Finding Wings Of Hope: Understanding The Rhetoric Of Malala

Finding Wings of Hope: Understanding the Rhetoric of Malala Argument: This essay examines Malala Yousafzai’s speech Our books and Our Pens are the Most Powerful Weapons at the United Nations on July 12th, 2013, or “Malala Day” and her employment of civil disobedience rhetoric to persuade others to invest in the education of girls thereby giving unique hope and purpose to women’s fight for their rights in a time of turmoil. Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience stands as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon embodying the tension between individual conscience and social order. There are numerous examples throughout history that illustrate the power and effectiveness of civil disobedience in catapulting social change. Martin Luther King Jr. and

All actions are driven by some form of rationality, and the end goal for communicative action is understanding. The term communicative action theory was first developed by German philosopher Jürgen Habermas in the book “The Theory of Communicative Action” (1984). Communicative action is not just about transmitting information from emisor to receptor. It is about the codes of dialogue that prosoes change. Civil disobedience is a form of communicative action. Civil disobedience is not merely an act of defiance; it is a rhetorical statement that challenges the status quo, amplifying voices often silenced by the dominant narrative and compelling society to confront its own injustices. “In general, communicative action purposely aims at producing reasonable common public opinions and seeks public benefits” (Atilgan 2019). In the context of civil disobedience, actions are aimed at communicating a message to the public seeking benefits. Malala Yousafzai was fully aware of what the regime was saying about women’s education, she would write in her journal about it and upload it to the BBC under her pen name, Gul

“This is the compassion I have learned from Mohammed, the prophet of mercy, Jesus Christ, and Lord Buddha. This is the legacy of change I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. This is the philosophy of nonviolence that I have learned from Gandhi, Bacha Khan, and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have learned from my father and from my mother. This is what my soul is telling me: be peaceful and love everyone” (Yousafzai 2013). Malala Yousafzai is fully aware of the gravity of the situation. She connects her commitment to change to a legacy of civil disobedience. Mohammed, Jesus Christ, and Lord Buddha are revered figures in Islam, Christianity and Buddhism, respectively known for their teachings of compassion, mercy, and peace. She draws inspiration from their legacies to emphasize the importance of empathy and understanding in her own activism. Malala’s connection is strategic, by framing her activism with revered figures who have successfully challenged oppressive systems through non-violent means, she enhances the credibility and legitimacy of her own efforts to address issues such as girls’ education and women’s