Girl, 11, becomes Pakistani celebrity after taking on the Taliban... with protest poetry



Inspiration: Tuba Sahaab, 11, writes poetry that protests the suffering endured living under the strict control of hardcore Islamists

An 11-year-old girl is taking on the Taliban by writing poems that protest the suffering endured living under the strict control of hardcore Islamists.



Tuba Sahaab says she will fight to bring peace to her nation - and that she is willing to die for it.

'I will do anything,' she said. 'If my life goes I don't worry, I just want to do something.'

The young writer dreams of equality for all - and of becoming an astronaut who will later lead Pakistan.

She sees Barack Obama as a symbol of hope.



Her poetry covers topical issues including the banning of girls from schools and the misery such restrictions cause.



Tuba lives in a suburb of Islamabad, Pakistan, less than two hours away from the former tourist destination of Swat Valley where the Taliban now has total control.

Her work is regularly published in newspapers and she has appeared on local radio stations to further her fearless message.

'This is very shocking to hear that girls can't go to school, they are taking us back to the Stone Age,' she told CNN.

'I want to give peace to my nation. I will fight for it.'

The powerful and shocking imagery of Tuba's words prove she is wise beyond her years.



Hard at work: The Islamabad schoolgirl pens another biting piece of social commentary

A stanza of one of her poems reads: 'Tiny drops of tears, their faces like angels / Washed with blood, they sleep forever with anger'.

Her inspiration was heightened by the recent election of U.S. President Barack Obama, who she sees as a symbol of hope for a peaceful world.

Tuba prayed for his election last November and would love to travel to America to meet Mr Obama one day.

She said: 'I want to go the White Palace and show him my poems, show him what is happening and ask him to come to Pakistan and control it because he is a super power.'