As I'm sure most people have heard by now, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was assassinated earlier today at 6:16 pm Pakistan Standard Time. When I tuned into the news this morning all that I heard was of a suicide attack at a political rally in Rawalpindi. In a matter of minutes, the news poured in that Bhutto might also have been killed. And next thing I knew she was reported to have been assassinated. Inna-Lillahe-Wa-Inna-Ilaihe-Rajiunn (For those of you who do not know what the significance of this phrase, it means "To Allah We Belong And To Him We Shall Return. It is customary in Muslim tradition to utter this phrase upon hearing of someone's death.)
I'm in shock and (surprisingly) speechless. How does one make sense of what happened merely hours ago?
I'll admit that I do not have much respect for her as a political leader, in particular her abysmal (IMHO) record on women's rights (although I wonder at times if too much was expected of her because she was a woman without much regard for her having to navigate a man's world that was predominantly conservative even chauvinistic), ethnic divisiveness, and corruption. However all of that pales in comparison to her death. This is certainly not the time to go down that path. No-one should have to endure an end like this. It is beyond appalling if you ask me.
Condolences to her family and loved ones. As I comb through the news I read reports of how this will potentially destabilize Pakistan. However, the (naive?) optimist in me wishes and prays for this to be perhaps be an eye-opener that Pakistanis will rally around in ways that bring peace and prosperity to the nation. That violence has already broken out leaves me saddened and disappointed but perhaps, just perhaps, what I envision optimistically might not be a pipe dream.
As a woman who has grown up in Pakistan, I am thankful to her for her service even if I find myself on opposite sides of the fence on multiple occasions. That she was the first elected female head of state of a Muslim nation while she balanced her personal life along with her professional commitments is certainly commendable and worthy of applause, perhaps even a standing ovation. May Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto rest in peace and may God give her loved ones the strength, courage, and patience to bear this tragic loss.
Included below are three pictures that stand out in my mind of the legacy she leaves behind: that of her as a mother, one of her taking her oath of office as she was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan making her the first female to be elected as the head of a state of a Muslim nation, and at the rally where she was later assassinated. (All of these have been uploaded via Yahoo News.)
(Images Courtesy: Yahoo News)
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