New Delhi: Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani education activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate attended a grand musical event of Taylor Swift in London with her friends and husband on Saturday. This marked her "first ever" musical concert that she attended ever since she became a die-heart fan of the American singer. Sharing some moments of Swift's Eras Tour, Yousafzai reminisced about her childhood memories when she went on a field trip with her friend Moniba to Swat Valley in her native Pakistan.
Malala shares 'sweet memory' with her best friend
The Noble laureate recalled how she went to a waterfall with her best friend Moniba after "having lived through a time where music and art were banned." "One of my favourite memories from Swat Valley is a field trip I took in middle school with my best friend, Moniba. Giggling, we went to a waterfall hidden away in a lush green mountain. We were so excited because we were finally allowed to go to school again and could be outdoors with our friends, laughing and singing together," Malala wrote on Instagram after attending the concert with her husband, Asser Malik, and friends.
"Having lived through a time where music and art were banned, music felt like a gift. Moniba and I found the highest rock we could, climbed on top of it and announced to all of our classmates and teachers we were going to perform our new favourite song called LOVE STORY. We sang with all of our heart, taking in the joy we felt every second. That’s where my Swiftie journey began. It feels magical that my first-ever proper concert would be to see @TaylorSwift, singing along to every song surrounded by friends," she added in the post.
When Taliban banned music in Malala native place
Recalling the older days under the Taliban regime, Malala stressed the importance of music and how the extremist group had banned it in her region in the early 2010s. Notably, she was only an 11-year-old girl when the Taliban took over her town and banned music, television, and girls from attending school in her native place in Pakistan. Later in 2012, she hit the headlines for openly advocating for women's education and their rights.
Now, the situation was almost similar in Afghanistan, Malala emphasised how the situation has looked like in the neighbouring nation for the past three years.
"Three years ago, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. Once again, music no longer plays on the streets, and girls and women are barred from school, work and public life. In Swat, music made my friends and me feel confident and free. And one day I hope we will live in a world where every girl will be able to enjoy music and live out her wildest dreams," she stressed.
Afghanistan under Taliban regime
Cultural activities are allowed, Taliban in Afghanistan say, so long as they do not go against Sharia law and Afghanistan's Islamic culture. In 2021, Taliban authorities in Kandahar, the birthplace of the movement issued a formal order against radio stations playing music and female announcers. During the last 20 years of Western-backed government, a lively popular culture grew up in Kabul and other cities with a mashup of bodybuilding, energy drinks, extravagant sculpted hairstyles and jangly pop songs. Turkish soap operas, call-in programmes and television talent shows like 'Afghan Star' became major hits. However, the situation has remained grim in the past three years and there are no signs of Afghanistan returning to the path of normalcy in the near future. Moreover, the dual war-- Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas-- have already diverted the attention of the Western leaders from the South Asian nation.
(With inputs from agency)
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