" to analyze those cultures and the oppressive practices that accompany them. The present study focuses on discussing the arbitrary practices committed against women by trying to impose extreme ideologies. The study concluded that despite the claim of these extremist groups that they adopt Islamic religious ideologies, the issue of depriving females of their right to education has nothing to do with the Islamic religion. Rather, this issue stems from the desire of these extremist groups to spread ignorance among females in order to facilitate their subjugation, control over them and silence the voice of moderation.