Benazir Bhutto died today. The former and aspiring leader, and prolific women's rights advocate in Pakistan was reportedly shot by a thin, suicidal assassin brandishing an AK47 and strapped with explosives. News of her death was particularly painful to me as I had been following her for quite some time, tentatively hopeful for the return of a female politician in the Muslim world.
As I contemplate the significance of her tragic end, I recall a lyric by humanitarian/rockstar, Bono:
Early Morning, April 4
A shot rang out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
But they could not take your pride
In the name of love
One more in the name of love
I find a little solace in the poetry lauded upon fallen heros like King, Bobby and yes, Bhutto. She was not without controversy, none are, but I love her. I love all of them. I will never forget her struggle and her story.
I encourage everyone to read about Benazir Bhutto and help sustain her vision for the empowerment of Islamic women.
I am shattered by her death. Naturally, I turn my ear to those who would presume to lead us.
What do the candidates say?
Here are two quotes. Guess which is from Hilliary Clinton and which is from Barack Obama.
"I know from my lifetime of experience you have to be prepared for whatever might happen, and that's particularly true today."
"She was a respected and resilient advocate for the democratic aspirations of the Pakistani people. We join with them in mourning her loss, and stand with them in their quest for democracy and against the terrorists who threaten the common security of the world."
The second quote is by Barack Obama, of course, in case you couldn't guess. He seems closer both culturally, and in heart to those non-violent, heroic efforts which change our world for the better.
To be fair, Huckabee spoke to the loss eloquently without the slimy stumping of other, more opportunistic candidates. Richardson, one of the few candidates with actual experience, called for Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to step down.
Do these two things:
First, find out what the real struggles of our time are.
Second, learn about the champions of those causes... become one of them.
As you watch this tumultuous century unfold, remember Benazir Bhutto and those like her. Remember the political corruption, the lust for power, and the worship of military might which took her life. Consider the metaphor of a thin, suicidal man brandishing an Ak47 standing between the women of Islam and freedom from oppression.
Contemplate what possible answers might lead us safely through our coming challenges.
The answers will not be in bigger guns or consolidated power. The answers hide in places like Birmingham Alabama, Jena Louisiana and Rawalpindi, Pakistan; people like Bobby Kennedy, Rachel Corrie, and Benazir Bhutto.
The answers are not in aircraft carriers or AK47s. The answers are cultural. From our civil rights movement to the Orange revolution in the Ukraine, we are the answers to the problems we face.
I won't forget the people who taught me this lesson through the great courage and profound principles with which they lived their lives.
On the shoulders of these giants, political choices become obvious. The strange juxtapositions and irreconcilable dichotomies fade, and all I can hear are the millions of voices of reason behind every movement that mattered in the span of human history.
Thank you Benazir Bhutto.
