The Making of a Cultural Icon

How Malala became an international hero.

Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images
Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images
Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images

Reactions to the shooting of Malala Yousafzai have continued, with everyone from Madonna to the Taliban weighing in. 

Reactions to the shooting of Malala Yousafzai have continued, with everyone from Madonna to the Taliban weighing in. 

  • Authorities in Malala’s native Swat Valley are renaming a government college after her, and the Pakistani government will now call its official youth peace award the "National Malala Peace Prize."
  • Zaki Sayed, a 24-year-old Pakistani-American sociology student, wrote a rap song in honor of Malala. "And when Malala bleeds the whole country bleeds, because she represents the seed of what we need — so many mouths and minds to feed," he sings. 
  • Pop star Madonna dedicated a song to Malala and then performed a striptease that culminated in her revealing the Pakistani girl’s name emblazoned on her back. 
  • Tens of thousands of people have signed an online petition to award Malala the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, supported by everyone from actress Angelina Jolie to Richard Dawkins. 
  • Taliban supporters, eager to blame the United States for the attack, circulated a picture on Facebook of President Barack Obama laughing with his staff, accompanied by the caption "Sir, they still believe that Taliban attacked Malala."

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