Female Pakistani minister shot dead for 'breaking Islamic dress code'

[The Straight Story]

Just got to love those islamic values!

Female Pakistani minister shot dead for 'breaking Islamic dress code'



A Pakistani minister and woman’s activist has been shot dead by an Islamic extremist for refusing to wear the veil.

Zilla Huma Usman, the minister for social welfare in Punjab province and an ally of President Pervez Musharraf, was killed as she was about to deliver a speech to dozens of party activists, by a “fanatic”, who believed that she was dressed inappropriately and that women should not be involved in politics, officials said.

Mrs Usman, 35, was wearing the shalwar kameez worn by many professional women in Pakistan, but did not cover her head.

The attack happened in Gujranwala, 120 miles southeast of Islamabad, where the minister’s office is based. As Ms Usman, 35, stepped out of her car – where she was greeted by her co-workers throwing rose petals - the attacker pulled out a pistol and fired a single shot at close range, hitting her in the head. She was airlifted to hospital in the provincial capital Lahore, but died soon afterwards.

The gunman, Mohammad Sarwar, was overpowered by the minister’s driver and arrested by police. A stone mason in his mid 40s, he is not thought to belong to any radical group but is known for his fanaticism. He was previously held in 2002 in connection with the killing and mutilation of four prostitutes, but was never convicted due to lack of evidence.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article1414137.ece

[WinkyDink]

1. Ignorance breeds hatred. And some people wonder what the value of a Liberal education is.

[The Straight Story]

3. yes indeed.....(nt)

[Horse with no Name]

2. Very sad.

Gotta love all the democracy that is being spread over there doesn't extend to our allies.

[Bucky]

4. How horrible. The hate is inconceivable to me.

I mean, sure, he's probably not entirely right in the head. But this terrible loss is so pointless, and it was driven along by clerics who are often supported by our Saudi allies. But once again, we find ourselves fighting the wrong enemy--and where we fight them, we end up doing recruitment for the original enemy.

[Bobbieo]

5. Women cover thyselves lest they tempt men!!!!

Doesn't that say volumes about the integrity and will power of those Islamic men?

[Warpy]

11. Christian sects out there are the same way

which means men are bigger wimps than we had ever considered and totally lack self control. If half the human race is allowed to have liberty, they completely lose it and can't possibly do anything with their lives but concentrate on sexual fantasies. That's what these repressed and probably closeted wack jobs would have us all believe as they insist women be shrouded as though they are already dead.

Fortunately, they're in a small and vicious minority both here and in Pakistan and we're in no grave danger of being oppressed into oblivion any time soon.

With the vicious prick in question, it was more a question of political power than of extreme modesty in dress.

[malaise]

6. This is madness

Pakistani women attend cricket matches without the veil all the time.

[Bobbieo]

12. I do believe that statement was made by Ayatollah Khomeni!!!

[noamnety]

7. That's not "islamic values"

The guy was a serial murderer and a fanatic, and the fact that she was the elected minister for social welfare should make it clear it's not representative behavior of Islamic values as a whole.

(posted in an attempt to avoid further perpetuating stereotypes)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. That's a good intention, lwfern.

Hope it doesn't fall on deaf ears.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. It's as much Islamic Values as Pat Robertson is indicative of Christian Values.

In short, neither religion gets a free pass on their many whackjobs.

What it really is, IMHO, is control freak values- the values of people who feel the need to tell other consenting adults how to live their lives, what to wear, what they may or may not do with their own bodies, how to look... how to behave. The folks who are sure THEY and THEY ALONE have the "right" way to do things, and as such are driven by a moral imperative to IMPOSE their agenda on everyone else. More often than not, these repressive, uptight types are excessively focused on sex.. trying to stomp out sexual expression, freedom, or interaction wherever they see it.

It's a broad-based mental illness, and it seems to afflict all sorts of religions and ideologies on this planet.

[maxsolomon]

9. less her dress than her involvement in politics

"thank you, lord, for the healing gift of religion" - bill hicks, RIP

[xultar]

10. We are close to that shit here with the fundies and all their fundie wear.

[GoneOffShore]

13. Remember that old "It's the economy, stupid"?

Weill, here it's the fundamentalism.

If only we could educate people out of religion and tribalism.

[Taverner]

14. Ahhh religion

It's all about peace, right?

Fuck Islam. Fuck Christianity. Fuck Judaism.

Fuck ALL religion.

[Solo_in_MD]

15. The Sharia at its finest

[kestrel91316]

16. Oh, this is really gonna help with the level of contempt I have for

religious fundamentalists and fanatics of all stripes................

[ComerPerro]

17. Hell, even according to Christian doctrine she should be publicly stoned to death

I don't know how on earth anyone could look at shit like this and still insist that secularism is a bad thing.

But Bill OReilley would be proud that there is a group of religious and faithful sticking to traditional values.

[Warren DeMontague]

19. No, see, cuz they worship the WRONG God that hates gays and fears sexuality

Whereas Billo worships the RIGHT God that hates gays and fears sexuality.

[baldguy]

20. Remember, these people are the good guys.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Actually, the good guys are the ones the nutbags of EVERY stripe hate.

Namely, the secular humanists, the "permissives", the socially libertarian MYOGDB crowd, and the folks whose heads don't explode whenever they see a picture of a naked breast.