A clueless Oxford University student asked a freshers’ WhatsApp group who Malala Yousafzai is – then admitted he’d had to Google the Nobel Prize winner.
The howler came from a pupil, known only as ‘James’, who took to the group and asked: texted ‘Who is @malalayousafzai?’
Despite becoming a global advocate for women’s education and rubbing shoulders with world leaders, the student apparently had no idea who she was.
A few minutes later he checked in again and wrote: ‘Oh no…don’t worry I’ve googled it.’
Malala who…? A clueless Oxford University student asked a freshers’ WhatsApp group (pictured) who Malala Yousafzai is – then admitted he’d had to Google the Nobel Prize winner
Clueless: The howler came from a pupil, known only as ‘James’, who took to the group and asked: texted ‘Who is @malalayousafzai?’ Nobel prize winner Malala (pictured) has just started studying at Oxford University
Malala herself seemed to see the funny side and posted a ‘smiley face’ emoji a short time later.
The amusing exchange was revealed on twitter after it was sent to American writer Caitlin E Jones who is based in Louisiana who published a screen image of the freshers’ group chat.
One of the three initial Twitter posters said their brother, studying with Malala, had revealed the message.
Ms Jones posted the image which drew praise for the 20-year-old activist from a supporter titled ‘Pakistanning’ who said: ‘I cannot believe we are living in a time where we can witness a real-life nobel peace prize nominee, a young woman who has been face-to-face with a terrorist and not only survived but went on to spend every day of the rest of her life confronting the world’s most powerful head-on and saving the world, a living legend, a real-life superhero, using smiley face emojis in a facebook messenger groupchat with her classmates.’
Malala had stayed silent after facing a backlash from critics and trolls for wearing western style clothing instead of the south Asian shalwar kameez which she is know to favour.
MailOnline first revealed the internet hate which followed after she strolled through Oxford city centre wearing skinny jeans, ankle boots and a bomber jacket.
She was photographed strolling past an empty Austin Reed clothing store and opposite and an AMT coffee outlet at breakfast time.
The image was first published on a Pakistani news website and in other media outlets in her native country, which she one day hopes to lead as Prime Minister.
Malala has seen her first weeks at Oxford greeted with an internet barrage of hate because of her choice of donning western clothing.
The student, who almost paid with her life at the hands of a Taliban gunman for speaking out in favour of women’s educational rights, had her hopes to slip into student life at Oxford with the anonymity granted to her fellow under graduates, lost on critics in her native Pakistan.
She became the target of abuse over the picture despite keeping her ‘duppata’ on her head as she has done since she arrived in Britain five years ago.
Abuse: But Malala (pictured) has seen her first weeks at Oxford greeted with an internet barrage of hate for her apparent choice of western clothing donning skinny jeans, boots and a bomber jacket
Inspiration: The Nobel laureate, who almost paid with her life at the hands of a Taliban gunman for speaking out in favour of women’s educational rights, has is proud to be studying at Oxford
One vitriolic message posted on Twitter and re-published in the Pakistani media said: ‘That was the reason the bullet directly targeted her head long time ago.’
Another hateful message said: ‘Look at hypocrite Malala wearing pants! Is she even a Muslim?’
A third said: ‘Want a nobel prize and getting admission into Oxford University? Step 1: get shot… so much for women rights advocacy lol.’
The bitterness towards the young woman who has declared that one day she would like to lead her country as Prime Minister, caused outrage among supporters.
Her father Ziauddin Yousafzai, who leads her campaign for womens’ education rights, last night followed two Muslims on Twitter who said they would wear jeans in support of Malala’s choice of western dress.
Najwa Zebian, 27, who wears a hijab, tweeted a picture of herself in skinny jeans and Malala’s father showed his appreciation by shortly after following her on Twitter.
She Tweeted: ‘Wearing jeans in solidarity with #Malala Because what you choose to wear is your choice alone.’
Najwa,a Canadian-based writer told MailOnline: ‘Malala has come such a long way from surviving a horrendous system of oppression and showed every person around the world the importance of will power an having your own voice, especially as a girl.
‘It’s quite sad that of all the amazing things she’s done, the focus is on her jeans.
As women, we are already under so much pressure to fit a certain norm, wherever we are in the world. If we cover up, we are criticized and told that we are oppressed. If we cover up in a way that some deem inappropriate, we are criticized for not covering up ‘the right way’. If we don’t cover up, we are criticized by some for not covering up at all, and by others for not dressing ‘feminine’ enough. And the list goes on and on.
‘The truth is, as women, we always fail to fit the norm of everyone, and when we don’t, we are shamed for it. we could go to the moon, but someone will still comment on our dress. This is what happened with Malala. This is what often happens to me as well.
‘So of course I will stand with her. Of course I will stand in solidarity with her and live the truth that she and I are both fighting for; for women to be independent of inherent systems of oppression carried by generations of pretending not to know any better and wanting to oppress and control women by shaming them.
Studying at Oxford: If she had hoped to slip into student life at Oxford with the anonymity granted to her fellow under graduates, her wish has been lost on critics in her native Pakistan
Astonishingly one social media user even doctored the image of Malala to ‘solve the problem’
The bitterness towards the young woman who has declared that one day she would like to lead her country as Prime Minister caused outrage among supporters.
The picture of Malala wearing jeans was reported across Pakistan
‘I often get shamed in disgusting ways for wearing form-fitting jeans. That is also another form of overlooking me as a human being and condensing me to what I wear…because telling a woman what to wear is the same as telling her what not to wear. Both are oppressive, not just one.’
Preacher Imam Tawhidi, an outspoken critic of extremism who was last week revealed by MailOnline Australia to have been targeted in a hate attack at Adelaide, said; ‘These Muslims… where were they when Malala was shot in the face? I never saw such an outrage when she was laying in hospital.’
The preacher, who was also followed on Twitter today following his support of Malala on Twitter, added that he would be wearing his Dolce & Gabbana jeans under his prayer cloak.
He added: ‘As a Muslim Imam and faith leader, I stand in solidarity with Malala and against Islamic extremism. Malala has been a victim of Islamic extremism and she does not deserve the verbal attacks being directed at her. ‘
BBC broadcaster Anita Anand, who presents Radio 4’s Any Answers? said: ‘Malala can wear whatever she likes as far as I’m concerned.
‘The baying criticism is coming from the most regressive quarters, and I doubt she could do anything to please them.
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in traditional dress at the Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya in July 2016, where she voiced concern that Kenya’s plans to close it could create ‘a generation lost’
Malala Yousafzai has seen her first weeks at Oxford greeted with an internet barrage of hate because of her choice of donning western clothing
Twitter users criticised the focus on Malala’s decision to wear western-style clothing even though she kept her head covered
Malala faced criticism over her choice of dress today. She gained her A-levels in Birmingham after moving there following an attempt on her life October 9th 2012 by a Taliban gunman who shot her in the head
‘I sincerely hope she never tries. All of my Pakistani friends agree with that sentiment.
‘She is a heroine and a role model. Her insistence on an education has taken her to one of the finest learning establishments in the world. She refused to be deterred even though extremists tried to shoot her into line.’
Another fan Arsalan Ahmed Jaraal of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Pakistan border with Afghanistan, said on Twitter: ‘What Malala wore in UK, is pretty common in Pakistan as well. Stop creating a fuss about it. Let others live their life, at least for once.’
Saad Kaiser Khan tweeted: ‘A nation that doesn’t have enough electricity, food or water resources but it debates about what a woman should and shouldn’t wear.’
Malala announced her arrival at Oxford University on Twitter with the message: ‘5 years ago, I was shot in an attempt to stop me from speaking out for girls’ education. Today, I attend my first lectures at Oxford.’
She is studying a BA degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford which was also attended by former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was murdered by terrorists during an election rally in Rawalpindi in 2007..
Malala Yousefzai, left, with fellow students Bethany Lucas, centre, and Beatrice Kessedjian after collecting her ‘A’ level exam results at Edgbaston High School for Girls in Birmingham this summer
Malala acquired her A-levels in Birmingham after moving there following an attempt on her life October 9th 2012 by a Taliban gunman who shot her in the head.
The terrorists had been angered by her radio broadcasts and BBC blogs from Pakistan as a schoolgirl advocating education for all women in Pakistan, which was forbidden by the extremists.
She was transferred to the UK to continue her recovery and education after an international outpouring of support and weeks after her murder attempt, a group of fifty leading Muslim clerics in Pakistan issued a fatwā against those who tried to kill her.
She has consistently appeared in public and before heads of state in her national dress of shalwar kameez and with her head covered, but her new chosen style of dress has sparked an unwarranted backlash.