Posted by Dr. Joe Conley '66 on 12/28/2007, 2:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Benazir Bhutto"
70.155.70.112
The killing yesterday of Benazir Bhutto, more or less, marks the end of the Bhutto dynasty: one of the world's better known political dynasties. The Bhuttos like the Ghandis of India have suffered an endless cycle of good fortune, pain and hardship in their involvement in the politics of their country. The Bhutto dynasty had begun with her grandfather, a wealthy landowner who was one of the major sponsors of the creation of Pakistan in 1947. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan in the 1970s, was accused of ordering the murder of a political rival following the coup that brought General Zia ul-Haq to power in 1977. Zulfikar was imprisoned, and later hanged in 1979. This had a profound effect on the then 26-year old Benazir Bhutto, She later wrote: "At that moment, I pledged to myself that I would not rest until democracy had returned to Pakistan."
She devoted the better part of her public career to the pursuit and advancement of the cause of democracy in Pakistan. Educated in Harvard, and Oxford, with a cosmopolitan taste, the ravishingly beautiful Benazir Bhutto was twice Prime Minister of her country during which period, she not only kept the Bhutto dynasty, and its place in Pakistani politics alive, but earned her spurs as a strong, outspoken and courageous woman. Her tenure and career were however characterised by too many peaks and valleys, as she suffered glory, persecution, exile, court trials, amnesty and now murder.
Her assassination by a suicide bomber at a political rally, yesterday shows how volatile the political situation in Pakistan is, and the continuing threat of violence that has turned that country into a murderous killing field. This may sound odd, but there was a whiff of death-wish to Mrs. Bhutto's politics since her return to Pakistan on October 18. The Musharraf government had warned her about likely attacks on her by Moslem extremists. But she ignored the advice that she should travel less in the open and chose to test her popularity among the people. At her home-coming rally, a suicide bomb attack left 139 persons dead. In a country where there have been more than 40 suicide attacks this year alone, with more than 700 people dead, Mrs Bhutto defied her tormentors. "I put my life in danger and came here because I feel this country is in danger. People are worried. We will bring the country out of crisis," she had said.
But can we, legitimately, blame the dead? This fallen Daughter of the East was a child of passion, fired by enthusiasm and her commitment to making a difference. She provided a useful and necessary contrast in a society dominated by dogma and extremism. In a country where it is a mortal sin to criticise the President, Bhutto never failed to point out that Musharraf's ambition is to rig the proposed parliamentary elections scheduled for January 8.
Bhutto's uncommon courage is to be remarked upon. She knew that her life was in danger, she knew that terrorists and extremists had signed a contract on her life, but she refused to yield the ground to them. Her killers have dealt a deadly blow to the cause of democracy and human rights in Pakistan. Bhutto in death, is justifiably, a martyr. The Al- Qaeda, Islamic militants and the Taliban extremists had never hidden their hatred for her. Bhutto was an outspoken critic of terrorists and a major supporter of the war against terrorism. She had close ties to the United States and was unapologetically pro-West. She not only espoused socialist principles, as Prime Minister, she sought to improve the lot of women by promising to dismantle all barriers that hinder their freedom. Her killers may have stilled her voice, her party the PPP may now appear rudderless without a clear successor in sight, but Bhutto example will endure. It is Pakistan that now faces a sad day.
Her death will further heighten tension in the country, and should the parliamentary elections proceed as scheduled, there is no guarantee that it will be peaceful. Already, Bhutto's supporters are hurt and angry. This may be the beginning of a costly internal battle. The biggest threat in Pakistan today is the spread of extremism. The future challenge is to ensure a regime of peace and rule of law, made practically impossible by military misrule and the extremists within the national borders.
Musharraf had retired as Head of the Army on Nov 6, but he suspended the Constitution and imposed an emergency rule which he lifted on December 15; a culture of dictatorship pervades the land which has provided a fertile ground for extremism. Before the killing of Benazir Bhutto, there had been well-founded fears about the prospects of democracy in Pakistan, yesterday's cowardly act of murder would seem to have confirmed the world's worst fears. Under the circumstances, the least that Islamabad can do is to postpone the parliamentary elections and allow emotions to cool down.
By standing up for democracy in Pakistan, instead of engaging in diplomatic double - speak, America would also invariably be standing up for one individual and her symbolism. In an article in the Christian Service Monitor written 2 weeks before her death Mrs Bhutto wrote "the international community must send a clear message that it will not be an accessory to this coming crime. It must not wait to see if the elections on January 8 are free and fair. It must insist on a minimum set of benchmarks to be met for the election to be recognised as free and fair. If the benchmarks are ignored, the International Community must be prepared to signal its displeasure to the Musharraf regime in specific, possible ways. Flared elections will worsen instability in Pakistan as civil society and political parties protest. Imposing international restrictions after the fact will be fruitless and only deepen anti-American sentiment."
Her exit marks the closure, for now, of a major chapter in Pakistani politics, and a terrible moment for Pakistan. She is the author of a book titled Pakistan: The Gathering Storm. Indeed now the storm gathers in Pakistan. Another book, her autobiography is titled "Daughter of Destiny". Indeed, she was.
Dr. Joesph Conley, PhD.
Clinical Psychology
WWHS Class of 1966
Message Thread:
« Back to thread