Kulsoom Malala Maiwand

Name: Kulsoom Malala Maiwand

Date of Birth: 1994, Jalalabad

Date of Assassination: November 30, 2020

Place of Assassination: Jalalabad

Person/Group Responsible for Assassination: ISIS Group

Life and Education

Kulsoom Malala Maiwand was born in the village of Sardar Khil, Pachiragam district, Nangarhar province. According to BBC Persian, Malala was born in 1994 during the peak of the Afghan civil war and was displaced to Pakistan with her family. Along with nearly one and a half million Afghan citizens, her family sought refuge in the tribal areas of Pakistan. In 2004, three years after the fall of the Taliban, they returned to Nangarhar. There, Malala completed her schooling and entered university. She was on track to receive her bachelor’s degree in management and policy the following year. Her father has mentioned that she had big dreams for the future, but terrorists did not give her the opportunity to complete her education.

Activities

The initiatives of Belqis Mazlumyar, Malala’s mother, who led a women’s and migrants’ association, inspired young Malala to pursue similar work. Following the tragic assassination of her mother—who, according to her family, became a target due to her activism—Malala continued her mother’s legacy with dedication. She not only taught literacy courses organized by her mother’s association but also actively engaged in advocacy for women who were victims of domestic violence.

Malala was particularly committed to promoting girls’ education in an environment where, due to low literacy rates and limited awareness among families, such education was not readily accessible. According to her brother, Malala was also involved in social and cultural activities at her school during her studies.

Later, Malala embarked on a career in television. Her family noted that in their conservative community, where women’s work and public visibility were not widely accepted, Malala’s television career, which increased her public profile, brought about significant challenges and threats. Nevertheless, Malala broke the societal taboo of women remaining behind the scenes, steadfastly refusing to retreat from her chosen path.

Malala was the first woman to appear on television in eastern Afghanistan. Since 2017, she had served as a journalist and representative for the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists in Nangarhar, where she actively participated in the center’s educational programs.