Malala stable in UK hospital as support floods in
18 October, 2012
LONDON: Malala Yousufzai was in a stable condition in a British hospital on Tuesday as well-wishers from around the world left her messages of support. Malala "remains stable", according to doctors monitoring her at the specialist Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, which treats British soldiers wounded in Afghanistan. "She spent a second comfortable night at the hospital and continues to be cared for," the hospital said. Donations towards her care, which is being funded by the Pakistani government, are being received by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's charity while hundreds of people have left messages of support on the hospital's website. The well-wishers are from countries including Pakistan, Britain, India, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Rwanda and the Netherlands. "We the Pakistanis are so sorry that a little girl like you had to stand up for all of us. If we had shown some courage you would have been safe and healthy today. Malala, get well please, we need you," wrote Durre Nayab. "Please accept my and my family's gratitude for what you have stood for. You are a true daughter of Pakistan. We are in your debt forever. Get well soon," said Munir Pervaiz. Ajmal Khan wrote, "You are the one who stood for a cause that you believed in and we salute your courage and your committment toward your cherished goal. "I personally was in tears when I heard of your ordeal. But hopefully you will get well soon and start your mission again with the same spirit and agility." A message book has also been opened at Council House, the headquarters of Birmingham's local authority. Birmingham has a 100,000-strong ethnic Pakistani community – a tenth of the city's population. Cards, letters and gifts to Malala are being handled by the city's Pakistani consulate. Malala was shot on a school bus in the former Taliban stronghold of the Swat valley last week, in an attack which outraged the world. She came to prominence with a blog for the BBC highlighting atrocities under the Taliban, who terrorised the Swat valley from 2007 until an army offensive in 2009. The teenager had a bullet removed from her skull during an operation in Pakistan last week. Karzai writes to Asfandyar, condemns Malala attack Afghan President Hamid Karzai, while condemning in strongest words the Taliban attack on Malala Yousufzai, termed it a conspiracy against Islam and humanity aimed at obstructing access to female education. "Attack on Malala is considered an attack on all Afghan girls and people in Afghanistan are feeling pain over the tragic happening," Karzai remarked in a letter sent to ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan. According to a press release, Karzai also termed the attack on Malala highly immoral and contrary to Islamic norms and Pakhtun tradition, which strictly forbids assault on women and especially minor girls. The Afghan president said people in Afghanistan are also facing such conspiracies where elements of obscurantism want to create a hurdle in female education. He also stressed upon the world community to give due importance to the voices raised in Pakistan and Afghanistan against militancy and the elements that wanted to push back their nations to the Stone Age. End.
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