It was just yesterday when Malala Yousafzai was all over the news for being on the cover of British Vogue’s July edition. She is in the news again today, but for a different reason. The 23-years-old is facing social media wrath for her statement on marriage. From her favourite food to her favourite comedy movies and her friendship with Greta Thunberg, the human rights activist opened up about a lot of things in her recent interview. However, what caught the most attention is her statement on marriage.
Image Credit: Malala Yousafzai, Instagram
On being asked about her views on marriage, Malala said, “Thinking about relationships, you know, on social media, everyone’s sharing their relationship stories, and you get worried…If you can trust someone or not, how can you be sure? I still don’t understand why people have to get married. If you want to have a person in your life, why do you have to sign marriage papers, why can’t it just be a partnership?” She also added how she’s not sure if she would ever marry anyone.
That statement clearly didn’t go down well with netizens and sparked an outrage on Twitter. Mathira Mohammad, a Pakistani model said, “Malala, please we should be teaching this generation that nikkah is sunnah, it’s not just about signing a paper – you aren’t buying a plot. Forced marriages, abusive marriages, child marriages are bad. But getting a nikkah done with the blessings of Allah is beautiful. So if you think having someone as a partner in your life is great, then getting your future blessed in a halal way is wonderful.”
#MalalaOnMarriage is trending on Twitter and here are some of the negative reactions from netizens:
Offended by Malala’s supposed disapproval of the institution of marriage and alleged support for live-in relationships, Islamic cleric Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai has demanded an explanation from Malala’s father. Malala has not responded to the wrath yet, but her father Ziauddin Yousafzai said that her statement has been taken out of context and tweaked by the media.
Image Credit: Malala Yousafzai, Instagram
Coming to Malala’s defence, social activist Farzana Bari said on SAMAA TV’s show 7se8, “There is a lobby in Pakistan that is busy criticising Malala from day one. Why do we pay so much attention to the personal views of people?”
To marry or not to marry is a personal choice and everyone has the right to voice their opinion.
This isn’t the first time the young activist has faced bitter opposition, previously Malala was tagged as a ‘disingenuous careerist’ and an ‘imperialist’ during the Oxford University elections. She was even attacked by trolls for wearing jeans, boots and a jacket.
Lead Image Credit: Malala Yousafzai, Instagram
