Quote collection
161 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"In countries other than Pakistan - I won't necessarily call them 'Western' - people support me. This is because people there respect others. They don't do this because I am a Pashtun or a Punjabi, a Pakistani, or an Iranian, they do it because of one's words and character. This is why I am being respected and supported there."
"When I look at my goal, my goal is peace."
"There are many problems, but I think there is a solution to all these problems, it's just one and it's education. You educate all the girls and boys. You give them the opportunity to learn."
"We should not be followers of traditions that go against human rights...we are human beings and we make traditions."
"If we want to end terrorism we need to bring quality education so we defeat the mindset of terrorism mentality and of hatred."
"I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not. It is the story of many girls."
"We call upon all communities to be tolerant, to reject prejudice based on caste, creed, sect, colour, religion or agenda to ensure freedom and equality for women so they can flourish. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back."
"Then they told me about the call from home and that they were taking the threats seriously. I don't know why, but hearing I was being targeted did not worry me. It seemed to me that everyone knows they will die one day. My feeling was nobody can stop death; it doesn't matter if it comes from a Talib or cancer. So I should do whatever I want to do."
"We should not wait for someone else to come and raise our voice. We should do it by ourselves. We should believe in ourselves. One day you will see that all the girls will be powerful; All the girls will be going to school. And it is possible only by our struggle; only when we raise our voice."
"As we crossed the Malakand Pass I saw a young girl selling oranges. She was scratching marks on a piece of paper with a pencil to account for the oranges she had sold, as she could not read or write. I took a photo of her and vowed I would do everything in my power to help educate girls just like her. This was the war I was going to fight."
"My dream is to see every girl educated, in every country."
"If people volunteered in the same way to construct schools or roads or even clear the river of plastic wrappers, by God, Pakistan would become a paradise within a year."
"My father was convinced the Taliban would hunt him down and kill him, but he again refused security from the police. 'If you go around with a lot of security the Taliban will use Kalashnikovs or suicide bombers and more people will be killed,' he said. 'At least I'll be killed alone.'"
"I would tell him that shoot me but first listen to me. And I would tell him that education is my right and education is the right of your daughter and son a well. And I'm speaking up for them. I'm speaking up for peace."
"I believe in peace. I believe in mercy."
"My dream is to empower myself with education, and then it is a weapon."
"I have a new dream I must be a politician to save this country. There are so many crises in our country. I want to remove these crises."
"I am convinced Socialism is the only answer."
"When someone takes away your pens you realise quite how important education is."
"This is the philosophy of nonviolence that I have learned from Gandhi, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa."