College in Swat to be renamed Malala

In a message of defiance to the Taliban, authorities in Swat have decided to rename a government college Malala Yousafzai, after the 15-year-old girl who was shot in the head after demanding education for girls. The college offers high school and undergraduate education for 2,000 girls and young women. The female students were reluctant to appear on camera – afraid that they, too, might be targeted. They told reporters that they were also afraid to attend school, but were doing so because they inspired by Malala and their right to seek an education. “I myself think that education is important because women have no right in this society so, due to education, they can get their right especially in the Pashtun society,” said Gulalai, an 18-year-old undergraduate student studying statistics and economics. “I think she’s a very brave girl,” said Mehreen, 17, who is studying chemistry, botany and zoology. “She sacrificed her life for us, for education, that girls should take education for their bright future. For women it’s very important in this society.” They are attending Swat’s first degree college to be named after a woman. “We always want to send a message across the world, that here we want females to progress in the society,” said Kamran Rehman Khan, a local government official.