Malala： Kidnapped Nigerian Girls Are “My Sisters”

Malala， the Pakistani girl who made a miraculous recovery after being shot in the head by the Taliban， said women are targeted by those who fear a society in which women are empowered. Boko Haram has kidnapped hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls， an act that has become the focal point of a worldwide social media campaign demanding their return.

The Malala Fund is launching a Nigerian girls education campaign around the issue. The 16-year-old human rights advocate first spoke up about the kidnappings.

\"When I heard about girls in Nigeria being abducted， I felt very sad， and I thought， 'my sisters are imprisoned now，'\" Malala said. \"The girls in Nigeria are my sisters and it's my responsibility that I speak up for my sisters.\" Boko Haram are extremists who don't understand Islam， she said. The religion， she says， calls for empowerment through education， not a snuffing of it. \"They should go and they should learn Islam， and I think that they should think of these girls as their own sisters. How can one imprison their own sisters and treat them in such a bad way，\" she said.

Everyone should speak up for the kidnapped girls， she said.