Malala Yousufzai, teen girl shot by Taliban, discharged from U.K. hospital
Malala Yousufzai, the 15-year-old girl who was shot at close range in the head by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan, reads a book at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England. / AP Photo/Queen Elizabeth Hospital
LONDON Malala Yousafzai, the teenage Pakistani education activist shot in the head by the Taliban, was discharged from a British hospital Friday after undergoing skull reconstruction and receiving a cochlear implant to restore her hearing.
The 15-year-old had been released for a few weeks in January but re-entered Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital to undergo the latest procedures last weekend. The hospital said Malala is "making good recovery" and will now continue her rehabilitation at her family's temporary home in Birmingham.
Education activist speaks: I want every girl to be educated
Malala was shot by a Taliban gunman on Oct. 9 while on her way home from school in northwestern Pakistan's Swat Valley. The militant group said it targeted her because she promoted "Western thinking." Malala had been an outspoken critic of the Taliban's opposition to educating girls.
The teen was airlifted to Britain from Pakistan to receive specialized medical care and protection against further Taliban threats. She is expected to remain in the U.K. for some time; her father, Ziauddin, has secured a post with the Pakistani consulate in Birmingham.
- Watch: Malala speaks out after Taliban attack
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The shooting sparked outrage in Pakistan and many other countries, and Malala's story increased the global attention for the struggle for women's rights in her homeland. In a sign of her impact, the teen made the shortlist for Time magazine's "Person of the Year" in 2012.
In a video statement taped before her latest surgeries, Malala said she was "getting better, day by day" and would continue to campaign for girls' education.
"I want to serve. I want to serve the people. I want every girl, every child, to be educated," she said, speaking clearly but with the left side of her face appearing rigid.
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The girl in Chicago was shot by a vicious black homie trying to murder another vicious black homie.
The two have nothing in common. We need to jump 10 times harder on Pakistan and the Taliban.
The intent is the difference.
What a force, what a will to change things in Pakistan. May God be with you Malala in all your trials and tribulation.
* James 1:12 (New International Version (NIV)) Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.