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  • WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21 2007 4:00 PM

Feminist Pakistani Minister Killed Because of Her Outfit

Submitted by legionnaire

Edited by erin_broadley

Tags: femimist, pakistan, Islam, dress

Feminism in Pakistan suffered a major blow yesterday when Zilla Huma Usman, the minister of social welfare in the Punjab province, was shot dead by a fanatic convinced that women should not hold positions and government, and that she was dressed inappropriately.

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.

Mr Sarwar appeared relaxed and calm when he told a television channel that he had carried out God’s order to kill women who sinned. “I have no regrets. I just obeyed Allah’s commandment,” he said, adding that Islam did not allow women to hold positions of leadership. “I will kill all those women who do not follow the right path, if I am freed again,” he said.

“He is basically a fanatic,” Raja Basharat, the Punjab Law Minister, said. “He is against the involvement of women in politics and government affairs.” A police statement added: “He considers it contrary to the teachings of Allah for a woman to become a minister or a ruler. That’s why he committed this action.”

“He killed her because she was not observing the Islamic code of dress. She was also campaigning for emancipation of women,” said Nazir Ahmad, a local officer.


Pakistan, while an overwhelmingly Muslim country, continues to be governed secularly by general Pervez Musharraf who has thus far resisted right-wing elements in the country pressuring him to conform to Sharia law. Under many interpretations of that system women would be forbidden from holding positions of power and would be forced to adhere to a strict dress code. Despite ingrained resistance against women's rights in the country some progress has been made, and elected officials like Usman are a symbol of that progress, a symbol that is undoubtedly infuriating to its opponents.

But analysts said that the murder of the female minister highlighted the failure of his government in curbing Islamic extremism. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in a recent report said that violence against women had increased alarmingly, with some of the incidents incited by Mullahs opposed to women’s emancipation.

Islamists also campaigned against the Women Protection Bill which was recently passed by parliament, which seeks to provide protection to women who have suffered discrimination under Islamic Sharia laws.

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Comments
herbancowboy

herbancowboy

Houston, TX
June 2004

FEB 21, 2007 04:21 PM

This would be really sad and fucked up if it were true, but thanks to grobog I know that feminists don't exist in Pakistan. Thanks grobog!

Last month I had the pleasure of taking part in an interview with a bad ass Pakistani feminist (who, ironically, has the same last name as the murderer in the article above.) I will post links to audio and write more about it tonight or tomorrow.

Zilla Huma Usman, RIP. First Molly Ivins, then Anna Nicole Smith, now you.

xani

xani

Charlottesville, VA
May 2006

FEB 21, 2007 07:46 PM

what a mess.

catdad

catdad

Portland, OR
August 2002

FEB 21, 2007 07:50 PM

Conservatives always suck.

cupcakeOdoom

cupcakeOdoom

USA
March 2006

FEB 21, 2007 08:29 PM

insanity. how was she dressed, does anyone know?

sleepingsunshine

sleepingsunshine

Winston Salem, NC
December 2006

FEB 21, 2007 08:41 PM

I'd also like to know what she was wearing.

Esoteric

Esoteric

Portland, OR
January 2005

FEB 21, 2007 09:20 PM

ilovelucy said:
insanity. how was she dressed, does anyone know?



She probably had her face exposed or flashed a bit of ankle when she got off a train or something. Seriously. "Radical Islamists" think all women should go around dressed in body bags. I'm sure what she was wearing was perfectly harmless and inoffensive by our standards.

Ainur

Ainur

I'm lost
May 2005

FEB 21, 2007 11:32 PM

This is the only pic I could find quickly. Amazingly, I imagine the reference to her "not observing the Islamic code of dress" really is just her lack of a veil.

thedancewalker

thedancewalker

East York, ON
December 2004

FEB 22, 2007 12:21 AM

When *my* religious regime takes over, women will be gifted (see: forced) into wearing repentant religious attire; admittedly, it will mostly be the chains used to secure ocean going freight-liners around their necks, with a few transport truck tires looped through them. Weighing in at over 239 pounds, it may be heavy, but what is the weight of a few hundred pounds of steel and industrial-grade rubber compared to eternal salvation? Also, women who complain are obviously satanic devil worshippers and should be burned to death in the most humane way possible: a curling iron set to the lowest setting, over the course of ninteen weeks.

Oh, by the way, us men don't need the repentant chain, as we have a penis are the penis is teh r0x0rz! Go religiousnessity!

Hatter_

Hatter_

United Kingdom
January 2007

FEB 22, 2007 03:19 AM

Oh how lovely... yet more propaganda. whatever Does anybody else remember reading about the crusades... Haven't we all been here and done all this once...

spinhouse247

spinhouse247

Punta Gorda, FL
December 2003

FEB 22, 2007 03:58 AM

I wonder what they do to female streakers? tongue

NickFaust

NickFaust

USA
April 2004

FEB 22, 2007 04:29 AM

Is there someone here who believes that there are not fundamentalist wackos in every religion? In every country?

This is a sad thing, but the reasons and religion of the doer are almost immaterial. He's just nuts.

Bastardo

Bastardo

Boston, MA
January 2005

FEB 22, 2007 04:37 AM

NickFaust said:
Is there someone here who believes that there are not fundamentalist wackos in every religion? In every country?

This is a sad thing, but the reasons and religion of the doer are almost immaterial. He's just nuts.



I wonder what Shinto fundamentalists are like.

Azadeth

Azadeth

Fairport, NY
August 2006

FEB 22, 2007 04:56 AM

NickFaust said:
Is there someone here who believes that there are not fundamentalist wackos in every religion? In every country?

This is a sad thing, but the reasons and religion of the doer are almost immaterial. He's just nuts.



When's the last time an Amish extremist took out a skyscraper by driving a horse n' buggy into it? Even when that Buddhist set himself on fire to protest, he did it to himself and never touched anyone.

Islam nurtures killing and suicide because the koran states quite clearly that those who do it are rewarded in heaven. Couple that with the extreme oppression its followers live under by obeying its rules, and you get this sort of thing.

I'm an Atheist, and I believe that all religion is ill-advised. But there are certainly religions that are far worse than others...a difference between ill-advised and a crime against humanity.

brett54

brett54

Australia
November 2004

FEB 22, 2007 05:00 AM

I lived in Pakistan - twice. Split between Islamabad and Karachi.
The first was with an elected government, the second after the coup.

I had a blast - a fantastic place, people, food.

Please don't get conservative ethnic customs confused with some distorted interpretation of Islam. Pakistani women don't wear veils, they just have a scarf that they sometimes drap casually over their heads.

Pakistan has at least had a female leader - the US hasn't even got so far as rejecting one.*

* yes, as per usual, for you anal fuckers, there is probably a running mate somewhere in history, or some obscure name from the past that has run for president.

NickFaust

NickFaust

USA
April 2004

FEB 22, 2007 05:11 AM

Azadeth said:

NickFaust said:
Is there someone here who believes that there are not fundamentalist wackos in every religion? In every country?

This is a sad thing, but the reasons and religion of the doer are almost immaterial. He's just nuts.



When's the last time an Amish extremist took out a skyscraper by driving a horse n' buggy into it? Even when that Buddhist set himself on fire to protest, he did it to himself and never touched anyone.



The fact that a buggy will not bring down a skyscraper does not mean that there are not crazy Amish people who do not do crazy things in the name of their religion.

The Amish religion simply eschews the type of technology that would enable this specific act.

Islam nurtures killing and suicide because the koran states quite clearly that those who do it are rewarded in heaven. Couple that with the extreme oppression its followers live under by obeying its rules, and you get this sort of thing.



You know, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. The point that you are making here is not the point you think you are making. The point that you are making is that you know dick about Islam.

Islam is a religious doctrine that human beings twist into an excuse for violence. Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism etc. etc. etc. all have this in common. The same is true of Marxism and Capitalism.

Religions don't kill people. People kill people.

I'm an Atheist, and I believe that all religion is ill-advised. But there are certainly religions that are far worse than others...a difference between ill-advised and a crime against humanity.

A Mormon fundamentalist may be crazy, but he's not about to hurt anyone.



They apparently don't get the newspapers in your neck of the woods. Have you not heard of the polygamy cults that marry off 13 year olds to 70 year old "spiritual leaders" and kill people if they try to expose the cult?

Again, and with feeling, any system of thought or belief can be twisted by a human being into a reason for killing other human beings.

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