female pakistani killed for violating islamic dress code

Feb. 2007 

From the Times Online, we have learned of a disturbing story of more Islamist extremism coupled with the continued repression of women in male-dominated Muslim societies.  Here were we learn of a pivotal female different maker,  Zilla Huma Usman , who was gunned down in the name of Muslim intolerance.  The key points of the story are summarized below.

Islamic hatred toward women 

• A provincial Pakistani minister and woman’s activist has been shot dead by an Islamic extremist who believed that she was dressed inappropriately and that women should not be involved in politics. 

• Zilla Huma Usman was killed by a “fanatic”, who considered her depraved for not wearing full Islamic dress, officials said.“He killed her because she was not observing the Islamic code of dress.”  

• The suspect was a known extremist with a history of targeting women he considered “immoral”. 

• 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. 

• Ms Usman, a married mother of two sons, joined the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League after being elected in 2002.  

• A strong supporter of the President’s policy of “enlightened Moderation” - designed to tackle extremism - she was appointed to her current post in December last year according to her government biography. 

• Shaukat Aziz, the Prime Minister, paid tribute to the minister, describing her as a “committed and dedicated politician”.  

• General Musharraf has promised to address women’s rights as part of his more moderate agenda. 

• Officials insist that his Government is committed to the matter, citing examples such as the recent introduction of a bill in parliament seeking to end the forced marriage of women and girls and allowing females to inherit property. 

• Women make up just over 20 per cent of the lower house of parliament, according to the country’s main human rights group, and there are three women ministers in the cabinet of the federal government. 

• But widespread violence and discrimination against females continues to be a problem in what remains a male-dominated society.

Get the full scoop

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

Our Take

Now where is Islamist hatred and intolerance more evident than in the continued repression of women.  It is time woman in the Muslim world are spoken for.  This was a great loss for woman’s rights in an Intolerant Islamic world. 

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