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Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old Pakistani girl shot in the head by Taliban gunmen last week, was flown to the U.K. for medical treatment, according to reports. The teenager remains in serious condition. Sickeningly, the Taliban carried out the attack on the youngster because Malala Yousafzai was “promoting secularism” by advocating education for girls. The incident has sparked international outcry. Pakistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan, has long been considered a Taliban and Al Qaeda safe harbor, even as it publicly denounces those groups. Time will tell if this tragic event substantially alters the nation’s policies. Malala first gained attention starting at age of 11, under the name Gul Makai, an alias she used to pen a diary for the BBC about life under Taliban rule. Militants, she said, had forced the closing of girls’ school in the Swat Valley in 2007. She received myriad death threats for expressing her sentiments. Last week, returning home from school, she was attacked by two armed men who singled her out on a school bus loaded with a dozen students. The men fired three shots, hitting Malala in the head and injuring two others. Throughout Pakistan, protests have been held condemning the incident, and four people have been arrested in connection with the shooting. Former British MP Gordon Brown, in his current position as UN Special Envoy for Global Education, announced the launch of a petition “in support of what Malala fought for.” She may live to fight again, but how actively remains uncertain. “Malala will require prolonged care to fully recover from the physical and psychological effects of trauma,” according to a statement by the Pakistani military. The Los Angeles Times adds that Malala’s family was consulted before the decision to move her to Britain via an air ambulance provided by the United Arab Emirates. Once her condition improves, she is expected to undergo procedures to repair or replace damaged bones in her skull and to receive neurological treatment. “Malala’s ongoing clinical care is now the hospital’s priority,” the Queen Elizabeth Hospital spokesman in Birmingham in a statement upon her arrival. “Our organization and processes include robust security measures to protect the privacy and dignity of all our patients, both military and civilian.”

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Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani Girl Shot By Taliban, Flown to UK For Medical Treatment