“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”

-Malala Yousafzi

Growing up as a child I was very curious. I was the kid at the dinner party who always sat at the kid’s table yet always had one ear listening in on the adult’s table. As much as I loved having an elastic imagination and being a kid, there were definitely times where I wanted to be apart of the adult’s conversation because I wanted to be aware of what was happening in the world around me. As an English class we started reading Persepolis, a graphic narrative that centers around a young girl growing up in Iran through out the 70’s and 80’s. I started to be come fascinated with the idea of childhood activism and how it varies from child to child and how outside forces deter children from taking a proactive approach on issues that we are passionate about.

It was this appetite for knowledge that really made Marji the protagonist of Marjane Satrapi’s book Persepolis really resonate for me. Marji is a 8 year old girl, based on the events of the author, growing up in Iran during the height of political discourse at which time she develops a genuine activism for her country and people despite many polarizing external forces, such as religion, patriotism, political oppression and war. Marji actively leads protests over the Shah’s reign of terror in her garden with her friends and even protests in the mass rallies on the streets until they become violent. She questions her teachers, her parents, her textbooks and even god about Iranian history and human themes.  She speaks out about her thoughts and questions about the injustices that she sees around her. Through out this time her parents teach her to censor her thoughts so she can be safe outside their more reformed modern thinking home. Still dealing with questions and worries about the future of Iran the Iraqi’s declare war on Iran, she is forced underground until they escape.

Personally, a more contemporary example that greatly parallels Marji’s character is Malala Yousafzi, not because she is from the same territorial region as Marji but because Malala is a prime example of childhood activism, something in which Marji possesses. Without getting into too many details Malala grew up in neighbouring Pakistan where she serves as a main figure for the initiative to give all woman access to education. Her father owned a chain of schools in the valley where she and many girls went to school. Her farther was and is a main catalyst for her thirst for knowledge and also is a protector.  She wrote to the BBC about life as a female student under Taliban occupation and many print and television interviews that garnered attention from the Taliban inciting them to put a price on her head. A gunman boarded a bus and shot her three times in the head. She was sent to the United Kingdom where she recovered from her injuries and denounced the actions that the Taliban took. After international recognition for her efforts she has since addressed the United Nations, won the Noble peace prize, released a book and continued her efforts for universal education.

When I see them, I see two young girls overcoming gender barriers to lobby for the issues that light a fire in their hearts but I also see these girls have very similar and different sets of circumstances given to them that alter their effect on the issue.

From their two different stories the largest social structure that either emancipates them or vices them is the family. In Marji’s case, her family tries to protect her by moving her political action from the street to the garden. They tell her what she can and can’t say in public and also very specifically to wear an Islamic veil. This is in stark contrast to Malala’s father who named her after a warrior goddess. Mr.Yousafzi wanted his daughter to have an education above all us and protected her from social norms like arranged marriages and political conflict like Taliban occupation (not that Marji’s Parents didn’t or wouldn’t). He in fact was supportive of her efforts. This is perhaps why she attracted international attention for her efforts while Marji did not. However, this is also why Marji remained physically safe despite a ongoing war and why Malala was shot and almost killed in an occupation. While Marji’s family concentrated on keeping her alive, Malala’s father was more concentrated on giving her the chance to create her own destiny.

Finally the fact the conflict surrounding them was different. Despite them both living in a recently religiously radicalized area, the political environment was different. Marji lives through a revolution and subsequent war, while Malala is living through an occupation. Although both are horrible, I feel as though being an activist in a war is much harder to do than an occupation. An occupation insinuates that there is a stable society and although oppressed still guarantees some safety. Personally for me I feel like my duty would be to free myself from the oppressive rules and rulers. A war zone gives me the image of flying bullets, orphaned children and deconstructed cities, where the ultimate goal is to stay alive. This is where I see a lot of the parents’ reasoning about giving their children the freedom to protest.

Ultimately I see these two genuine activists for their country and that’s the important part. Weather it is a love for your country or a burning desire for universal education, I believe all children are inherently activists. However, it is social structures that limit or enhance our affect on our injustices, and thats why in a silent world suppressed by fear, a small voice from a small body can create tangible change.

Michael Twamley