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I Am Malala Yousafzai And Sultana

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I Am Malala Yousafzai And Sultana
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” -Malala Yousafzai. Few will argue that around the world, millions of innocent people face injustice and discrimination on a daily basis. Sexism has always been one of humanity’s greatest struggles, with the greatest battles being fought in the middle east, where girls are forbidden from attending school or even going outside without a male to accompany them. I Am Malala and Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia are modern day accounts of gender inequality by two young Muslims girls: Malala Yousafzai and Sultana, a Saudi Arabian Princess. In both stories, the topic of gender discrimination is communicated slightly differently through the thoughts …show more content…
On her side of gender inequality, not only are women treated like second-class citizens by men, but many Saudi Arabian men will have several wives in order to maximize the number of sons--which are highly prized over daughters. Being one of ten daughters, Sultana is constantly opposed and hurt by her father and brother Ali, both of whom treat her with far less respect than they treat each other with. “I felt my breath sharpen as I recalled the hurt I had felt as I watched my father hold Ali’s hand and lead him proudly through the grand entrance of the mosque--always leaving me, a lowly female, at the side of the road to stare after them in sorrow and anger.” (Sasson, 49) This powerful description of envy and hatred effectively shows the reader how it feels to be discriminated solely based on gender, something not quite done in I Am Malala. While Malala does describe the obstacles that girls face in Pakistan, especially not being allowed to go to school, Princess does a more effective job of showing the emotions one has when being ignored and discriminated by even their own

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