By Claire Hadley, World Staff Writer
In early October, a 15-year-old Pakistani girl was shot in the head at point blank range by Taliban insurgents.
But Malala Yousafzai survived, and is now a beacon of hope for the world, according to CNN. Malala was shot on her way home from school on Oct. 9. She was flown to Britain six days later, according to CNN.
Doctors discovered that the bullet, which struck Malala's left brow, had lodged in her neck instead of penetrating her skull, according to the Guardian. And a report from the BBC noted that the doctors in Birmingham said Malala is still weak but stands every chance of making a good recovery.
The Pakistani Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the shooting, said it carried out the attack because Malala was "promoting secularism," according to the BBC. CNN noted that the Pakistani Taliban did not seem to anticipate the level of condemnation it would receive from the international community.
Malala initially gained international attention in 2009 by writing a blog about her life as the Taliban gained a foothold in her home region in northwest Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan. She campaigned for the rights of girls to have an education and had written a diary for the BBC Urdu service when the Pakistani Taliban controlled her home area of Swat in 2009, according to the BBC.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said Malala's ordeal would inspire other girls who were also fighting to get an education, and he would continue to champion their cause.
"Malala's swift and full recovery is our absolute priority but we are also determined to do all we can to champion education for women and girls in Pakistan," Hague said in a report from the Guardian.
"When she fell, Pakistan stood and the world rose," her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai told the Guardian. "This is a turning point. In Pakistan, for the first time, all political parties, Urdus, Christians, Sikhs, all religions prayed for my daughter. She is not just my daughter, she is everybody's daughter."
Rehman Malik, Pakistan's interior minister, said "the people of Pakistan have paid a high price from terrorism and extremism. We will stand by all those who, like Malala, are courageously defending the rights of women, in Pakistan and around the world," said the Guardian. Malik also told CNN that she is a "symbol of courage and determination" against extremist ideology."
Malik also called her "the pride of Pakistan" and said "we would love her to come back," according to CNN.
"I assure to the world community that when she goes back, we do have the ability to protect her," Malik told CNN.
The Pakistani minister said he will set aside two cordons of police, one group of female officers and a contingent of male officers to surround the Malala and her family.
Thousands of people in Pakistan and elsewhere have attended rallies and vigils honoring her courage and praying for her recovery, according to CNN. Since the attack, the teenager has received thousands of goodwill messages from around the world, reported the BBC.
