New Delhi: News of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai getting married to Asser Malik, who is currently serving as a general manager, high performance, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) came as quite a surprise to the world.
Though one wishes the couple a happy married life, the marriage itself has raised a few eyebrows, since it was only in June this year that Malala had invited the ire of her countrymen for her radical views on the ‘institution of marriage.’
While the cover itself went viral, Yousafzai’s comments on marriage had ruffled feathers on Pakistani social media. In a freewheeling conversation, Yousafzai elaborated on a lot of topics, from politics to culture to even her personal life. However, her comments on marriage irked many.
Speaking about marriage, Yousafzai said, watching everyone share their relationship stories on social media could get worrisome. “If you can trust someone or not…how can you be sure?” Yousafzai further added, “I still don’t understand why people have to get married. If you want to have a person in your life, why do you have to sign marriage papers, why can’t it just be a partnership?”.
The comments raised a storm on conservative Pakistani social media with many accusing her of trying to corrupt the minds of young people with her “irresponsible” statements that go against the tenets of Islam. While some slammed her for copying “western culture”, others blamed her for propagating negative ideas about the sacred rules of holy matrimony.
Days after the cover of British Vogue went viral, ‘marriage’ and Malala started trending on social media. Many of the comments were deeply sexist and offensive.
One Twitter user said he was mad that the Taliban hadn’t killed her before her statement about marriage caused shame to Pakistan.
The insurgents “could not hit a single perfect target,” wrote Muhammad Arif Shahzad, referring to Yousafzai’s face, underneath a post by Yousafzai about the Vogue piece.
Also read: Activist & Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai Gets Married
Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai was quick to respond and was quoted by media reports as saying, that his daughter’s words had been twisted by “trolls.” “Social media misinterpreted what she said, taking out selective things out of context changing it and interpreting it,” he wrote in a Twitter message in response to a request for comment.
Notably, according to the reports, Malala and Asser have been dating for the last three years. It is, however, not clear when the two first met. Malala did feature in a group selfie, which Malik shared on Instagram in June 2019, while cheering for Pakistan at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham, UK.
Also read: Who Is Malala Yousafzai’s Now-Husband Asser Malik? When Did They Meet?
